Tips for growing culinary sage in your garden

Thanksgiving dinners with the fragrance of sage dusting the turkey and dressing is an American tradition. The sage plant (Salvia officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean. In older times, it was used as a medicinal plant; today it is a culinary staple featured in many different dishes, sauces, and dressings.

The origin of sage, or salvia, goes back to its medicinal use; the Latin for salvia is “salvus” which means “to save” and “salvere” which means “to heal.” Sage was considered the herb of immortality, virtue, health, and wisdom. Sage is a hardy perennial plant; common garden sage is hardy to zone 4. The species can grow to 2-1/2 feet tall but there are many cultivars that are shorter.

How to grow

Sage grows best in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Heavy clay can retain too much moisture under wet growing conditions; if you have heavy clay soil, consider using a raised bed or simply plant your sage in containers.

Once established, sage can handle drought. In fact, like many herbs, the heat of the summer can intensify sage’s essential oils.

Prune the plant a few times through the growing season to encourage young shoots and to prevent it from getting leggy and twiggy and going to flower which is not desired if you are using sage for cooking.

If you grow sage as a perennial, consider dividing the plants every two to three years to keep them healthy. Go light on fertilizer, once or twice a season is plenty.

Pests and problems

The good news is sage has few problems. Animals such as deer and rabbits will avoid sage due to its distinct aroma and fuzzy textured foliage.

Do not crowd your sage plants; good air circulation will reduce potential disease issues such as powdery mildew.

You may notice what looks like foam on the branches throughout the plant; this is evidence of spittle bugs.

These tiny insects will not cause harm to the plants; you can take them off by hand or use a gentle spray of water to get them off.

Sage cannot handle excessive wet conditions or plants will die from root rot.

Preserving

There are several ways you can save your sage over the winter.

Consider bringing containers of sage indoors and growing them on a sunny windowsill.

Since sage leaves are large, the plant lends itself well to drying. Harvest dry leaves as bunches, tying stems together and hanging them upside down. You can also use a dehydrator.

Sage can also be frozen.

Mixes well in garden

With the many different varieties of sage, this plant does not have to be only in the herb or vegetable garden.

Sage mixes well in any mixed border of flowers and looks especially nice when partnered with pink-flowering plants. If you have enough sage that you can allow one plant to go to flower, the flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

There are many different colorful cultivars including purple sage, tricolor, a variety called ‘Icterina’ with variegated foliage, and ‘Aurea’ which has chartreuse-yellow leaves. The flavors are slightly different then common garden sage, but it is worth growing more than one variety if for nothing else that their colors!

Just be careful with hardiness; some varieties are not as cold hardy as common sage. Do not restrict sage to only your Thanksgiving dinner. Give sage a try with chicken, pork, or fish dishes as well as sauces, salads, and herbal butters. Tis the season for sage!

Are you interested in learning more about gardening, while enjoying shared tips, tricks, and camaraderie with other gardeners? Consider participating in the master gardener volunteer training in 2022! Come and visit the Extension Parker F. Scripture Botanical Gardens an educational component of the Oneida County Master Gardener Volunteer. For more information call us or visit, http://cceoneida.com/ phone 315-736-3394, Ext 100. Be sure to like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cceoneida) and check out our YouTube channel by hitting the icon at the bottom of our web page.