Growing Sage In Pots | Sage Plant Care In Containers

Growing Sage in Pots allows you to have this aromatic herb available year-round in your urban home without a garden.

Sage is one of the most popular perennial kitchen herbs and is used in many lip-smacking recipes made using pork, cheese, and beans. You can grow it easily in pots in a limited space, outdoors and even indoors.

It only needs the right combination of soil, sunlight, environment, and a little care. This article will showcase everything that you need to know to Grow Sage in Pots.

Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis.

USDA Zones: 4 to 10

Soil pH: 6 to 7, Slightly Acidic to Neutral

Propagating Sage

You can propagate sage by cuttings, division, seeds, and layering. They’re explained below:

1. Growing Sage from Cuttings

If you’ve got an existing plant, cut its 3-4 inches long “new growth” cuttings just below the node, which you’ll find on the opposite of the leaf stem. Remove the lower leaves and flower buds (if present) and leave only 2-3 of the top leaves.

Plant these cuttings in separate pots or use a single wide pot. Keep the soil evenly moist to help the new roots emerge. For a better success rate, dip your cuttings in the rooting hormone before planting.

2. Growing Sage from Division

One more straightforward way to propagate sage is by division. You can dig up your existing mature plant and divide it into many using a knife. Depending on the size of the rootball, divide it into two, three, or four, and plant each section with a top and lower growth in individual small pots. The best time for the division is spring, early summer or autumn when the soil temperature is warm.

3. Growing Sage from Seeds

Growing sage from seeds is also an option, but it’s a time-consuming process, so it’s better to *buy a couple of healthy transplants from any nearby nursery and multiply them following other methods.

If you’re still doing it–sow seeds shallowly, 1/4 inch deep, when the soil temperature is around or above 60 F (15 C) for best results. Seeds will germinate within 2-3 weeks. You can also start seeds indoors in spring if the expected last frost date has not passed yet.

4. Growing Sage from Layering

Growing sage from layering is an easy way to multiply this aromatic herb. For this, select a long trailing stem that can be bent, remove its lower leaves, and create a minuscule wound with the fingernail on the stem part that you’ll bury in the soil; what this will do is it will encourage the plant to form new roots at the site of the injury.

Bury it 2 inches deep near the mother plant and cover with soil. It’ll root in several weeks. Once it does, disconnect it from the parent plant and plant it in a new location. Your new sage plant is ready!

Note: If you’re growing sage in pots for the first time, it’s better to buy healthy sage transplants from a nursery instead of trying these propagation methods.

Choosing a Container

A clay pot would be the best for growing sage. In the beginning, select a container that is a minimum 6-8 inches deep and wide similarly. Later, you can repot this herb into a bigger pot, probably 10 inches, once it outgrows the current pot and becomes root-bound. Ensure your pot has sufficient drainage holes to avoid any waterlogging.

Check out the Best Types of Sage Varieties

Requirements for Growing Sage in Pots

Position

While you can grow sage in part sun, the most aromatic and healthy sage plant grows in full sunlight. Hence, it is essential to place the plant in a position that gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. If you live in a hot climate, save the plant from the intense afternoon sun, especially in summer, and keep it in partial sunlight.

The most suitable position for growing sage indoors is either a South or West facing window. If you don’t receive proper sunlight indoors, use grow lights for this purpose or install a windowbox on your window and grow it there.

Soil

Never use 100% regular garden soil for growing sage in pots. Either make your own soilless potting mix or buy it from a garden center or online. Your growing medium should be well-drained and loamy. To enrich it, add 20-25 percent compost or well-rotted manure to the potting mix.

Watering

Flavorful sage is grown when it is kept on a slightly drier side, and it’s important to note that the watering requirements of both sage and rosemary are similar.

However, water a young and newly transplanted sage plant deeply, regularly, for the first few weeks until it’s established without overdoing it.

Once the plant gets excellent growth and develops a healthy root system, start keeping it on the drier side–Water only when the topsoil seems dry to the touch!

Avoid overwatering and overhead watering to prevent root rot and diseases like leaf spots and powdery mildew, as this herb is very susceptible to them.

Sage Care in Pots

Fertilizer

Sage, like other herbs, doesn’t like a strong fertilizer dose, especially anything that is rich in nitrogen. Also, fertilizing a lot reduces its intense flavor.

You can mix aged compost or well-rotted manure at the time of planting in the potting mix and side-dress it again after 8 weeks interval.

If you’re not using compost, feed it with a general-purpose liquid fertilizer diluted in half or quarter-strength but that too occasionally once in a 3-5 weeks. Don’t feed in winter unless you live in a warm climate.

Pinching

Pinch off the top tips, when your young sage plant is 4-5 inches tall and has grown several sets of true leaves, using shears or fingernails. This will induce new bushier growth.

Pruning and Deadheading

Like other perennial herbs, a sage requires hard pruning once in a year. The best time is when new growth starts to appear, young leaves unfurl, and new buds form in spring.

Trim all the dead, decaying, and crossing woody stems. You can do a slight pruning again after flowering ends in summer.

Also, divide the plant once every 2-3 years to help it maintain its life and vigor. For the leaves to retain their best flavor all year round, always prune the flower buds before they start to bloom.

Keep in mind that sage tends to become woody, and its growth starts to fall after four years or so. It is recommended to replace the plant once you notice the same. To learn about pruning sage and other herbs, check out this article.

Mulching

If you’re growing sage in a hot and windy climate, mulch it with organic matter. It’ll keep the soil cool and help in retaining moisture. Leaves or straws from your garden should be fine, or else add a layer of pebbles.

Pests and Diseases

Mildew can affect your sage plant in a pot. To prevent this, provide good air circulation, don’t grow this herb in the shade, and avoid wetting the foliage. Be extra careful in hot and humid conditions. In pests, beware of aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. If you identify them, spray mild insecticidal soap on the plant. Learn how to make homemade insecticidal soap here.

Look at the best Sage Companion Plants

Sage Plant Care in Winter

Sage is a cold-hardy herb, but to prevent any damage, keep it indoors in winter before the freezing temperature occurs. Keep the plant near a bright window that receives some sunlight. Protect it from cold drafts, reduce water, and avoid fertilizing until the weather starts to warm up.

Harvesting and Storage

Harvest sage lightly in the first year, whenever you need it, just a few leaves. Later, whenever you pick fresh sprigs, always make sure not to pick more than 1/3 of its growth at once.

You can also dry the harvested sage for future use. For this, hang the stems upside down in a warm and dry spot that doesn’t receive the intense sun, once the leaves are dry, strip and store them in an airtight container.

You can also keep the stems with flowers attached, as they work really well with arrangements that have dried herbs. Learn more about harvesting herbs here.