Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Herbs Vol. 003

Sage

in Zone 9, this week

Sage is a small woody herb with soft gray-green leaves that you use in cooking, fresh or dried. It comes from the dry Mediterranean, so it wants full sun, poor well-drained soil, and not much water. This is kitchen sage (Salvia officinalis), not the colorful flower salvias sold as annuals. It makes pretty blue-purple flower spikes in early summer that bees love, but you grow it for the leaves, so many people snip the flowers off. Sage is one of the tougher herbs and comes back year after year in much of the country, but plants get woody and leggy after a few years, so trim it each spring and plan to replace it every few years. Too much water or hot, muggy weather, not cold, is what usually rots and kills it. Sage (Salvia officinalis), also called common, garden, or culinary sage, is a woody Mediterranean perennial subshrub in the mint family, grown for its aromatic, pebbly-textured, gray-green leaves used fresh or dried in cooking. This is the culinary kitchen sage, not the ornamental bedding salvias (such as scarlet or mealycup sage) sold as annual flowers. It carries short spikes of blue-purple flowers in early summer that bees and butterflies love, but the leaves are the crop, and many cooks pinch the flower spikes to keep the foliage flavorful. Sage thrives on lean treatment: full sun, poor to average well-drained soil, and little water or feeding. It is one of the hardier culinary herbs, reliably perennial in much of the country, but it is short-lived and turns woody and sprawling with age, so plan to replace plants every few years and prune each spring to slow the decline. Overwatering and humid heat, not cold, are what usually kill it, through root and stem rot.

Sage mature plant
Fig. 01 · Sage, mature Zone 9
Container
5 gal
min 2 gal pot
Sunlight
Full sun
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Low
Spacing
18 to 24 in
between plants
Soil pH
6-7
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Plant out

Off-season for sage in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The growing year

Your sage year, month by month

Grown as a perennial CA: Interior Valley, Zone 9

Sage grows year-round in zone 9's mild, dry-summer climate. Plant it in fall or late winter; it flowers in spring to summer. Give it full sun, good drainage, and little water, and it lasts for years before getting woody.Perennial. Zone 9's mild, dry-summer Mediterranean climate suits sage well; it grows as an evergreen woody subshrub, planted in fall or late winter and blooming in spring to summer. Full sun, sharp drainage, and sparing water keep it healthy for years before it turns woody.

Once established, lavender settles into the same rhythm year after year: a winter rest, fresh spring growth, an early-summer bloom you cut for fragrant bundles, then a hard cut-back that keeps the plant compact and flowering for years.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
▲ We are here
Sage’s year
growing
bloom
prune
growing
Plant
plant
plant
BloomGrowingPrune
Plant
Oct - Nov or Feb - Mar
Bloom
May - Jun
Cut back after bloom Trim sage back each spring when new growth appears, cutting the leggy stems but not down into the hard woody base, which will not grow back well. Keep it tidy with light trims and by snipping sprigs through the season, and cut off the old flower stems after it blooms. This keeps sage bushy and tasty, but plants still get woody after a few years and are worth replacing.Prune sage hard in spring as new growth breaks, cutting leggy stems back but never into the bare old wood, which resprouts poorly. Follow with light trims and sprig harvests through the season, and remove spent flower stems after bloom. This yearly renewal keeps the plant compact and flavorful and slows the woody decline, but sage is short-lived, so plan to replace plants every few years.
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

The easiest way to grow sage is to buy a small plant or root a cutting from an existing one. You can grow it from seed started indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost, but seed is slower and takes roughly a year to reach a good size, so most people skip it.Sage is most reliably grown from a nursery transplant or from softwood cuttings, division, or layering, all of which come true to the parent. It can be grown from seed, started indoors roughly 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost, but seed is slower and a plant takes about a year to reach good harvesting size, so many growers buy plants or root cuttings instead.

  1. 01
    Plant out
    Oct - Nov or Feb - Mar
Start method
Nursery transplant
Soil temp
60-70°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Plant out
01
Plant out
A small bushy plant with soft gray-green leaves and roots that hold the potting soil together when you slide it out.A compact young plant with gray-green foliage and firm roots filling the nursery pot, ready to set out once frost has passed.
Gently loosen the roots, plant so the top of the rootball is level with the soil, water once, and skip the fertilizer.Loosen the rootball, set the crown level with the soil surface, and water in once. Do not amend with rich compost or fertilizer; sage wants lean ground.
FROM PLANT · Sage does best in poor, dry soil, so do not add fertilizer or rich compost. Give it your sunniest spot, and if your soil is heavy clay, plant it on a little mound so water drains away.Plant sage lean and dry, not rich. Skip the compost-and-fertilizer routine other plants want, give it your sunniest, best-draining spot, and on clay build a mound or raised bed. Wet, rich soil is what kills sage.
FROM PLANT · Leave about 18 to 24 inches between plants. That space lets air move around each one, which helps prevent the mildew and rot sage can get when it stays damp.Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Good airflow between plants is one of the simplest ways to head off the powdery mildew and rot sage is prone to in damp conditions.
02
Establishment (year one)
New gray-green leaves filling in, and maybe a few flower spikes. You want it growing bushy, not tall and leggy.Steady new gray-green growth and a plant shaping up bushy rather than stretching. A few flower spikes may appear.
Water fairly often until it takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Harvest just a little and pinch it to stay bushy. Do not feed it.Water regularly until settled, then taper toward deep, infrequent watering. Harvest sparingly and pinch to shape. Hold off on fertilizer.
FROM PLANT · The first year is about growing roots. Water fairly often until it takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Harvest just a little so the plant can fill out; it gets to a good size by around the second year.Year one is about roots, not harvest. Water regularly until settled, then taper to deep and infrequent. Harvest lightly so the plant can bulk up; it reaches good size by about the second year.
FROM PLANT · Try not to feed it. Sage needs very little, and too much fertilizer gives floppy growth and weaker-tasting leaves. The same is true for water, where more is not better.Resist the urge to feed. Sage has low fertility needs, and over-feeding gives soft growth with weaker flavor. The same goes for water: more is not better.
03
Spring regrowth and harvest
Soft green shoots coming out in spring. That is your cue the plant survived winter and the leaves taste their best now.New soft green shoots emerging along the stems and crown, the signal the plant came through winter and the flavor is at its peak before flowering.
Trim it back as new growth starts, cutting the leggy stems but not into the hard old wood. Then snip sprigs whenever you cook and water deeply but not often.Prune hard as growth breaks, cutting leggy stems back but never into bare old wood. Then harvest sprigs freely and begin deep, infrequent watering.
FROM PLANT · Trim sage back in spring when new growth starts. Cut the leggy stems but not down into the hard old wood, which does not grow back well. This yearly trim keeps it bushy and slows it going woody, but you will still replace plants every few years.Prune hard in spring as new growth breaks. Cut leggy stems back but never into the bare old wood, which resprouts poorly. This yearly cut keeps sage compact and slows the woody decline, though plants still need replacing every few years.
FROM PLANT · Spring and early summer is the best time to pick. Snip sprigs from the new growth, never more than about half the plant, and cut in mid-morning once the dew has dried for the best flavor.Spring into early summer is the best harvest window. Cut sprigs freely from new growth, taking no more than about half the plant, and harvest in mid-morning after the dew dries for the strongest flavor.
04
Bloom
Blue-purple flowers on spikes above the leaves. The leaves are a touch milder while it flowers, so cut any for drying just before.Blue-purple flower spikes rising above the foliage. Leaf oils dip slightly during heavy bloom, so harvest for drying just beforehand.
Choose to enjoy the flowers or pinch them off for better leaves. Keep watering deeply but rarely, and do not fertilize.Decide whether to enjoy the flowers or pinch them for leaf quality. Keep watering deep and infrequent and do not feed.
FROM PLANT · The leaves taste best just before it flowers. If you grow sage to cook with, snip the flower spikes off to keep the leaves good; if you like pollinators, leave them for the bees and butterflies.Leaf flavor peaks just before bloom. If cooking is your goal, pinch the flower spikes to keep the foliage prime; if you value pollinators, leave them, since bees and butterflies work the blue-purple flowers.
FROM PLANT · Cut sage for drying right before it flowers, then hang small bunches upside down somewhere warm and airy. When crisp, strip the leaves into a sealed jar kept out of the light.Cut sage for drying just before it flowers, then hang small bunches upside down somewhere warm, dark, and airy. Strip the crisp leaves whole into a sealed jar out of the light.
05
Post-bloom tidy
Faded, brown flower stems and a plant done blooming. Notice the hard woody stems below the green and do not cut into those.Browning, spent flower spikes and a plant finished with its main bloom. Below the green you will see bare woody stems; these are the no-cut zone.
Cut off the old flower stems and tidy it up, staying in the green. Leave any big cutting for spring.Snip off spent flower stems and tidy stray growth, staying in green wood only. Save any hard cutting for spring, when the plant renews.
FROM PLANT · After it flowers, snip off the old flower stems and tidy it up, staying in the green. Leave the big trim for spring; cutting hard into the woody parts late in the year leaves sage weak for winter.After bloom, remove spent flower stems and lightly tidy the plant, staying in green wood. Save the hard renewal prune for spring; cutting deep into old wood late in the season leaves sage weak going into winter.
06
Dormancy (cold zones)
A plant that has stopped growing. The tough green kinds keep their leaves; the tender variegated kinds fade in the cold and need shelter.A plant that has stopped growing for the season. Hardy green types hold their foliage; tender variegated types decline in cold and need protection or to come indoors.
Stop watering and feeding, and save the big trim for spring. Shelter the tender kinds or bring pots somewhere protected. In very cold areas, mulch or a sheltered spot helps.Stop watering and feeding, and leave hard pruning for spring. Protect tender types or move container plants under cover. In the coldest zones, mulch or a sheltered spot helps.
FROM PLANT · In winter, do almost nothing. Stop watering and feeding, and save the big trim for spring. A resting plant in wet soil rots, so do not keep it wet.Over winter, do almost nothing: stop watering and feeding, and leave hard pruning for spring. A dormant plant in wet soil rots, so the worst thing you can do is keep it wet.
FROM PLANT · Shelter the tender kinds. Variegated sages like tricolor and golden sage are less cold-hardy, so grow them in pots you can bring somewhere protected for winter. The plain green kinds can stay outside in cold zones if they have good drainage and a sheltered spot.Protect the tender types. Variegated sages like Tricolor and golden Icterina are less cold-hardy and are best in containers brought under cover for winter, while green types overwinter outdoors through about zone 4 with sharp drainage and shelter.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Sage wants well-drained soil and full sun, and it is happy in poor, dry ground. Rich, damp soil actually works against it and makes the roots rot. If your soil is heavy clay, mix in coarse material so water drains fast, or plant sage on a raised bed or mound, and go easy on the compost.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
low
Spacing
18 to 24 inches
Soil pH
6 to 7
Container OK?
Yes · 2+ gal pot
Germination temp
60-70°F
In a pot

Yes, 2 gallons and up

Sage does fine in a pot, which is handy if your winters are very cold or you are growing one of the fancy variegated types. Use a wide pot with drainage holes and a gritty mix, water lightly, and tip out any water in the saucer.Sage grows well in containers, which is the standard way to keep it going through winter in the coldest zones and to grow the more tender variegated types. Use a wide, free-draining pot and gritty mix, water sparingly, and re-pot into fresh mix as it fills the pot.

Pot size
2 gallons and up; 5 gallons is comfortable
Mature size
12 to 24 inches tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Empty the saucer after watering; sage must never sit in standing water.
Watering
Pots dry faster than the ground, so check the soil, but still let it dry between waterings and never leave the pot in a full saucer.
Depth and shape
At least 10 inches deep.
Self-watering pot
No. Self-watering containers keep the medium too consistently moist for sage and promote root rot; use a conventional free-draining pot instead.
Mix
A coarse, free-draining potting medium; avoid peat-heavy moisture-retentive mixes. Add coarse sand or perlite to sharpen drainage.
Feeding
Container sage needs only a very light feed, if any; do not over-fertilize.
One to try

BerggartenCompact, non-flowering to shy-flowering type with large, rounded silver-green leaves; widely rated one of the best-flavored culinary sages.

1 more compact type

TricolorShowy gray, purple, and cream-white variegated leaves; ornamental and edible but the least cold-hardy and often short-lived.

Winter

In the coldest zones, grow sage in a pot you can move to a bright, cool, sheltered spot for winter, keeping it on the dry side, then bring it back out in spring.Where winters are too harsh for reliable in-ground survival, a container lets you overwinter sage under cover in a cool bright space; keep it barely moist and protected from hard freezes, then return it outdoors after frost.

Hardy to zone 4 in the ground; roots in a pot sit colder than that.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for sage

Preferred
6 to 7
Tolerated
6 to 8

Sage likes soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, about pH 6.0 to 7.0, and copes up to around 8.0. It is not picky about this, so do not worry much about the number as long as the soil drains well.Sage grows best in soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.0, and tolerates neutral ground up to about 8.0. It is not fussy about pH as long as the soil drains well; drainage is the real requirement, not a precise pH.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water deeply but not often. A new plant wants about a soak a week the first year; after that, sage needs water only during long dry spells, though a little extra keeps it leafier.Deep and infrequent. Water new plants about weekly through the first season to establish them, then taper sharply; established sage is drought-tolerant and needs water only in extended dry spells, though it produces a bit more with occasional deep watering.
Amount
About a soak a week for a new plant the first year, then much less once it is established.Roughly a deep soak once a week while establishing the first season; once mature, water only every couple of weeks in dry weather, letting the soil dry between waterings.
Method
Water at the base of the plant, not over the leaves, and let it dry out before watering again. Wet leaves and soggy soil are what make sage rot.Water at the base and let the soil dry between waterings. Avoid wetting the foliage, which encourages powdery mildew and, with wet soil, root rot.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
If leaves yellow and shoots wilt even though you are watering, the problem is almost always too much water. Soggy roots rot.Yellowing leaves, wilting whole shoots, and a plant that fails despite regular watering point to too-wet roots and likely root or stem rot, not drought.
Too little water
Sage almost never gets too little water once established. A little droop on a very hot afternoon that recovers by morning is fine.Established sage rarely shows true drought stress; brief midday wilting in extreme heat that recovers overnight is normal and not a reason to increase watering.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
rarely
Type
None to minimal
When to start
At planting only

Sage barely needs feeding. A little compost at planting is enough. Feeding it a lot just gives you floppy growth and weaker-tasting leaves, so skip the fertilizer for the most part.Sage needs little fertility and is easy to over-feed. A modest amount of compost worked in at planting is plenty; heavy feeding pushes soft, weak growth with diluted flavor and invites disease. In poor soil a single light spring feeding is more than enough.

Lean soil, minimal feed

N/A. There is no fertilizer number to hit here; the aim is to feed sage as little as possible.N/A. Sage is not fed to an N-P-K target; the goal is lean soil and minimal-to-no supplemental feeding, so no fertilizer analysis applies.

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Plant sage next to other dry, sunny herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano, which want the same conditions. Its flowers bring in bees. Gardeners have long grown sage near cabbage and carrots in the hope its strong smell keeps pests away, which is tradition more than proven fact. Keep sage away from plants that need lots of water, because that wet soil will rot it. Sage pairs naturally with other sun-loving, low-water Mediterranean herbs that share its lean, well-drained conditions, such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano; group these together and run the whole bed dry. Its early-summer flowers draw bees and other pollinators. By tradition it is grown near cabbage-family crops and carrots, where growers believe its strong aroma helps confuse pests, though this is folk practice rather than a measured effect. Keep it away from thirsty, rich-soil neighbors whose watering would keep sage too wet.

Other
Rosemary
Likes the same sunny, dry spot as sage.Rosemary is one of the easiest sage partners because it asks for exactly what sage does: full sun, poor soil, and sparing water. Plant them together and you can run the whole bed dry, which is exactly how both stay healthy and avoid the root rot that comes from too much water. Traditional
Thyme
Another dry, sunny herb that grows well beside sage.Thyme is a low, drought-tolerant herb that wants the same lean, well-drained, sunny conditions as sage, so the two make a natural, low-maintenance pairing you can water lightly and infrequently. Traditional
Oregano
Thrives in the same poor, well-drained soil as sage.Oregano is a sun-loving Mediterranean herb happy in poor, fast-draining soil, so it slots right in next to sage without pulling the bed toward the rich, damp conditions sage hates. Traditional
Cabbage-family crops
Gardeners plant sage near cabbage to help keep pests away.Sage has long been grown near cabbage, broccoli, and kale in the belief that its strong scent helps deter cabbage pests. Treat this as traditional garden wisdom rather than a proven effect: it is a popular pairing, but no careful study has confirmed the pest benefit, so plant it for the tradition and the convenience, not as guaranteed pest control. Traditional
Carrots
An old pairing thought to help hide carrots from pests.Sage is a traditional carrot neighbor, with growers hoping its aroma helps mask the carrots from carrot fly. This is folk practice with no controlled evidence behind it, so enjoy it as tradition rather than counting on a real pest effect. Traditional
Keep apart from
Cucumbers Keep cucumbers away from sage; they want very different conditions.There is an old warning against planting sage next to cucumbers, and whatever you make of that, there is a practical reason to keep them apart: cucumbers need steady water and rich soil, while sage needs to stay lean and dry. Growing them together means overwatering the sage, which is the fastest way to rot it. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Snip sage leaves and sprigs whenever you cook once the plant is growing well. Go easy the first year, then cut more freely. The flavor is best on fresh spring and early-summer growth and just before it flowers, which is also the best time to cut some for drying. Take sprigs about 6 to 8 inches from the top, never more than about half the plant at once, and cut in mid-morning after the dew dries for the strongest flavor. In mild climates sage stays leafy, so you can pick a few leaves any time.Harvest sage leaves and sprigs as needed once the plant is growing well. Harvest lightly the first year while the plant establishes, then cut more freely. Flavor is strongest in new growth from spring into early summer and just before flowering, so that is the best window for drying. Cut sprigs about 6 to 8 inches from the tips, taking no more than about half the plant at once, and harvest in mid-morning after the dew dries, when leaf oils are highest. On evergreen plants in mild climates you can pick a few leaves any time of year.

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Yield

What to expect

One healthy sage plant gives you more leaves than you will probably use, fresh through the season and extra to dry. It produces best from about the second year until it gets woody.A mature plant supplies far more leaves than most kitchens use: cut sprigs through the season for fresh use plus bundles to dry. A single healthy plant typically covers a household's culinary sage, with production best from about the second year until the plant turns woody.

Go easy on harvesting the first year while the plant settles in. Cut more once it has filled out, around year two.Harvest lightly the first year while the plant establishes; heavier cutting can wait until it has filled out, around the second season.

What changes yield
Plant age and size (best production from about year two until it turns woody)Full sun and lean, well-drained soil for strong flavorRegular light harvest and an annual spring prune to keep growth young and flavorfulCultivar (green broadleaf and Berggarten types are the workhorse culinary sages)
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

All the kitchen sages here are types of one plant, Salvia officinalis, that differ in leaf color, strength, and how much cold they take. The plain green kinds (common Broadleaf, Berggarten, Extrakta) are the toughest and the best all-round cooking sages, and Berggarten is a favorite for flavor. The colored-leaf kinds (purple, golden, and tricolor sage) are prettier and still edible, but they are less cold-hardy, and tricolor is the most tender. Heads up: pineapple sage is a different, tender plant (Salvia elegans) grown for its red flowers, not one of these cooking sages.The culinary sages here are all forms of Salvia officinalis, differing mainly in leaf color, flavor intensity, and cold-hardiness. Green-leaved types (common Broadleaf, Berggarten, Extrakta) are the hardiest and the workhorse kitchen sages, with Berggarten prized for flavor and a tidy non-flowering habit. Colored-leaf forms (Purpurascens purple sage, Icterina golden sage, Tricolor) are showier and edible but progressively less cold-hardy, and Tricolor especially is tender and often short-lived. Note that pineapple sage is a different species, Salvia elegans, a tender pineapple-scented plant grown for its red flowers, not one of these garden-sage cultivars.

Berggarten
culinary
Common (Broadleaf)
culinary
Purpurascens (Purple sage)
culinary + ornamental
Icterina (Golden sage)
culinary + ornamental
Tricolor
ornamental + culinary
Extrakta
culinary + oil
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Fresh sprigs last a few days in a glass of water on the counter. For the long term, you dry sage.Fresh-cut sprigs keep a few days in a jar of water on the counter or loosely wrapped. For long keeping, sage is dried rather than stored fresh.
Fridge
Fresh sage keeps about a week in the fridge, wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel.Fresh sprigs keep about a week wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel in the refrigerator crisper.
Freezer
You can freeze sage leaves, whole or chopped in a little oil in an ice-cube tray, to use later.Leaves freeze well, whole or chopped in oil in ice-cube trays, keeping much of their flavor for several months.
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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

Preserves & Condiments

Garden Herb Salt

Preserves & Condiments · 10m · Serves 20
More recipes
arriving with the harvest
When something goes wrong

Common problems

Leaves turning yellow or the plant dying backYellowing leaves or dieback
01 of 03
What happened For sage, yellow leaves and dieback usually mean too much water, not too little. Overwatering, soggy soil, or muggy heat cause root and stem rot. The plant is drowning, not thirsty.With sage, yellowing and dieback almost always mean too wet, not too dry. Overwatering, poor drainage, or humid heat lead to root and stem rot. The plant is drowning, not thirsty. Next season Water much less and improve drainage. Use poor, well-draining soil in full sun, water deeply but only now and then, and on heavy soil plant on a mound. Never let it sit in soggy ground.Cut back on watering and fix drainage. Plant in lean, well-drained soil in full sun, water deeply but infrequently, and on clay use a mound or raised bed. Never let sage sit wet.
Tall, woody, and flopping openLeggy, woody, sprawling plant
02 of 03
What happened Sage gets woody and floppy as it ages, and faster if it is not trimmed each spring. The hard old wood does not grow back well, so a very overgrown plant is hard to fix.Sage naturally turns woody and sprawls with age, and it happens faster without the yearly spring prune. Old wood does not resprout well, so a badly overgrown plant is hard to renew. Next season Trim every spring when new growth starts, cutting the leggy stems back to green but not into the hard wood. Sage is short-lived anyway, so plan to replace it every few years with a cutting or a new plant.Prune each spring as growth breaks, cutting leggy stems back into green wood but never into bare old wood. Even so, sage is short-lived, so plan to replace plants every few years from cuttings or new stock.
Weak taste or thin, floppy growthWeak flavor or sparse, floppy growth
03 of 03
What happened Weak-tasting leaves and floppy growth usually mean too little sun or too much water or fertilizer. Sage gets its strong flavor from full sun and poor, dry soil, and pampering waters it down.Bland leaves and soft, leggy growth usually mean too much shade, too much water, or too much feeding. Sage develops its strong flavor in full sun and lean, dry soil, and over-rich conditions dilute it. Next season Give it full sun, stop feeding it, and water less. Pick it often and trim in spring to keep fresh, tasty growth coming.Move it to full sun, stop feeding, and water sparingly. Harvest regularly and prune in spring to keep young, flavorful growth coming.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Spittlebugs
P · 01
Symptoms Blobs of white froth like spit on the stems in late spring, with a tiny bug hidden inside. It looks worse than it is.Frothy white spit-like foam on stems in late spring, with a small nymph hidden inside. It looks alarming but rarely harms an established sage plant. Cause Young spittlebugs feeding on the stems while they hide in their own foam. Some years there are more of them than others, and they do little real harm to a settled plant.Sucking insects in the family Cercopidae whose nymphs feed on the stems under cover of the foam they make. Some seasons bring a lot of them, but the harm to an established sage plant stays cosmetic. Organic treatment If the froth bothers you, spray it off with a hose. You usually do not need to do anything else.Knock them off with a strong spray of water if you find them unsightly; no treatment is needed for plant health in most cases. Prevention Cut back the weeds around the bed in spring, because that is where spittlebugs build up before they move onto sage. A sunny spot with soil that drains well keeps sage's pest problems low in general.Cut spittlebug-infested weeds around the bed in spring, before the nymphs mature and move, since the insects build up on herbaceous hosts nearby and migrate in. Keep sage in full sun on well-drained ground, which is what holds its pest load down generally.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Cut back the weedy ground next to the sage in spring. Spittlebugs build up on weeds first and move across onto garden plants from there, so clearing that strip is the step that changes how many turn up.The weedy reservoir is the lever, not the sage itself: numbers on garden plants track migration in from nearby herbaceous hosts, so cut infested weeds in spring before the nymphs mature and disperse.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Take last year's dead stems off the plant when you cut sage back in spring, and carry them out of the bed. The eggs sit on and inside stems over winter, so some of them leave with the trimmings.Overwintering is as eggs on or in stems, so the spring cutback removes brood rather than just tidying. Expect it to trim numbers, not to prevent foam, since adults also arrive from outside the bed.

  3. Water spray

    If the froth bothers you, wash it off with a hard jet from the hose and the young insect inside goes with it. Nothing more is needed, because the foam is unsightly rather than harmful.A forceful stream strips the spittle masses and the nymphs inside them. On an established plant this is cosmetic housekeeping, which is why anything stronger is not worth the trouble here.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Spider mites
P · 02
Symptoms Leaves look dusty and speckled or washed out, sometimes with fine webbing, and it happens in hot dry weather or on a plant that has been left thirsty.Fine stippling or bronzing of the leaves with faint webbing, worst in hot, dry, dusty spells and on plants that have been left short of water. Cause Very small mites that multiply in hot, dry conditions and feed on the leaves.Tiny sap-sucking mites, which are not insects, that build up in hot, dusty conditions and on drought-stressed foliage. Organic treatment Spray the leaves with water every few days to wash the mites off; insecticidal soap works if there are a lot.Rinse the foliage with a strong spray of water to knock mites down, repeating every few days; insecticidal soap helps in bad cases. Prevention Rinse dust off the leaves in hot weather and do not let potted sage dry out until it is stressed. Those are the plants mites find.Hose dust off the foliage in hot spells and keep containers from drying to the point of stress. Dusty, water-stressed plants are the ones that get hit.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Even watering

    Do not let sage go bone dry through a heat wave, especially in a pot. A plant that has been left thirsty is the one that ends up covered in them.Water-stressed plants are highly susceptible, so holding moisture steady through hot spells is the cheapest suppression available. Steady is not soggy: root and stem rot is the higher-consequence problem on this crop, so the aim is to remove the dry extreme, not to keep the soil wet.

  2. Water spray

    Rinse the plant with a strong stream of water every few days in dry weather, aiming up underneath the leaves. The same rinse takes off the dust that mite outbreaks tend to follow.Regular forceful spraying often reduces numbers adequately on its own. Coverage decides the outcome, so work the undersides deliberately, and treat dusty foliage at a path or roadside edge as a target in its own right, since dusty conditions are a named favoring factor.

  3. Insecticidal soap

    If rinsing is not keeping up, insecticidal soap is the next step. Check that mites are really there first, and wet the undersides of the leaves, because the soap only reaches what it touches. Do not spray it above 90°F or onto a plant that has gone dry and stressed, since soap burns foliage in those conditions.Soap is the preferred selective material when a treatment is genuinely warranted. It kills on contact only, so underside coverage is the entire job, and confirming live mites beats treating stippling left over from an outbreak that has already passed. Mind the bind this crop puts you in: the heat and water stress that bring mites on are the same conditions in which soap burns foliage, so water the plant first and spray below 90°F rather than at the peak of the trouble.

  4. Horticultural oil

    Horticultural oil is the other selective option if soap is not enough. The rule is the same: it has to land on the mites, so soak the leaf undersides.Oil behaves like soap, contact-only with coverage governing the result. Keep it off drought-stressed plants and away from temperatures above 90°F, and do not apply sulfur within 30 days of an oil spray in the growing season; check the oil label, since some specify longer.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Slugs and snails
P · 03
Symptoms Chewed, ragged holes in the leaves and shiny slime trails, mostly in damp shade and after wet or cloudy weather.Ragged holes chewed in the leaves and silvery slime trails, in damp, shaded positions and after cloudy or wet weather. Cause Slugs eating the leaves after dark. They need damp ground and somewhere shaded to shelter during the day.Slugs feeding at night and on overcast days, sustained by damp ground, daytime hiding places, and overhead watering that keeps the surface humid. Organic treatment Pick them off after dark, clear away damp hiding spots, and set slug traps or scatter an iron-phosphate bait on the soil rather than on the plant. Iron phosphate is the gentler of the two bait chemistries around dogs and cats; metaldehyde, the older kind, is the one to keep away from where pets roam.Hand-pick at night, clear away damp hiding places, water at the soil rather than over the top, and back that up with board traps, a copper barrier, or an iron-phosphate bait scattered on the ground. Prevention Give sage a sunny, well-drained, open spot; slugs avoid dry, sunny ground.Plant in full sun on well-drained ground, water at the soil surface rather than over the top, and keep boards, pots and damp litter away from the bed. A site that dries out through the day is unfriendly to slugs.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Water at the base

    Water the soil around the plant rather than sprinkling the whole thing, and do it in the morning. Ground that dries out by evening is far less inviting.Moving from sprinklers to drip or a wand at soil level cuts the humidity slugs depend on. On sage the same habit serves root and stem rot, so the crop's two damp-soil problems pull in one direction here.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Clear away the boards, upturned pots, damp leaf litter and low weedy cover near the bed. Those are the daytime hiding places, and slugs will not settle where there is nowhere to shelter.Removing daytime refuges is what makes trapping and baiting pay, because feeding happens at night and on cloudy or foggy days and the animals retreat to cover before morning. Clear the shelter first; a bed with hiding places refills as fast as you empty it.

  3. Handpicking

    Take a light out to the bed once it is properly dark and collect by hand what you find. Early morning works too, before the sun drives them back under cover. A few evenings of this clears a small planting.Collection at night or in the early morning with a light is the most direct control there is. Run it on consecutive evenings rather than as a single sweep, since one pass only takes the animals that happened to be out.

  4. Slug traps and barriers

    Lay a board flat near the plants, propped about an inch off the ground, and scrape off whatever has gathered underneath each day. A copper strip around a pot or a small bed works as a barrier.Board traps on 1 inch runners give you a refuge you control, but they only pay if you service them daily. Copper reacts with the slime and disrupts the nervous system, which makes a copper band worth its cost around a container or a small raised bed.

  5. Iron phosphate slug bait

    When trapping and collecting stop keeping pace, an iron phosphate bait is the next step. Spread it over the ground around the planting and never over the foliage. Among slug baits it is the gentler choice where children, pets, birds or wildlife share the garden; the older metaldehyde products are particularly poisonous to dogs and cats.Iron phosphate is the lower-risk bait class and the one to choose where pets, birds, fish or wildlife use the garden; metaldehyde is the product it displaced. It is still a pesticide, so it goes on the ground rather than on the foliage and it follows its label.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Leafhoppers
P · 04
Symptoms Pale spots and mottling on the top side of the leaves, with tiny insects and shed white skins hiding underneath. Badly fed-on leaves yellow, brown and curl. Leaves carrying the speckling are still fine to use in the kitchen.Coarse pale speckling, or stippling, on the upper surface of the leaves, with whitish cast skins and the insects themselves on the undersides. Where feeding is heavy, leaves and shoot tips yellow, then turn brown, curl and die. Cause Small sap-sucking insects that specialize in sage and its mint-family relatives. They show up because they like sage, not because something is wrong with the plant.Sap-feeding leafhoppers in the genus Eupteryx, the Ligurian leafhopper and the sage leafhopper, which specialize on mint-family plants: sage, rosemary, mint, oregano, thyme, basil and lemon balm. They are on sage because sage is a favored host, not because a plant is weak. Organic treatment You usually do not need to do anything at all. If the damage is spreading, put out yellow sticky cards and leave the ladybugs and birds to it; insecticidal soap on the undersides of the leaves is the last step.Usually nothing: in gardens and landscapes the standing guidance is that no control is needed. If numbers do climb, hang yellow sticky traps, protect the predators already present, and keep insecticidal soap for foliage that is genuinely yellowing and dying. Prevention Prune sage back in spring when new growth starts and clear the trimmings away, since the eggs spend the winter in the old leaves. There is no way to make sage unattractive to these insects; they are here because it is sage.Cut the plant back hard in spring as new growth breaks, before the eggs that overwintered in leaf tissue hatch, taking the leggy stems but never cutting into the bare old wood, and carry the prunings away from the bed. Siting and feeding will not deter this insect, so the levers are timing and removal rather than plant vigor.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Cut sage back in spring as the new growth breaks, and take the trimmings out of the garden. The eggs spend the winter inside last year's leaves, so the cut carries some of them away before they hatch.Most of the population overwinters as eggs in leaf tissue, so the spring cutback ahead of hatch removes brood rather than merely tidying. Take the prunings away from the herb bed; a pile left beside it defeats the purpose.

  2. Yellow sticky traps

    Yellow sticky cards set among the plants catch the adults as they move about, and they show you when numbers are climbing.Yellow sticky traps are the non-spray control herb growers use against this species, and they double as your count: rising catches through the season are the signal to act, a card that stays clean is the signal to leave it alone.

  3. Beneficial predators

    Birds, ladybugs, wasps and ground beetles all eat leafhoppers, so a garden that keeps them around does most of this work for you.Natural enemies are the standing control, and the practical move is not to buy any but to avoid the broad-spectrum sprays that would remove them, since this insect almost never justifies one in the first place.

  4. Insecticidal soap

    A spray is rarely called for. If the leaves are yellowing and drying and the insects are numerous, insecticidal soap sprayed up under the leaves is the mildest thing that works.Reserve a spray for heavy feeding that is turning leaves and shoot tips yellow, then brown, curled and dead. Soap works on contact and the insects sit on the leaf undersides, so coverage there decides whether the application does anything at all.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Diseases
Root and stem rot
D · 01
Symptoms Leaves wilt and yellow and the plant dies back even though the soil is wet, often with a dark, rotted patch where the stems meet the ground. Sage cannot cope with soil that stays soggy.Wilting, yellowing, and dieback that does not recover with watering, often with a darkened, decayed base at the soil line. It follows wet, poorly drained soil, which sage does not tolerate. Cause A rot that takes hold when soil stays soggy, attacking the roots and the base of the plant. Wet soil is the cause at any time of year, and a wet winter is the worst of it.Soil-borne water molds and fungi that attack the roots and crown of plants sitting in saturated, poorly drained soil. Wet soil in any season is the agent, and wet winter soil is the version that kills established plants and containers. Organic treatment Once the base is rotting there is no fix, so pull out and throw away the plant. The answer is preventing it with good drainage, not curing it.There is no cure once the crown is rotting; remove and discard affected plants and fix drainage. Focus on prevention, not rescue. Prevention Use well-draining soil in full sun, water deeply but rarely, and never let sage sit in soggy ground. On heavy soil, plant on a mound. In winter, move pots somewhere sheltered from the rain, such as against a wall.Plant in well-drained soil in full sun, water deeply but infrequently, and never let sage sit wet. On clay, use a mound or raised bed, set the crown level with the surface, and keep mulch shallow. Move containers into a sheltered spot for the winter, such as the rain shadow of a wall.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Improve drainage

    Sage will not survive in ground that stays soggy. On heavy or low-lying soil, plant on a mound or in a raised bed and set the plant so its crown sits right at the soil surface instead of in a dish that collects water.Drainage is the whole contest on this crop. Raised beds are the standard fix on heavy ground, with mounds of 8 to 10 inches for annual plantings and up to 2 feet with a gradual slope for perennials. Set the root collar level with the surface and hold mulch to about 3 inches so it never banks against the crown.

  2. Garden sanitation

    A plant rotting at the base will not recover. Lift it out and throw it away with the household trash instead of composting it, then rinse the soil off your trowel and your boots before working anywhere else in the garden.Affected plants get destroyed rather than treated, because nothing cures this and fungicides only suppress these organisms. Decontaminating tools and footwear with a 10% bleach solution or 70% alcohol matters more than it sounds, since the pathogens ride from bed to bed in the soil you carry.

  3. Crop rotation

    If a plant rots out, start the next one somewhere else in the garden. These soil organisms stay behind for years after the plant is gone.The pathogens survive in soil for years to decades, which makes replanting a siting decision rather than a soil-amendment one. Give the replacement fresh, sharply drained ground instead of the position that just failed.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Powdery mildew
D · 02
Symptoms A dusty white coating on the leaves, usually on plants sitting in shade or crowded together in mild weather. It looks bad and holds the plant back, but it does not normally kill sage.A white to gray powdery film on the leaves, most often on shaded or crowded plants in mild weather. It disfigures the foliage and slows growth, but it rarely kills sage. Cause A fungus that grows on the leaf surface when the weather is mild and the plant sits in shade. Wet leaves are not part of it, which is what sets this apart from most leaf diseases.Fungi that colonize the leaf surface at moderate temperatures, roughly 60°F to 80°F, in shade. Unlike most leaf fungi they need no water on the leaf to germinate, so shaded, crowded, perfectly dry foliage is enough. Heat above 95°F may suppress the fungus outright, which is why sage often comes through a hot, bright summer clean while a shaded spring plant does not. Organic treatment Take off the leaves that are worst affected, thin the plant so light and air get in, ease off the feeding, and use sulfur early if you use anything at all. Keeping the leaves dry does not help against this one, because it is not a wet-leaf disease.Take off the worst affected leaves, then open the plant up: thin crowded growth, move or replant into full sun, and hold back on fertilizer. Sulfur applied before symptoms appear is the spray that works. Do not expect keeping the leaves dry to help, because water on the foliage suppresses this particular fungus rather than spreading it. Prevention Leave room between plants, plant in full sun, and do not overfeed. Watering at the soil rather than over the top is still good practice for sage, but that is to protect it from root rot, not from mildew.Space plants well, site in full sun, and avoid heavy nitrogen. Sun and air movement are the defense here. Watering at the base is still the right habit on sage, but that is protection against root and stem rot, the serious disease on this plant, and it does nothing against mildew.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Airflow and spacing

    Give sage a sunny position with room around it and thin any crowded growth. Shade is what this fungus wants, so a bright, open spot does most of the prevention on its own.Site in sun and space plants so air moves through the canopy. Moderate temperatures of 60°F to 80°F together with shade are the favoring conditions, which makes an open, bright position a genuine control rather than tidiness.

  2. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Do not push sage along with rich feeding. A well-fed plant answers with a thicket of soft growth that shades its own interior, and shade is what this disease runs on.Excess fertilizer is worth avoiding here on its own account: heavy nitrogen produces the soft, dense growth that shades the interior of the plant. Sage carries well on lean soil, so restraint costs nothing in yield.

  3. Garden sanitation

    Pull off the leaves wearing the heaviest white coating as soon as you spot them, and collect what has already dropped underneath instead of leaving it lying there. Do the same with affected buds when you cut sage back in spring, and you remove what would otherwise start the next round.This one works on tissue that is already infected, which is what makes it worth doing once the powder has shown and not only ahead of it. Taking out small infestations early removes the tissue producing spores before it seeds the rest of the plant, and clearing infected buds at the spring cutback removes the carryover into the new growth.

  4. Biological fungicide

    A biofungicide is a spray of live bacteria that settle on the leaf and get in the fungus's way. It is the gentlest thing on the shelf that does anything at all here, but the timing is unforgiving: it has to go on when you find the very earliest patches, and it has to be repeated as often as the label says. It will not rescue a plant that has already gone white.The Bacillus products colonize the leaf surface and interfere with germination and attachment rather than killing established mycelium, which puts them at preventive to early-curative and no further. They are the choice on a leaf herb you would rather not put sulfur on, at the cost of being less effective than sulfur and needing the label's repeat interval to do anything at all.

  5. Sulfur

    Sulfur is the classic treatment, but it works as a preventive, so it has to be on the leaves before the mildew shows rather than after. Do not use it in hot weather.Sulfur is applied before symptoms appear, when conditions turn favorable, and it does little against colonies already established. Keep it off the plant near or above 90°F and off drought-stressed foliage, and leave at least 30 days either side of any oil spray in the growing season; check the oil label, since some specify longer.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Verticillium wilt
D · 03
Symptoms Whole branches wilt and yellow, often on just one side, and never come back. Cut into a wilted stem: dark or reddish streaks in the wood point to this rather than to root rot.Branches wilt and yellow and do not recover, often confined to one side of the plant or to scattered patches of the canopy. Yellowing starts at the leaf margins and between the veins, older leaves brown while young growth stays green, and a cut stem shows tan, reddish or dark streaking in the wood. Cause A fungus in the soil that blocks the plant's water pipes. It builds up where the same kinds of plants grow year after year.A soil-borne Verticillium fungus that plugs the plant's water-conducting tissue. It builds up where susceptible plants are grown repeatedly. It is not a wet-soil disease the way root rot is, so soggy ground is not what brings it on and drainage is not what governs it. Organic treatment There is no fix once a plant has it, so take it out and do not replant sage in the same spot. Improving drainage will not help against this one; that is the answer to root rot, which is a different disease.There is no cure. Remove affected plants and destroy them, and do not replant sage or another susceptible plant in that spot. Drainage is not the lever here: this is not the wet-soil disease that root rot is, so treat the two as separate problems with different fixes. Prevention Start new sage from healthy plants and put it in ground where nothing has wilted before. Sage is short-lived and worth replacing every few years anyway.Start new plants from clean stock, keep them out of ground with any history of wilt, and expect a compromised bed to stay compromised for years. Sage is short-lived and often best replaced every few years in any case, which limits what one infection costs you.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with healthy plants from a clean source. Planting only disease-free stock is the first step, because a wilt that arrives with the plant lands straight into soil that will hold on to it.Plant only pathogen-free stock, and take cuttings from plants with no wilt history. Sage is normally bought as a transplant or grown on from cuttings, so this is the one point in its life where the pathogen can be excluded rather than managed.

  2. Crop rotation

    Once a plant has wilted in a spot, do not put sage or another susceptible plant back there. The fungus stays in the soil for many years.The site, not the plant, carries this forward: these fungi remain in soil for many years, and Verticillium's host range is broad enough that choosing a genuinely non-susceptible replacement is difficult. Treat the position as compromised for more than sage.

  3. Garden sanitation

    Nothing will cure a plant that has this, so lift the wilted one and send it out with the trash instead of onto the compost heap.Sanitation is one of the two primary strategies for this disease, because nothing sprayed on a leaf reaches a fungus living inside the water-conducting tissue. Remove and destroy affected plants; do not chip or compost them back onto the bed.

  4. Soil solarization

    In a hot, sunny stretch you can cover cleared, damp soil with clear plastic for several weeks and let it cook. That knocks the fungus back near the surface, though it does not clear the ground.Solarization reduces Verticillium in the upper few inches of soil, which is a real reduction and not an eradication, since the pathogen persists below the treated layer. Worth the season it costs on a bed you mean to replant, and no substitute for choosing a different position.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 10 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

N/A. Sage is not rotated like a vegetable because it stays put for years. When you replace an old plant, pick a fresh, well-draining spot rather than the exact place the old one grew.N/A. Sage is a perennial that stays in place for several years, so annual crop rotation does not apply. When starting new plants, choose a fresh, well-drained site rather than replanting where an old sage or a wilt-prone crop grew, to avoid carrying over soil-borne rot or verticillium wilt.

In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your sage season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Time to plant your sage Time to plant out sage
It is time to plant your sage. Put it in a sunny, well-draining spot now that frost has passed, 18 to 24 inches apart, and do not add fertilizer. Your plant-out window is open. Set nursery plants in full sun in well-drained soil after the last frost, spacing them 18 to 24 inches apart. Skip the rich compost and fertilizer.
p
plant
Time to trim and pick your sage Time to prune and start harvesting sage
Fresh spring growth is showing. Trim the leggy stems back to green (not into the hard wood), then start snipping sprigs, since the flavor is best now before it flowers. New spring growth is breaking. Prune leggy stems back into green wood (never into the bare old wood), then harvest sprigs freely; flavor peaks now, before flowering.
p
plant
Get your sage ready for winter Get sage ready for winter
Winter is coming. Stop watering and feeding, save the big trim for spring, and shelter the tender variegated kinds or bring pots somewhere protected. Soggy soil, not the cold, is what usually kills sage. Cold is coming. Stop watering and feeding, leave hard pruning for spring, and protect tender variegated types or move container plants under cover. Wet winter soil, not cold, is the usual killer.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
July 2, 2026
Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
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Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
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  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
  • NC State Extension ncsu_ext
  • Penn State Extension psu_ext
  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Sage · plant.lifestyle