Growing Sage: How to grow, care and harvest sage in your herb gardenSage, Salvia officinalis Without the ability of growing sage to add in Thanksgiving traditional dinners, everyone's favorite, turkey and dressing would be bland. Cooks, handcrafters, and gardeners alike prize the sweet fragrances and flavor enhancing power of herbs. When it comes to culinary herbs, fresher is always better. The sage herb grown in the garden is a splendid idea to have it handy to pick fresh as needed. Herb Folklore Herbal lore is interwoven in the history of folk medicine, as herb was suggested to help cure colds. Natural remedies are making a comeback as treatments for illness due in part to the high cost of health care in this country. The sage plant grown in home gardens saves money on your food budget, adds flavor to family meals, and keeps one of nature's cures close at hand. Growing Sage The smallest sized balcony or windowsill still has room for a sage plant. Enthusiastic growers everywhere are finding success with planting herbs. Sage prefers to grow in near neutral or slightly alkaline soils. The herb is a perennial and can be grown from cuttings or seeds.
Sage Herb Cultivation & Care Protect cuttings from the wind and in filtered sun as they root. Occasionally, mist the plants to increase humidity. The first few days, the growing herb may wilt but most recover quickly. In six to eight weeks, cuttings will produce transplants. Move cuttings to individual containers after root balls form an inch in diameter. The growing plant will be ready for larger pots or the garden bed in four to six more weeks. The herb could be planted in the fall or spring. Plant container growing sage that is protected from the elements at any season. Spacing between plants in an outdoor bed should be 18 inches apart. Sage grows readily in poor soils. Once established, the plants thrive with only a little fertilizer and water. The herb grows up to two foot tall and makes a nice addition to the scenery. The grey-green leaves of the plant have a spicy scent when rubbed. Besides the most common variety grown, gardeners delight in the red flowers of pineapple sage and other kinds with blue, golden, and tricolor foliage. Pinching out the new tips of a plant periodically causes branching and keeps the plant compact. Harvest Sage Herb At harvest time, the leaves of the herb are harvested as needed. Use the leaves at anytime for seasoning meats, egg dishes, stuffing, and vegetables. The fragrance is delightful added to potpourris and sachets. Sage Advice In Germany, sage tea is licensed as a medicinal tea. Drinking a glass of cool or iced sage 3 times each day is recommended to help regulate night sweats experienced during menopause. The teas also aid athletes and people in high stress situations control sweating. To treat a cold, hot sage tea works in the opposite and increases perspiration. Native Americans used growing sage during purification rituals. Sage is one of the best natural antibiotics to rub out an infection. For a cough/flu remedy, make a sage tea by using 60 drops of tincture mixture in a cup of warm water. Drink or gargle the home brew.
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