sage question

[niadan]

I have sage growing in a pot. It survived all last winter outdoors and the leaves were looking a bit yellow. I put it in my cold frame and it came back to life again. I've since moved it outside for our apparent summer. It is thriving but now the leaves are gone yellow again. Is sage particularly sensitive to wind and rain? I think I need to move it indoors again but just wondering what others think.

[Capsid]

It may be getting too dry? How often are you watering it? How long has it been in the pot and have you repotted it at all?

[Demeter]

Sage needs a fair amount of space for its roots. Mine is in an 8" pot at the mo because it was strangling my chives even in the fairly large trough they were sharing. When I took it out, it was savagely cut back, the rootball and top - so then it grew like mad, thriving, until it became pot bound again and started to yellow and droop... Silly plant, got no brains.

I've taken a cutting and am going to see if I can keep the new plant small by harvesting leaves regularly through the rest of the summer. The old plant will have to survive as best it can until I plant it in the ground next spring...

[Growem]

I thought I'd just tag onto this topic as mine question is in a similar vein. I have 3 different sages in a flower box that went from thriving to looking pretty poorly after our holidays. I'm assuming that they simply have run out of room in the window box and are feeling cramped. Do you think if I replant them now in my allotment, will they have any chance to survive the replanting (their roots must be totally intertwined), never mind the next winter?

[Demeter]

They're pretty vigorous plants, so probably. I hacked off a lot of root from sage plant when I repotted it earlier,and its more than survived.

Might be worth taking a few cuttings first, just in case?

[fwuffydragon]

Chop them up, stick them in the ground, keep them watered while they get established. They will be fine. I've tried hard to kill some of mine and not managed it yet!!!

To be honest, a bit of tough love works wonders on these plants.

[Two_Sheds]

Which variety do you have?
Some are tender, and do best in a conservatory

here's a nice little Sage site: Green Garden Herbs - Salvias

[Growem]

The three in the box are purple, variegated and green I believe. Unless you tell me that they are tender Two Sheds, I'll likely plant them out as soon as the weather clears up a bit.

[Growem]

Well I planted them out yesterday evening, I'll let you know how it goes. Whether they survive the transplant and then the winter!

[Growem]

Just an update on the sages. Only one of the 3 survived the transplant. I think one was probably gone before I replanted it and the other then didn't like the change. The green sage seems to be doing very well though, so I guess 1 out of 3 isn't bad.

[grannysmith]

Might need a larger pot if you intend to keep it in a pot rather than in the ground. A few of my pot plants did this and it seemed to mean "repot me and feed me".

I have sage in the garden doing well, but previously I had it in a less sunny spot and it didn't like that. Seems happiest in tons of sun with a bit of TLC from time to time.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Flummery]

They are pretty tough in my experience. I have more problems trying to chop the stuff back than keeping it going. I have green and purple sage and I planted a variegated one at my sisters. They are outdoors all year in a herb bed. Maybe they need a bit more room and a permanent place.

[Does the Cooking]

"I've taken a cutting"

Oh - how do you do that and it is to late to do it or transplant into a bigger pot?

Thanks

[fwuffydragon]

"I've taken a cutting"

Oh - how do you do that and it is to late to do it or transplant into a bigger pot?

Thanks

Um, chop a bit off, put it in a pot ...!

If you have a plant with lots of shoots coming up from the base, pull one of those off as it should have little roots at the bottom of the stem.