Straggly sage plant

[Marge]

Hi, I volunteer at a local gardening group in Yorkshire and we have a sage plant that was grown from seed by one of the service users. The problem is 5 years on the sage plant is growing away happily, but it has grown so much (and has been cut back over the years by as much as 2/3 at the end of the season!), it is looking rather straggly.

I have put some canes in the ground and tied string around to act as a form of corral, but would like a more permanent solution... or is this not really a problem but just the nature of the plant?

Many thanks

[veggiechicken]

Hi Marge and welcome back
When my sage gets straggly, I take cuttings and grow some replacements. I think all sages get straggly and top heavy over time.

[Jolo]

Cut Back

I have some old and large Sage plants. They respond well to a very harsh cut back. Inspect the woody stems close to the ground and you should see some tiny green shoots. Cut the stem off just above the tiny shoot. The plant should grow lots of nice young stems again. With this method you get lots of growth very quickly as the young shoots have a large established root system to use.

[Acanthus]

I get the same problem. I take cuttings regularly, which grow well. I also peg the old woody branches down, and cover them with soil so only the leaves are showing. They soon root and give you several new plants.