Garden Care Guide

Common Sage Care

Salvia officinalis

A woody aromatic plant whose gray-green, fragrant leaves are used in cooking and as tea. It loves drought; in heavy, wet soil the roots rot.

Hardy

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: Make sure water does not collect in the root zone. Softening and darkening at the root collar are signs of root rot.
February
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: Make sure water does not collect in the root zone. Softening and darkening at the root collar are signs of root rot.
March
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
April
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
May
  • General care: Flowering begins. Drainage is vital for this plant. In heavy soil that holds water, plant it on a raised mound or berm 20-30 cm high, so the root collar stays above the surrounding soil level.
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs).
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Pruning: Prune as soon as flowering ends. Next year's flower buds form over the summer; late pruning reduces flowering. After flowering, shorten the shoots by half; do not go down to the woody old parts, as they will not shoot from there.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs).
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs).
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
October
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
November
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
  • Pests & diseases: Make sure water does not collect in the root zone. Softening and darkening at the root collar are signs of root rot.
December
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Evergreen leaves continue to lose water in winter. Water thoroughly once before the soil freezes.
  • Pests & diseases: Make sure water does not collect in the root zone. Softening and darkening at the root collar are signs of root rot.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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