Sage
Salvia officinalis
Gray-leaved guardian of brassicas — yet hard on cucumbers.
Light Full sun
Water Low
USDA zones 4a–8b
Height 30–60 cm
Spread 17.7 in
Spacing 45–60 cm
Sow depth Medium
Per square 1 / sq ft
Spacing & sowing
- Plant spacing
- 19.7 in
- In-row spacing
- 17.7 in
- Between rows
- 23.6 in
- Square-foot density
- 1 per square
Calendar (from your frost dates)
- Sow indoors
- 49 days before the last spring frost
- Plant out
- at the last spring frost
- First harvest
- 60 days after the last spring frost
- Harvest ends
- 14 days after the first fall frost
Growing
- Type
- Herb · Perennial
- Botanical family
- Mixed / other
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Watering
- Low
- Soil
- Poor, dry, free-draining
- Feeding
- Seldom needs feeding — poor soil suits it better than rich.
- USDA zones
- 4a–8b
- Frost tolerant
- Yes
- Flowering
- May
- Pruning
- Give it a light trim once flowering is over, keeping clear of the bare wood.
Through the year
- Mar–Apr Bud Break
- Apr–May Harvest
- May–Oct Flowering
- Oct–Dec Growing
- Jan–Mar Growing
Harvest
- When
- Pick leaves any time during the growing season, with the main harvest just before flowering in early summer when the oils are strongest. Morning, after the dew dries, is best. In the plant's first year, harvest only lightly to let it establish.
- What to look for
- Large, pebbly, gray-green leaves that are thick, velvety, and intensely aromatic when rubbed. Flower buds forming mark peak flavor; leaves picked after heavy flowering can taste slightly resinous.
- How to harvest
- Pinch individual leaves or snip whole 10–15cm stem tips above a leaf pair. For a preserving harvest, cut the plant back by about a third just before it blooms — always cutting to green growth, never into bare old wood.
- How often
- Light continual picking all season keeps sage productive; one or two harder cuts per year (early summer, and a tidy in late spring) prevent legginess. Ease off from late summer so new growth toughens before winter; evergreen leaves can still be picked sparingly in winter.
- Storing the crop
- Fresh leaves keep about a week wrapped in damp paper in the fridge. Sage dries very well — hang bunches or dry leaves flat, then store whole (crumble at point of use) — and retains its strength for a year. Leaves also freeze well, plain or in oil, and make excellent herb butter.
Companions
Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender, Beans
Pests & problems
- Rosemary beetle A small metallic green-and-purple striped beetle that grazes rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme. Shake branches over a tray to collect adults and larvae.
- Powdery mildew A white dusty coating over leaves and shoots when roots are dry but the air is humid. Keep plants watered and mulched, prune for airflow, and remove the worst leaves.
- Root & crown rot Root rot where the soil stays wet
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Keep apart
Did you know?
Its botanical name Salvia comes from the Latin for 'to save', for its old healing reputation.
The Cottage Garden Companion — the gardener's herbarium at cottagegardencompanion.com