Last updated on September 23rd, 2022 at 04:36 pm
Sage is an excellent herb to plant alongside your cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, and a few others. Unfortunately, though sage is beneficial to its companion plants, it is also detrimental to an extent.
Sage is a dominant plant that will grow over its companion plants and overrun your entire garden in no time if not kept in check.
Is sage invasive? Yes, sage is invasive, though not generally. Its most popular invasive species is the Salvia Aethiopis Sage. It will quickly spread through your garden if you do not prune and trim it regularly.
Do Sage Plants Spread?
Sage plants are invasive, which means they can and will spread out through your garden. A single plant can cover a perimeter range of eighteen to twenty-four inches.
Not only does it spread out, but it also multiplies on its own. In addition, some propagative means of sage do not require human effort.
So, do not be perplexed if you find more and more sage in your garden when you did not plant them, simply prune them off.
Trimming and pruning sage often is the most effective way to limit the spread of sage.
You can plant sage either on its own or alongside a few plants. But, being an aggressive spreader, you might want to consider potting it so you won’t have to worry much about it overrunning your garden.
Is Purple Sage Invasive?
Purple sage is one of the varieties of sage that you can plant and not have to worry much about. It is drought-resistant and, weirdly, does not do very well in good soil. It prefers the sandiest, hottest, and driest part of the garden.
Purple sage is not invasive. It stays in shape and maintains a moderate size, and requires little or no pruning at all. However, pruning and punching will enhance the sprouting of fresh leaves.
Caring for purple sage is easy and does not require much stress. It only needs a small quantity of water and soil nutrients. So, even if your soil may seem too poor for other plants, it is just perfect for growing a purple sage.
Suppose you are a carefree gardener that is looking out for a good companion for either your cabbage, cauliflower, or rosemary that would not require much tending to. In that case, a purple sage is just about your best option.
How Do I Care For My Sage?
Sage is relatively easy to grow and look after. However, some varieties will require more care and attention than others.
When planting sage, it is better to grow from cuttings or layering rather than by seed. Planting sage from seed can be tricky and complicated, especially if you have not had previous experience.
Sage is hardly affected by pests or diseases. So you would not have to worry much about this factor. What you should be concerned about is mildew.
But even mildew is not so dangerous; you can keep it at bay by simply avoiding overwatering. So, how can you care for sage? You can care for your sage by providing the following:
1. Soil:
Sage prefers healthy variety soil with a pH between 6.0 to 7.0. Sage doesn’t require many nutrients, so the use of fertilizer can be excluded.
However, if you must use it, then its nitrogen content should be low. Use fertilizer with high potassium content instead.
2. Water:
The variety of sage matters when it comes to watering. Some are more drought-resistant than others. In any case, you should put off watering a sage plant till the soil is dry.
Sage needs more water during dry periods but be careful not to overwater. You should be wary of soggy soil.
3. Sun/lighting:
Sage requires medium to full sun to produce total yield. Sage will thrive both in the shade and in full sun.
Indoor sage will need to be potted close to a sunny window or a spot where it can access at least two hours of sunlight daily.
An average of six to eight hours of sun is excellent for sage. If your indoor sage does not get access to direct sunlight, you might have to provide an alternative source of lighting for it.
Sun assists in soil draining as it can reduce soil moisture from the soil through evaporation.
4. Spacing:
Sage does a lot of stretching and expanding, so it requires adequate spacing. Sage should not be closely packed. One plant must be at least twenty-four to thirty-six inches away from the next.
When potting, ensure that the size of the pot is good enough to house the plant at its mature stage; else, you might have to replace the pot as it gets bigger. An average of eighteen inches is needed for potted sage.
5. Companion plants:
Sage is a good companion for cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, beans, and a host of others. Its flowers attract pollinators for its companions to blossom. Sage can also serve as a repellent to most of the pests that affect its companion plants.
6. Pruning:
Pruning a sage plant is necessary, especially if you’ve planted a variety that is among the aggressive spreaders. You can prune with either garden shears, scissors, or even your fingers.
You should prune sage during its first year with care not to affect the plant’s growth or even kill it. You should focus more on pinching off dead or dying leaves.
You should trim off stout and woody stems from the plant. After pruning, new leaves will sprout as soon as the weather condition changes and becomes more favorable.
Why Is My Sage Not Spreading?
Sage is invasive, accurate, but not all varieties spread. So if your sage is not spreading, it could be that the type you have planted is not among the garden-overrunners.
Conclusion
Sage, also known as garden sage, consists of a large number of varieties. While some varieties will overrun their companion plants and take over your garden, other species will only grow up to be medium-sized mounds.
Growing sage is just as easy as growing any other garden herb. All you need to know is the variety that best suits your needs and learns how to care for it effectively.