Last updated on September 23rd, 2022 at 02:38 pm
Flowering is a common phase in plants that many gardeners have gotten used to. Many have seen it as a sign of their plant doing well.
Also, if you grow sage, you’ll know that feeling of accomplishment you get when your plant is doing well.
However, there are times when your plant may not be in peak condition. One anomaly you may notice is that your plant is not producing flowers even when in season.
This condition may cause you to worry and ponder.
“why doesn’t my sage plant flower?” If your sage plant is in its second year and it isn’t flowering, then it could be due to excessive fertilizer, too much sunlight, too much shade, and overwatering.
Does Sage Flower Every Year?
Yes, Sage blooms every year. Nevertheless, it is perfectly okay if your sage plant isn’t flowering in its first year as most varieties don’t in that period too.
Sage tends to begin flowering when it reaches maturity and during hot periods. So, if you live in a temperate area with very cold winters, your sage may not flower till late into spring.
Therefore, if your plant is in perfect condition and not up to a year old, then I’d suggest you wait a bit. Because it may just be because of its anatomy that it hasn’t bloomed yet.
To know if your herb is healthy, you’ll have to inspect the plant well. Healthy sage typically has oval, shiny green leaves covered with tiny hair-like structures.
Furthermore, when it enters its second year, flowers should appear in spikes of different colors like blue, purple, white, and pink.
Why Your Sage Plant Isn’t Flowering?
As aforementioned, sage typically blooms in its second year. But if your sage isn’t blooming even after maturity, it could be because of the following reasons:
1. Excessive sunlight
Six to eight hours of sunlight a day is all a sage plant needs. Even though the plant will initially thrive under the sun’s heat, excess exposure to it will cause the plant to wither.
2. Too much fertilizer
Too much fertilizer will cause dehydration and yellow-colored leaves. Fertilizer contains nitrogen which is good as nitrogen makes the sage produce foliage.
Nevertheless, excessive amounts will cause your plant to wilt, and your plant won’t be able to bloom in such conditions.
3. Exorbitant water levels
Excessive moisture around the roots will not only stop the plant from flowering, but it will also cause the plant to die.
4. Excessive picking
Your sage plant is not likely to flower if you’re always picking and pinching its top. As you pick out parts of the plant, resources are allocated to regaining lost tissues rather than flowering.
You may also have been picking off flower buds that would have bloomed.
How Do You Make Sage Bloom?
For your sage to bloom properly, you’ll need to take the following steps:
1. First, ensure your sage has adequate exposure to sunlight
Sage does best under good sunlight. Therefore, it would be best to ensure your plant basks in the sunlight for an average of seven hours daily. Doing this will help your sage bloom at its best.
However, if you want to plant yours indoors, a clay pot should be your best option for a vase. It would be best to place the pot in a sunny spot, preferably close to a window.
2. Provide proper soil for your plant
The best soil for a sage herb in well-drained sandy or loamy soil with a pH between six and eight. So, it would be best to get nutrient-rich loam with a good pH value for your sage.
Furthermore, a sage requires little or no addition of fertilizer. So, excessively fertilizing your sage would not only inhibit flower production but would also reduce the scent and flavor of the leaves.
This effect would be terrible if you’re grooming it for its edible leaves and flowers.
3. Water your plant moderately
Because sage is a drought-tolerant plant, it prefers moist soil and does not require much watering. At its initial stage, it would be best if you the sage once or twice a week.
And as the plant gets older, you could cut it down to once every two weeks.
3. Ensure that you properly control pests and diseases
The sage plant does not have a wide range of pests and diseases. Therefore, you can easily control most of its pests and diseases.
Nevertheless, if you do not take adequate measures to prevent and control them, they’ll end up ruining your plant.
For example, insect pests like slugs, bugs, and aphids eat up the leaves and important parts like flower buds. So, they could end up stopping your plant from blooming.
Diseases like mildew affect your plant’s productivity.
Therefore, if you want your plant to bloom, you should take proper steps to prevent your sage from getting it. Furthermore, untreated mildew will kill your sage plant.
By using appropriate chemicals like insecticides and fungicides, you can eradicate pests and diseases that prevent your plant from blooming.
4. Provide enough space for your plants
You should ensure about 24 to 36 inches of space between each sage plant. Adequate spacing gives the plant enough space to bloom and produce a massive yield.
Also, good spacing keeps the plant free from weed and debris too. Furthermore, you should ensure that your sage pot doesn’t contain more than three plants.
As the plant grows bigger, it would be best to change the pot to a bigger one to give it more blooming space.
Conclusion
It can be frustrating if your sage plant isn’t blooming when it’s supposed too. Several reasons could cause this, ranging from exposure to excessive sunlight to even overabundance of water.
However, to ensure that your sage plant blooms well, it would be best if you follow all the steps I gave in this article.
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