Sage is a wonderful herb to use in the kitchen and adds delicious flavor to meat and vegetable dishes. It’s easy to grow sage yourself at home, in the garden, or even on a sunny windowsill. For anyone growing sage already or looking to start, here are some useful tips on how to harvest sage to optimize use, storage, and how to keep your sage plants looking healthy and productive.
The botanical name for sage is Salvia officinalis, ‘officinalis’ identifying the plant sage as a medicinal herb, and ‘Salvia’ derived from the Latin ‘salvere’ meaning to feel healthy or heal.
In addition, the sage plant is often associated with traditional holiday celebration meals and used in stuffings, casseroles, potatoes, and meats. There is a good reason for this! Our full tummies could use a little bit of help after some of these holiday feasts, and sage is an excellent digestive aid. Sage is also used as an anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and astringent herb with particular benefits for menopausal women suffering from night sweats.
Sage originates from the Mediterranean similar to herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. All of these herbs enjoy the same hot, full sun, well-drained growing conditions. Like most herbs, the flavor is strongest when used fresh. However, sage dries easily for longer-term storage and retains a good amount of flavor.
Autumn sage, also known as Salvia greggii, is a gorgeous flowering plant that can add vibrant pops of color to gardens from early summer through fall. With its aromatic leaves and brightly hued blooms, autumn sage has a lot to offer. But when is the best time to harvest this versatile plant? And what’s the optimal technique for gathering its foliage and flowers while keeping the plant healthy? This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about harvesting your autumn sage plant successfully.
When to Harvest for Maximum Quality
Timing is critical when harvesting autumn sage Here are some tips on identifying peak season for the highest quality
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Aim for Flowering Stage – The optimal window for harvesting is during autumn sage’s active flowering stage, when it’s at its peak in terms of essential oil concentration and flavor. Wait until blooms are fully open before cutting.
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Mornings Are Best – Harvest in the early morning hours when aromatic oils are most abundant Avoid afternoons once the hot sun has dried out some of the oils
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Before First Frost – If you live in an area with cold winters, always harvest before the first frost hits. Frost damage can ruin leaves and flowers.
Techniques for Harvesting Without Harming
When gathering autumn sage, use gentle, strategic techniques to avoid stressing the plant. Here are some harvesting methods to try:
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Pruning – Snip individual stems and branches just above leaf nodes using clean, sharp pruners. This encourages bushy regrowth.
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Pinching – Pinch off the tips of stems right above a leaf set. This can boost fuller shape and more blooms.
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Deadheading – Snip off spent blooms to guide energy into fresh blossoms.
Drying, Storing and Preserving Your Bounty
Once harvested, autumn sage can be enjoyed year-round if properly dried, stored, and preserved. Here are some options:
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Air Drying – Bundle stems together and hang upside down in a dark, dry space. Once crisp, store in airtight jars or bags.
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Oven Drying – Spread leaves on a baking sheet and place in the oven on the lowest setting until dry and brittle.
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Freezing – Place leaves in freezer bags with all air pressed out before freezing. Frozen leaves retain more flavor than dried ones.
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Vinegar – Make a flavorful autumn sage vinegar by steeping leaves in warm vinegar for 2-3 weeks before straining out solids.
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Oils – Add leaves to olive, grapeseed or other neutral oils. Allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks before straining. Makes a lovely finishing oil.
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Sugar – Add chopped leaves to sugar and allow the flavors to meld for a week or two before using in teas, baked goods and more.
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Salt – Mix dried crumbled leaves into sea salt or kosher salt. Allow to sit 1-2 weeks before using as a seasoning rub.
How to Use Your Harvested Autumn Sage Bounty
Once harvested and preserved, autumn sage has endless culinary and wellness uses. Here are some ideas:
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Add to salads, eggs, pasta, meat rubs and dressings for flavor.
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Make autumn sage tea from fresh or dried leaves to sip anytime.
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Use as an aromatic addition to potpourri, sachets or homemade soaps and candles.
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Brew into a skin-soothing toner to balance and refresh skin.
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Place leaves in bath water for an aromatherapy soak.
Tips for Ongoing Care and Harvesting
With the right ongoing care, your autumn sage plant will keep producing abundant harvests. Here are some tips:
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Prune plants lightly after spring and summer flowering to encourage regrowth.
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Avoid overwatering, fertilizing or crowding plants. This can hinder flowering and quality.
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Side dress with organic compost or fertilizer just before spring growth.
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Propagate new plants from cuttings or division to expand or replace aging plants.
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Watch for common pests like aphids and whiteflies. Remove by hand or use horticultural oils/soaps.
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Renew plantings every 3-4 years for optimal harvests. Old plants produce less.
Finding Balance As You Harvest
When harvesting any plant, it’s important to find balance. Follow these tips:
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Never harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. This allows it to recover.
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Harvest conservatively the first seasons after planting new plants. Allow them time to establish.
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If harvesting for arrangements, judiciously combine with other plants so no one plant is overused.
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When pruning for shaping, avoid shearing plants into tight balls. Allow plants to take on a natural shape.
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Monitor plants after harvesting. Water and mulch if they show signs of stress like wilting.
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Always use clean, sterile pruning tools to avoid transmitting diseases between plants.
Know When To Stop Harvesting For The Season
Even productive plants like autumn sage need rest. Follow these guidelines on when to stop harvesting:
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Stop harvesting once plants start going dormant in late fall/early winter.
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Avoid harvesting once flowers fade and plants stop actively growing.
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Stop cutting if plants show signs of stress like fewer blooms or yellowed leaves.
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Hold off if weather turns too cold, wet or windy. Poor conditions spread diseases.
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Allow 4-6 weeks before first fall frost for plants to harden off for winter dormancy.
Enjoy an Ongoing Autumn Sage Bounty
With the right approach to care, harvesting and preservation, autumn sage can keep your pantry and apothecary stocked with its useful blossoms and leaves. Follow these best practices for an ongoing bountiful harvest season after season. And remember to find joy in the process – autumn sage’s beauty and versatility are gifts to cherish with each harvest.
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How To Harvest Sage
Harvesting sage depends on how and when you wish to use your leaves. If harvesting a few fresh leaves to add to a meal then simply pinching out tips or individual leaves from a couple of sage plants is absolutely fine. These light cut-and-come-again harvests will encourage sage plants to branch, resulting in a fuller, bushier shrub.
When harvesting large quantities of sage leaves, ensure you use clean sterilized pruners or scissors. Only harvest up to a third of a growing sage plant at any one time to allow plants to rejuvenate for future harvests. A mature sage plant should provide up to three full harvests in a season. Never cut into old wood as the plant will not produce leaves from this point in the future and harsh cuts leave shrubs susceptible to disease and the elements.
In fall, stop harvesting and allow the plant to rest and prepare for the winter months ahead. Having a few sage bushes growing at once will provide a continuous supply of fresh and dried sage throughout the year, not just during their active growing season.
The best time of day to harvest sage is mid-morning once the dew has dried from the leaves and the leaves are still hydrated. Avoid harvesting during hot periods as the herbs will deteriorate quickly in the heat.
A sage plant can become woody and unproductive after 3-4 years of harvesting and is best replaced with a younger more vibrant plant.
When Should I Harvest Sage?
As a hardy perennial herb, sage produces edible leaves all year round. Despite this year-round availability, it’s best to follow a few simple harvesting rules to maintain healthy productive plants and optimum aroma and taste.
As tempting as it may be, do not harvest from young plants in their first year. This includes sage grown from seed or small immature shop-bought plants. Allow the roots to become established and enjoy the tall purple flowering spikes and the many beneficial insects they will attract to your garden. The flowers can also be picked and used in arrangements or added to dishes as a garnish.
Harvest sage in spring and summer when plants are actively growing and before they begin to flower. Sage leaves tend to lose some of their aroma after flowering, so it is best to harvest before this time. As summer closes and temperatures fall, sage leaf production slows down, stopping almost completely in winter.
Don’t despair! If you need sage leaves for a winter holiday meal, then harvesting a few leaves at a time won’t harm the plant if you are careful. Garden sage is hardy in USDA zones 4-8 so there should be some easy pickings even outside of their normal growing season.
In addition to the common garden sage plant, Salvia officinalis, there are a few varieties of culinary sage you might wish to grow to add dashes of color and interest to your sage collection. Their flavor and aroma are the same, varying in strength and hardiness depending on the variety.
Purpurascens or ‘Purpurea’ is a bushy, semi-evergreen sage shrub with soft grey-purple leaves when young fading to greyish purple-green with maturity. It is hardy to 5 – 14 ºF (-10 to -15 ºC) USDA zones 6, 7.
‘Icterina’ is a dwarf sage with variegated bright green leaves with yellow margins. It is hardy to 5 – 14 ºF (-10 to -15 ºC) USDA zones 6, 7.
‘Tricolor’ is a very attractive variety of common sage with pink stems, leaf petioles and shoots, and variegated grey/green leaves with white margins flushed with pink. It has a compact growing habit but is less winter hardy and often grown in a container to be brought indoors over winter.
‘Berggarten’ is a great sage to grow for the kitchen and garden with broad showy silver/green leaves and a bushy growth habit. It is winter hardy when grown in a sheltered location in full sun and very free-draining soil and grows well in a container.
Plant to Know: Autumn Sage
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