Growing baby sage plants (Salvia microphylla) outdoors can be an extremely rewarding gardening experience. This aromatic, culinary herb thrives with proper care and makes a beautiful, bushy addition to any garden. In this complete guide, we’ll walk through how to grow baby sage step-by-step from planting to harvest.
Selecting the Right Growing Location
Choosing the optimal outdoor spot to grow your baby sage is key. Here are the ideal conditions to provide:
Sunlight: Baby sage needs full sun exposure, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Select a sunny, south-facing location.
Soil Sage thrives in sandy, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.5-70 If your soil is heavy, amend it with compost or sand to improve drainage.
Spacing: Allow 18-24 inches between each sage plant to prevent overcrowding.
Water: While drought tolerant, sage still requires 1-2 inches of water weekly until established. Provide good drainage.
Temperature: Ideal daytime temperatures are 60-70°F. Sage can survive light frosts but prefers warm conditions.
Wind Protection: Shelter your baby sage from strong winds which can damage the shallow roots.
Getting Started with Seeds or Transplants
You can begin your baby sage garden from seeds or transplants:
Seeds: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Plant in seed starting mix and keep the soil moist until germination in 10-21 days. Harden off before transplanting outside.
Transplants: Purchase young sage plants at a nursery and transplant them into your garden after the danger of frost has passed. Gently loosen the roots before planting.
Space transplants or seedlings 18-24 inches apart in the prepared garden bed. Water thoroughly after planting and provide shade for the first week until the roots establish.
Preparing the Soil
Proper soil preparation is vital when growing baby sage. Here are some tips:
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Loosen the top 12 inches of soil and mix in 3-4 inches of compost or aged manure. This will enrich the soil with nutrients and improve drainage.
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Test your soil pH and amend if needed to reach an ideal pH of 6.5-7.0. Sage prefers neutral to slightly alkaline conditions.
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Work a 2-4 inch layer of mulch such as wood chips or straw into the top layer after planting. Mulch helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
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If you have dense, heavy soil, add coarse sand or small pebbles to improve drainage. Good drainage prevents root rot.
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Ensure the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Both excessive dryness and sogginess can be detrimental.
Preparing your soil properly makes a huge difference in the growth and productivity of your baby sage!
Plant Care and Growing Tips
Once your seeds or transplants are in the ground, here are some tips for continued care:
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Water young plants 1 inch per week until established, then reduce watering. Sage is quite drought tolerant once mature.
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Apply organic fertilizer or compost tea monthly to provide nutrients. Use a balanced, all-purpose formula.
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Prune back any dead or damaged growth as needed to maintain shape. Limit pruning in winter when plants are dormant.
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Weed weekly to prevent competition for water and nutrients. Apply fresh mulch after weeding.
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Monitor for pests like aphids, whiteflies and spider mites. Treat with organic methods if found. Sage repels many insects.
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Clip off flower spikes frequently to encourage more leaf production. Allow some blooms for pollinators!
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During winter in cold zones, mulch heavily around the base to insulate roots. Prune back dieback each spring.
Harvesting and Preserving Your Sage
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Harvest leaves as flavoring is needed once the plants are at least 6 inches tall.
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Cut whole stems or individual leaves from mature plants. Take no more than 1/3 of growth at a time.
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Harvest in the early morning after dew dries but before the midday heat.
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Use fresh leaves immediately or air dry for storage. Freeze leaves in ice cube trays with olive oil.
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Collect and save seed pods in fall to start new plants. Store seeds in a cool, dry place.
Enjoy your homegrown baby sage fresh or preserved all season long! With the proper care, your sage plants will thrive outdoors and provide abundant harvests.
Troubleshooting Common Baby Sage Problems
While baby sage is quite hardy, some common issues can arise:
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Yellow or Drooping Leaves – Often a sign of overwatering or poor drainage. Improve soil conditions.
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White Powdery Coating – Powdery mildew fungus due to poor air circulation. Space plants properly.
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Holes in Leaves – Caused by leaf miners or other pests. Remove affected foliage and treat organically.
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Poor Growth – Can indicate insufficient sunlight, nutrients or water. Adjust growing conditions.
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Leggy Growth – Results from inadequate sunlight. Pinch back stems to encourage bushy new growth.
Growing baby sage outdoors is a simple and rewarding endeavor for any gardener when given suitable growing conditions. Provide plenty of sun, well-draining fertile soil, proper spacing, and consistent moisture. With the right care, your baby sage plants will soon flourish into an abundant culinary herb harvest ready for your kitchen creations all season long!
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How to fertilize Baby Sage
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plants nutrients, repot your Baby Sage after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
Baby Sage is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!
Baby Sage prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Baby Sage requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive . Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home .
Greg does not have confirmed data on this plant’s toxicity. If you, a family member, or a pet consumes plant material of unknown toxicity, it’s always best to consult a medical professional.
If you or someone else ingested this plant, call Poison Control at US (800) 222-1222. If a pet consumed this plant, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA at US (888) 426-4435.
Baby Sage doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.
Baby Sage does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Baby Sage should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Baby Sage is native to Worldwide.
Baby Sage grows along the ground and sends out shoots which will spread across the soil.
USDA Hardiness Zone Baby Sage can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 7a-10b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Baby Sage can be propagated by division into new individual plants.
- Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
- If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
- Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
- Repot the parent plant back into its original pot
When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.
Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.
Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.
Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.
Taxonomy Scientific name
Baby Sage needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5″ pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every 9
Does your plant get direct sunlight? No Yes
Select the pot size
Greg is a plant care intelligence that has learned how plants work so you can grow with confidence!
HOW TO GROW AND PROPAGATE SAGE.
FAQ
How to care for baby sage plant?
How to care for sage plants outdoors?
How fast does baby sage grow?
Can you grow baby sage from cuttings?
What type of soil does baby sage grow in?
Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is not a demanding plant regarding the type of soil and can grow in chalk, loam or sand. The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline. The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals.
How do you grow sage in a garden?
Use these tips to choose the perfect spot in your garden. You can grow sage in the ground, raised beds, or pots, as long as it gets full sun and well-drained soil. Keep your plant sheltered from strong winds, and give it enough space to allow airflow as it grows.
Can Sage grow in pots?
Sage grows best when it is planted with other perennial herbs, such as thyme, oregano, marjoram and parsley. Plant the sage. After prepping your soil, you can plant the sage either in pots or in the ground. You can either plant sage plants or plant seeds.
Can you grow sage in a container?
Container growth is an option if you don’t have a suitable garden site. Avoid planting sage by cucumbers, as its aroma can actually affect the taste of the cucumbers. Only lightly cover seeds with soil, and position nursery plants at the same depth they were in their previous container. Space sage plants about 1.5 to 2 feet apart.