Pruning sage: how and when

Charlotte

I am a commercial grower, specialising in the small-scale production of organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. I trained as a horticulturalist and then worked on traditional farms in Europe and the UK before establishing my own business, growing quality produce for local distribution and with an emphasis on soil health, biodiversity and social responsibility. I think growing, cooking and sharing food makes life happier and healthier, and I enjoy using my knowledge to show others that it can be simple too.

Favourite fruit: figs and redcurrants
Favourite vegetables: artichokes and kale

Even after a bitter winter, some silver sage leaves can always be salvaged from the garden. It may appear tough, but it still needs some love. Learn how and when to prune sage to give it a new lease on life.

pruning a sage plant — Learning how to prune your sage will keep it vigorous and compact [Photo: Berna Namoglu/ Shutterstock.com]

Common sage (Salvia officinalis) and its cultivars are just a few of over 900 species in the Salvia genus. Often known simply as ‘salvias’, many species are frequently grown in ornamental borders and are enjoyed primarily for their flowers. Sage grows happily beside its cousins and its lilac flowers are popular with bees and beneficial insects, but it is the culinary and medicinal properties of its pungent leaves that make the herb garden its true home. Knowing how to prune sage will give you a healthy abundance of these fragrant leaves to use in stuffings, sauces, teas or tinctures.

Contents

When to prune sage?
Pruning sage: how to do it?
Deadheading salvias

When to prune sage?

Not only are the Salvias a huge family but they are also popular in many different parts of the world. Therefore, when deciding when to prune your sage, make sure the instructions you follow are appropriate for your region. In the UK, the main pruning of common sage happens in early to mid-spring when temperatures are rising and the hard, prolonged frosts have passed. There is also a second chance to prune sage after it has finished flowering in summer. Do not be tempted to start pruning before you see fresh new growth appearing at nodes along the stems. Pruning sage in late autumn or winter can make it vulnerable to the cold and damp weather as well as diseases such as grey mould (Botrytis cinerea). When pruning sage, choose a dry day without too much wind. Sage can be harvested at any time of year, although the most intensely flavoured leaves are gathered prior to flowering. Cuttings for propagation are taken in late spring and early summer.

a healthy sage plant — Knowing when to cut your sage helps protect it from pest & diseases

Tip: sage flowers profusely without fertiliser. In fact, too much fertiliser weakens sage. Work some home-made or bought compost into the ground at the time of planting, and your sage will get everything else it needs from even poor soil. Use a general-purpose compost such as our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost to condition herb beds before planting. Our compost provides a moderate dose of essential nutrients, and its loose structure helps your sage establish its roots and get off to a good start after transplanting.

Organic All Purpose Compost, 40L

(4.8/5)

Perfect for all your house, garden & balcony plants
For strong & healthy plants as well as an active soil life
Peat-free & organic soil: CO₂-saving composition

£16.99

Shop now!

Pruning sage: how to do it?

Salvia pruning methods vary so always find out which pruning group yours belongs to. Common sage is a hardy, shrubby salvia that, if not kept in check, develops bare woody stems and a rangy, open habit. Here is how to prune your sage plants in spring:

Always use very sharp, clean secateurs to avoid mangling the stems and the risk of spreading disease.
Check for any dead or damaged stems and cut them back to the base of the plant. This will increase air circulation around the plant and give the new shoots room to grow.
On each remaining stem, identify nodes bearing new growth and make your cut slightly above one of these.
Cut back each stem by about two-thirds to encourage lateral growth.
Prune the stems at a 45° angle. This prevents moisture build-up in the cut, which can lead to disease.
Do not cut into woody material below the lowest new shoots. Although it can still recover, new growth from woody stems tends to be slow, sparse and weak.
All cultivars of common sage including purple sage can be pruned in the same way.

Tip: younger, less woody sage plants do not require such heavy pruning. To encourage them to bush out simply pinch out their growing tips to a pair of leaves about a third of the way down the stem.

purple salvia in bloom — Deadheading and pruning salvias in summer is key to prolonging their spectacular blooms [Photo: Nita Corfe/ Shutterstock.com]

Deadheading salvias

Removing the dead or fading flowers from a plant is known as ‘deadheading’. Deadheading and pruning ornamental salvias in summer is common practice because it keeps the plant tidy and increases the length and intensity of the flowering period. For a common sage plant grown for its leaves a single trim when the flowering period ends is enough. Of course, if you dislike the appearance of the bare flower stalks and want to encourage more blooms, simply snip a fading inflorescence down to a pair of leaves whenever you spy one. Otherwise, wait until most of the flowers have bloomed and then prune down all the stems by about a third to a good set of side shoots. Remove any dead, diseased or damaged material as you go. If you would like to save seeds from your sage, remember to leave some flower heads on the plant to mature.

a sage leaf in a drink — Leaves of the common sage can be used in cocktails as well as medicines [Photo: Oleksandra Naumenko/ Shutterstock.com]

Pruning sage bushes is a good way to prevent your plant from becoming leggy, but it also needs plenty of sun to stay strong and compact. Find out all about where and how to plant your sage in our other article.