Easy planting and caring for oak sage

Planting and caring for oak sage is not difficult. This is a beautiful and incredibly healthy spice that is especially popular in the world. However, there are some features of growing crops in the open field that must be adhered to..

Characteristics of the plant and its main types

The name of this plant in Latin sounds like “salvia”, which means “to be healthy”. Sage is a perennial shrub and can grow over a meter in height. The stems of the plant have four edges, they are almost completely covered with wedge-shaped foliage. Sage plates are small. Their length reaches 8 cm, and their width is 4 cm. The inflorescences of the plant can be in the form of a panicle or spikelet. Sage buds have a rich hue. Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts until late autumn..

The most common varieties of sage are:

1. Mainacht oak sage (Schneehegl). This plant has very long stems that emit large leaves. Salvia Oak Schneehegl blooms with bluish-purple flowers several times a year. The variety is very attached to the sun’s rays, but, despite this, it tolerates cold.
2. Oak sage Schwellenburg variety. This variety has the original color of the buds – bright red. The inflorescences are much larger than those of other species. The flowering process is long. With proper care, the buds last for several months. This sage variety is grown for decorative, not medicinal purposes..
3. Sage Ostfriesland. This variety is distinguished by long stems and sharp leaves. The plant blooms throughout the summer. The buds can be either blue or purple. Flowers take the form of corollas.
4. Oak sage blauhegl. This plant lives for several years and reaches a height of half a meter. The leaves are colored green with a gray tint, have an oval shape, wrinkled. Flowers of sage blauhegl are blue. As a rule, there are many of them, and they are collected in an erect ear. Flowering occurs in mid-summer.
5. Lush sage. This variety is also quite popular. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm. The inflorescences have the shape of a complex spike. Deep purple flowers.

The time and duration of sage flowering depends on the actions of a person: if you remove the sluggish buds in time, then new ones will soon appear in their place.

Planting and caring for oak sage: choosing a place and soil

Oak sage or forest sage, as it is also called, grows in the natural environment on hills and in forests. However, it is also quite possible to grow it on a personal plot. In order for a flower to develop well, you need to create conditions for it, as in nature. The most important aspect is also the right choice of the place for planting sage..

How to choose a site for planting

The right place for a plant to live is the key to its full growth and development. Sage is very sensitive to light, so it is best if you plant it in a large area open to the sun, since the plant grows quite quickly. If all the conditions are met, in a few months you will have a beautiful and full-fledged bush.

If the soil is too fertile, the plant, of course, develops well, but this will only affect the leaves and stems. Flowers will become very small and lethargic..

The best choice of soil for sage

In nature, sage grows like a wild plant, so all varieties are not too demanding on the composition of the soil. The only important point is the absence of nearby groundwater. Land in a garden or in a personal plot is well suited for planting sage.

For sowing seeds for seedlings at home, a commercially available universal substrate would be an excellent option..

In the fall, you need to dig up the land on which it is planned to plant sage, and also treat it with fertilizer (phosphorus compounds, humus). When planting sage seeds, the acidity of the soil should be taken into account – it should have average indicators.

Propagation of sage by seeds

Seedlings can be grown from the grains quite easily. Seeds should be sown in late winter or early spring. Ready-made seedlings can be planted in open ground in spring or autumn. The method of propagation by seeds is the most optimal and versatile, because dividing a bush is a complex process. All types of sage can be propagated by grains..

Growing seedlings

Reproduction of sage seedlings is quite effective. In order to get healthy plants, seeds must be planted in late winter – early spring. This method is considered the most effective because after planting the seeds directly into the ground, the flower grows more slowly and later begins to bloom. Using seedlings you can speed up this process..

Seeds planted for seedlings must receive a sufficient amount of moisture. To keep the soil always moist, you can plant the grains in the soil with hydrogranules, which are responsible for the even distribution of water in the substrate. So each sprout will receive water.

First you need to prepare a convenient tray and fill it with suitable soil. Seeds are planted in the soil, which will need to be sprinkled a little with earth on top. Next, the substrate is watered and covered with a film.

When the first leaves appear, the seedlings need to be dived. The procedure should be carried out as early as possible. This will allow the sprouts to grow stronger a little faster..

You can plant seedlings in open ground a month after diving. In order for the plants to take root well, experts recommend hardening the seedlings. Starting from mid-April, containers need to be taken out into fresh air for a while..

Planting sage outdoors

Sage can be planted directly into open ground. This is best done in the middle of winter or early spring..

The process of planting sage seeds in the ground:

• first you need to fluff the soil, add calcined sand to it, and then place the seeds;
• lightly cover the grains with sand, water and cover with foil;
• from the moment of sowing seeds, you should constantly monitor soil moisture.

You can sow seeds in open ground throughout the spring..

For quick germination of grains, it is recommended to cover the area with polyethylene. After 20 days, provided that the temperature is kept around 200 C, the mini-greenhouse can be removed.

Sage care: features and tips

As with any plant, proper care is essential for sage. Particular attention should be paid to lighting and watering. Also, sage does not tolerate cold and drafts. Care rules apply to both indoor plants and flowers in the open field..

Plant care rules:

1. Watering. All types of sage react negatively to excessively moist soil, so you need to water the plants carefully. It is recommended to spray young shoots with a spray bottle. Adult plants should be watered a couple of times a week..
2. Fertilizer. Sage should be fed every spring. Nitrogen-based fertilizers work best for this task. After a year, potassium and phosphorus preparations can be used. Compost should be mulched in late autumn..
3. Pruning. For sage to grow for many years, you should prune it once a year. This procedure allows you to form a beautiful and even bush.. Pruning helps to make the shoots lush, as it encourages the growth of the branches in breadth. After flowering, the sage should be cut off completely. If everything is done correctly, then at the end of summer the bush will delight you with another flowering.

Medicinal varieties should be cut a little more than half..

Sage is susceptible to a number of diseases, including spider mites, leaf spot, and root cancer. To exclude the likelihood of a disease, proper care should be taken and a prompt response to changes in the state of the plant.

Sage in landscape design

Sage is widely used in landscaping, especially blue-flowered plants. They are able to visually increase the gaps between plants, as well as give the flower bed incredible shades..

Sage blooms all summer, so it fits very well into those flower arrangements where a lot of autumn and late plants are collected, for example, asters, heliops, daylilies.

Compositions of sage, daylilies.

Sage around the recreation area.

Planting sage seedlings – video