Pruning measures ensure that sage plants thrive and bloom profusely. Regular cuts are recommended for both crops and ornamental plants. However, there are minor differences depending on the species.
Choose the right time
When to cut a species of salvia depends on the species. The widespread real sage (Salvia officinalis), which is used as a herb and medicinal herb in the kitchen, has its main vegetation period after the Ice Saints until August. The plant lignifies with age and requires pruning during the resting phase. A number of related species such as the steppe sage (Salvia nemorosa) remain herbaceous and enjoy pruning measures that are adapted to the respective vegetation point. These times are ideal for woody and herbaceous specimens:
- perennial species should be cut twice a year
- first cut in February or March
- second cut from July to August
- Cut back subshrubs in late winter between February and March
- radical cutbacks take place before the
- Harvest pruning is recommended in July
Tip: If self-propagation of the real sage is undesirable, it is advisable to remove the inflorescences in good time. The ideal time for this cutting measure is in July.
Have the tool ready
Which tool you choose for your cutting measures depends on various factors. Individual plants do not require electrical tools. Edit these copies easily and quickly by hand. If you have planted larger areas or if you have to cut woody shoots, additional utensils are helpful. These scissors make your work easier:
- Hedge trimmer for cutting large areas of herbaceous species in the garden close to the ground
- Kitchen scissors for harvesting edible sage leaves
- Secateurs for rejuvenation cuts in woody plants and pruning back of perennial sage species
Cut properly
The steppe sage that grows in the garden shines
through a colorful and fragrant display of flowers in summer. The pruning measures should be coordinated with the flowering time of the species in order to encourage it. Since the herbaceous plant dies before winter and sprouts again in the coming spring, no shape or maintenance cuts are necessary. These are recommended for the real sage, so that the woody perennial forms aromatic leaves for many years. How to do it right:- Cut back non-woody Salvia species close to the ground in late winter
- Cut off withered flowers and stems when pruning in summer
- Cut off shoots of sage officinalis that have died before budding near the ground
- then cut healthy parts of the plant to just above the lignified areas
- Harvest the leaves regularly from mid-May to encourage the formation of shoots
Rejuvenate lignified sage plants
The steppe or grove sage does not show signs of age due to its persistent way of life, as this plant sprouts fresh every year. The shoots of kitchen sage lignify over time from bottom to top if no pruning is done. If you leave the perennial to itself without interfering with the scissors, it will increasingly develop into a subshrub and form leaves with reduced spice intensity. If two thirds of the shoots are lignified, a tapering derivation cut is recommended:
- Look for herbaceous side shoots or swelling buds on lignified branches
- select a vegetation point as low as possible
- Cut the plant back to a maximum of five centimeters
- Place scissors about five to ten millimeters above this point
Note:
After a deep pruning, the plant sprouts reluctantly. Give the plant time to recover and do not harvest the leaves for the next few weeks.Harvest while cutting
Kitchen sage can be pruned as part of the harvest if the cut was missed in late winter. The cut shoots are suitable for freezing or drying, as the yields are greater with this variant and usually cannot be used up directly.
Observe the following tips in order to achieve the greatest possible harvest success:
- Shower the plant thoroughly before the planned pruning
- Let dry overnight
- Cut off herbaceous shoots just above the woody part
avoid errors
Although pruning Salvia species is comparatively easy to do, some mistakes can occur. You can avoid this by timing the right time and adapting the cutting measures to the respective type. If you observe the following notes, you will avoid common maintenance errors:
- do not cut back into bare areas or into the old wood, but stay in the leafy area
- The exception is the rejuvenation cut in Salvia officinalis if there are vegetation points
- Do not cut kitchen sage at sub-zero temperatures to avoid frost damage
- Do not carry out harvest prunings in September so that subshrubs can mature
- Do not work on perennial species with scissors after flowering, because dead leaves and shoots serve as winter protection
