Contents
Cultivation and irrigation
Sage is a perfect crop for the vegetable patch and for the garden. This plant, when it flowers, will also be very beautiful aesthetically and will embellish our corner of greenery. It can be planted in the center of a bed, in the garden in front of the house or in the orchard, in an area devoid of vegetables. In addition, sage, with its aroma, will repel certain insects. Once grown, the plant will be practically self-sufficient in terms of water supply. Only in the summer months it may be necessary to resort to manual irrigation and for a plant it will not be necessary to install a fixed irrigation system. Obviously, we will have to take into account the region in which we live and the seasonal rains. Sage also suffers during periods of prolonged drought.
How to Care for Sage
Salvia is a crop from which we will obtain a very hardy plant, which can easily be found in front of houses, even where it is not particularly cared for. It resists quite well, although after flowering it is advisable to prune and, after winter, the dry and damaged parts must be removed to favor the spring vegetative development, also avoiding the spread of pathologies. It does not need support to grow and can be planted directly in an area where we will regularly remove weeds that steal important nutrients. By harvesting the leaves to climb, according to the needs we have in the kitchen, we encourage new production, making our sage plant more and more resistant.
Soil and fertilization
Sage adapts quite well to all types of soil. If we decide to put it in the garden where other plants have already been planted in the past, it may be enough to bury the branch in the ground that contains the pot. If, on the other hand, there is doubt that the soil is not fertile, the best solution is to intervene beforehand with the addition of organic fertilizer or compost. When the soil has absorbed the nutrients, we can plant our salvia which will grow abundantly. The only precaution is that it is a zone of the orchard or orchard where the drainage is well assured and the atmospheric precipitations well absorbed. Therefore, it would be good to prepare the soil by digging and hoeing at least 25 cm, checking that the soil is sufficiently loose and light.
Salvia grows well in sunny areas, but is also adapted to conditions where direct radiation does not reach throughout the day. The important thing is that there is good ventilation, a factor that also greatly affects flavors. Salvia can be attacked by fungal diseases, parasites and other diseases. Being a plant whose qualities are appreciated in the kitchen, it would be good to avoid chemicals, giving preference, if necessary, to treatment with herbal decoctions. However, most of the time when we see rot, the cause may simply be excessive water consumption. By correcting the risks, the problem should disappear spontaneously. Sage can be harvested and eaten fresh, preferably washed under running water.