How to grow sage in a biological way
How to grow sage in a biological way
To begin this cultivation we must immediately take into account that sage loves the heat and prefers sunny locations. Sage (Salvia L., 1753) is a plant resistant to drought (but not exaggerated) and to winter frost while it is sensitive to moisture and water stagnations. For this reason it can be adapted to many soils typical of the Mediterranean area under conditions that are not too compact and clayey.
Sage can be propagated both by seed and by cutting but it is preferable (for its speed) that by cuttings or by the division of the tufts of an uprooted plant. If instead you start from the seed, it is better to prepare a seedbed during the spring and to carry out the transplantation in the period of May when the seedlings will have reached about 5 cm in height.
For the methods of cultivation these do not change, whether you cultivate sage in open field or in pot. Just keep in mind the recommendations of the premise.
Before implanting you will find a good quantity of organic substance to put on the bottom (furrow or jar that is). We always recommend the use of a well-mature bovine manure. In the absence also a packaged organic fertilizer.
For the water intake it should be noted that in order to have a good aroma and excellent organoleptic properties, this plant should not be frequently irrigated.
If its cultivation takes place in areas distant from the sea and, even more so, in the northern regions we recommend a mulch with straw to protect the root system from frosts.
The sage plant must then be pruned and cleaned of the dry parts before the spring while at the end of the flowering the green pruning is carried out removing most of the green branches to give more airing.
As far as parasites and plant diseases are concerned, it is recalled that the most common parasites of sage are aphids. In this case it is possible to intervene with nettle macerate or with Marseille soap.
To reduce the presence of aphids, however, they must first be followed by simple agronomic principles and agro ecology; never use synthetic fertilizers (especially nitrates), do not cultivate in humid or sun-drenched areas, never cultivate in a specialized way but think of a combination with other species such as: carrot, cabbage and strawberry. Useful is also the use of the presence, where sage is grown, of species that can accommodate aphids such as roses.