Therapeutic potential and properties sage ancient healers appreciated. Sage began its victorious march across the planet several hundred years ago. Ancient Greek and Roman physicians actively used sage in their practice for the treatment of many ailments and were the first to describe this plant in their medical treatises.
Did you know? The ancient Romans considered sage an excellent remedy for infertility. Those couples who could not conceive a child were separated for five days. During separation, they had to constantly drink broths and sage juice. In many families, after such a course of treatment for infertility, strong babies appeared.
Ancient healers called sage "holy grass", which is not so far from the truth, given that culture is used in a wide range of diseases.
Salvia officinalis: plant description
Medicinal sage (second, less common name - salvia) - it is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family of yasnotkovyh.
Did you know? There are more than 700 different sage species in the world.
Sage reaches a height of not more than 75 cm. The culture has a woody, heavily branched stem, which has a thick loin of thin roots located in the lower part. The plant has numerous tetrahedral, densely leafy stems, lumbering in the area of the root zone. On the branches of sage are stalked opposite whole white-shaped, crested leaves on the edge, having an oblong-ovate form. During the flowering period, the bushes are covered with irregular, double-lipped bluish-purple, pinkish or white flowers, which are collected in whorls that form racemes at the ends of the branches of the racemes.
Did you know? Homeland medicinal sage is Italy, and therefore the plant in our country in the wild is not found.
The bushes begin to bloom only in the second year of life. The blooming period of sage begins in May and lasts until the end of July. The plant tolerates drought perfectly, but even a slight decrease in temperature can lead to its freezing.
How to grow sage in the country: choosing a place in the garden
The success of planting sage in open ground depends on the correct choice of the site. Sage is a southern plant, which means that it will feel comfortable only in well-lit places. Salvia will grow well on sandy and even rocky soils, but heavy clay soils are absolutely not suitable for it.
Important! Virtually all perennial sage species are unpretentious, the only requirement they place on plant growers is to provide them with well-drained soil.
Sage will grow well only in places where its roots will not suffer from excess moisture and lack of air. Good aeration of the roots - the key to successful cultivation of this plant.
Sage Lighting Requirements
If planting sage medicinal is carried out in the shade, then, of course, the lack of ultraviolet will not kill the plant, but you will not be able to achieve generous flowering in this case either. Given that solar Italy is considered the birthplace of culture, a plant will need to provide a sufficient amount of light for its full development. Culture is very thermophilic, and therefore the pace of its development is directly dependent on whether you can provide the necessary amount of heat and light.
Important! If sage is cultivated in pots, then provide the culture with maximum peace, as even a slight rearrangement of the containers with sprouts will cause the plant great stress, which will necessarily affect its growth rate and flowering intensity.
When growing sage medicinal in the garden, choose for planting well-lit areas.
What kind of soil loves medicinal sage
The planting and care of sage should be taken very carefully. Culture grows well on sandy soils. However, if your site is dominated by clay soil, then during the autumn treatment of the bed to increase its aeration properties, it is filled with river sand, humus and carefully dug. When making humus, the main thing is to observe moderation, since its excessive introduction will negatively affect the development of bushes. Remember that in areas with increased fertility, there is increased vegetative growth of salvia, which can lead to excessive stretching of plants in height. At the same time, the intensity and quality of flowering of such plants is significantly reduced.
All about planting medicinal sage
The agrotechnology of growing sage is simple. But in order for the bushes to please you with a generous flowering and active growth rates, you will need to systematically follow some simple rules.
Growing medicinal sage will be successful if you remember that a plant:
- does not take out excessive moisture, differs in high drought resistance;
- badly transfers frosts, loves heat and light;
- grows better on soils with high aeration characteristics;
- will require the provision of a sufficient amount of space, since it has a massive root system;
- will require systematic weeding and loosening the soil;
- needs to ensure quality drainage when grown in closed ground;
- prefers a soil with a neutral pH;
- for the normal development of its bushes need periodic introduction of fertilizers;
- the distance between the beds should be at least 50 cm, and between the bushes - 30 cm;
- the culture will develop well in the area where cabbage, potatoes, onions, or beans have grown.
How to prepare the ground for planting
Growing and caring for sage does not cause trouble even to a beginning plant grower. Before planting salvia, it is necessary to properly prepare the ground. The plant will feel comfortable on a calcareous soil, which is characterized by high moisture permeability and low water retention. There are annual, biennial and perennial types of salvia. When choosing a plant type, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions, since if your area is characterized by frosty snowy winters, the bushes are unlikely to survive them, and therefore, choosing perennial varieties for planting is simply meaningless. The culture will feel great in a fertile substrate, which in sufficient quantities contains nitrogenous fertilizers. If the site is dominated by clay soils, then to improve their quality, you will need to mix them with a small amount of organic matter and river sand, which will improve their drainage properties and prevent stagnant moisture.
Planting scheme: how to properly prepare and sow the seeds of medicinal sage
If sage is planted with seeds, the following scheme should be followed:
- well-lit dry places are selected for planting grains; seeds are planted in pre-prepared soil in May;
- the laying of grains in the ground is carried out no more than 3 mm, and at a distance from each other from 25 to 30 cm;
- from the time the grains are planted in the ground and until the emergence of shoots, it takes about 10 to 21 days;
- the first few weeks after emergence, it is necessary to constantly maintain the soil in a wet state by systematically irrigating it;
- When growing perennial sage species, it is necessary to systematically trim the plants, which will increase their bushiness.
Secrets of growing medicinal sage: how to care for the plant
Sage is unpretentious, drought-resistant and able to survive on poor soils. However, cultivation in harsh conditions does not reduce the decorative characteristics of the culture and its therapeutic potential. If you are not too lazy and create good conditions for the bushes, the plant will surprise you with intensive development and abundant flowering, especially since it will not take a lot of time and effort from the plant grower. High-quality watering, systematic loosening, weeding and trimming of bushes - this is almost the entire list of the most important agrotechnical manipulations that you need to perform if you want to get beautiful and cheerful bushes.
Insufficient watering is the main reason why the leaves on the crop become too hard. No less disastrous for sage is considered and excessive watering. Excessive hydration attracts to the bushes of snails, spider mites, thrips and slugs. Regular thinning and pruning of the bushes will provide them with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation and will serve as a guarantee of their normal growth and development. Equally important is the proper preparation of bushes for wintering, which will protect them from freezing.
How to water medicinal sage
At the stage of active growing season, sage sprouts need systematic irrigation. It is very important that during this period shoots do not suffer from a lack of moisture. After the plants reach maturity, the frequency of watering is reduced and watered only when the soil surrounding the plants is dry to the touch. In some climatic zones, a culture can do without additional introduction of moisture, since it will receive the water it needs along with precipitation.
How often and how to feed a plant
When growing sage, top dressing of bushes is carried out in the spring, before flowering, with mineral nitrogen-containing stresses. But in the fall, after pruning, it is recommended to support the plants with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, in accordance with the dosage specified by the manufacturer on the package. Such feeding will help Salvia survive the winter with minimal losses, unless, of course, you cover it up correctly.
When sage transplant is needed
Sage has a rather intensive growth: on average, the plant grows by 30 cm per season. The flowering period of salvia begins in May and ends in mid-July. In order for the bushes to have a healthy appearance and to enjoy active flowering, it is recommended to replant them every five years.
Rules for trimming medicinal sage
Sage shrubs need systematic pruning and shearing. If you refuse to carry out this manipulation, the plant will very quickly stretch to a height, it will become bare, it will become untidy and will age. Systematic pruning stimulates the intensive formation of new shoots and will contribute to increased bushiness of pets. After the culture fades, all dried inflorescences are removed from it. In the spring and in the autumn the bushes are necessarily cut. Do not feel sorry for the plant when pruning, because the more you cut, the greater the number of young shoots formed on pets. All lignified shoots are also subject to removal.
More about breeding
Reproduction of sage is carried out in several ways:
- division of the bush;
- vegetatively with lignified shoots;
- seeds.
Growing sage from seeds is the most popular method. Seeds are sown in containers prepared in advance and filled with substrate in February - March. The first shoots will appear after a half - a maximum of two weeks. In the third week it is recommended to pick a seedling and transplant the seedlings into separate peat pots. If you decide to sow the seeds immediately in open ground, then the grains must first be soaked in a growth stimulator, which will increase their germination and adaptation abilities.
Reproduction of salvia by grafting is no less popular. To get the cuttings, it is necessary to cut the semi-woody shoots into pieces about 15 cm long. Then they are placed in a container with water. Two weeks later, the cuttings will have their own roots, after which they can be planted in the ground. Sage has a pivotal root system, prone to the formation of developed adventitious processes, and therefore, in the fall or summer, you can safely divide one plant into two separate plants.
Cleaning and harvesting medicinal sage
In the first year of life, the leaves can be plucked from the bushes only if absolutely necessary. All subsequent years to collect the leaves for home growing sage, you can all year round. Experts recommend collecting medicinal raw materials before flowering, as it is believed that at this time they have accumulated the greatest amount of nutrients that will provide them with high therapeutic potential. The last collection of medicinal raw materials should be carried out two months before the onset of frost in your climate zone, which will allow the culture to acquire new leaves before the beginning of winter.
Important! It is hard to imagine, but now the sale of sage is banned in many countries, as the scientists were able to establish that this plant has an even more pronounced narcotic effect than marijuana. True, the effect of its use lasts no more than 10 minutes.
When drying raw materials, it is necessary to spread the leaves and branches of the culture in a well-ventilated area or under a canopy on the street. Store the leaves in glass jars, paper bags or sealed plastic containers. We can spend huge amounts of money on the purchase of expensive medications, but very rarely we think that in the tender sprouts of medicinal herbs there is a powerful healing potential that allows us to quickly get rid of various diseases.
