Taking Cuttings from Woody Sage Plants..

[bluelacedredhead]

Flowerpower & Lavandula Girl..You both mentioned in my Corn is so high thread about hilling up the sage and encouraging it to root to make extra plants. Well I never bothered because I was concerned about getting this new plant to root itself...But now I'm wishing that I had heeded your advice.
Too late I suppose in this climate for the year?!
HOWEVER..
Do you think I could take some cuttings now without damaging the main plant and root them indoors in hormone or gel?? I just would feel so much better if I had a backup plant or two considering my track record with sage at this house...

[Lavandula Girl]

BLRH - I haven't done it myself, but Rodale's says that you can take 4 inch cuttings in fall for use the following spring. I'd say go for it - you may also want to put a leaf cage on your garden plant - perhaps that will give it enough protection to survive your winter. Plus, mine here in zone 6b-7 generally gets a low leaf mulch in fall, and in spring I have tons of early new growth. I can't imagine it'd be detrimental.....

[flowerpower]

Blue, I have had good luck rooting sage with the hormone powder. You will not harm the big plant if you take a half dozen cuttings. It may take longer for them to get roots this time of yr. Try to keep the soil warm.

I only put an inch or so of spoiled hay around the base of each plant in the fall. I do not cut them back. So they are 5-6 in high. Eventually the snow will completely cover them for months. In the Spring, I just cut all the dead pieces when I see new growth on the branches. And there is always new growth from the crown.

[bluelacedredhead]

Thanks Girls. :) I have some decomposing straw out in the barnyard that would make good mulch for the slightly tender members of the herb garden. I have to mulch the kale and the garlic bed as well, so I'll move it up here tomorrow; throw it on the weedy patch in the corner and then I'll have it when I really need it.

[bluelacedredhead]

I didn't use rooting hormone cuz I don't have any and neither does work..

So instead, I put some cuttings in a tall babyfood jar of warm water with some white sugar granules and a touch of granular fertilizer meant to promote root production in transplants.

Five days later the older sage leaves are sagging and curling up to expire. However, the very young stuff is green as can be, and the stalks appear to be growing nodules to sprout...

I'm so glad I asked... :D

[wilderness1989]

BLRH - I haven't done it myself, but Rodale's says that you can take 4 inch cuttings in fall for use the following spring. I'd say go for it - you may also want to put a leaf cage on your garden plant - perhaps that will give it enough protection to survive your winter. Plus, mine here in zone 6b-7 generally gets a low leaf mulch in fall, and in spring I have tons of early new growth. I can't imagine it'd be detrimental.....
10-05-2006, 04:57 AM #2
Lavandula Girl, can you give me any more information about, "Rodale's says that you can take 4 inch cuttings in fall for use the following spring"? I have looked in the 2 Rodale herb books that I have and can find no reference to the method. Do you store the cuttings or root them in the fall? Any information would be appreciated.

[Lavandula Girl]

Actually Wilderness, that's the entire direction from the book! I'm citing Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs for this. (Under the Cultivation heading) I've always layered my sage plants to divide them, or hilled them up to promote side growth. My bet, based on the fact that new sage plants need ample water until established, is that you want to root them immediately, either inside or in a greenhouse. I think Blue is getting some success with her rooting method, so that may be exactly what they mean. Sorry the instructions are vague....

[wilderness1989]

Actually Wilderness, that's the entire direction from the book! I'm citing Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs for this. (Under the Cultivation heading) I've always layered my sage plants to divide them, or hilled them up to promote side growth. My bet, based on the fact that new sage plants need ample water until established, is that you want to root them immediately, either inside or in a greenhouse. I think Blue is getting some success with her rooting method, so that may be exactly what they mean. Sorry the instructions are vague....
Thanks for the heads up Lavandula Girl. I think seed may be the easiest way. ;-)

[bluelacedredhead]

Yes, I am seeing success with just rooting in water. I used the fertilizer the first week or two, then have just changed the water weekly now to plain well water. The roots are miniscule, but there. And most of the original leaves have fallen off, but there is lots of new growth. I think tomorrow I might plant them in pots.
Thanks to FP & LG for their great instructions.. :)

[Lavandula Girl]

Woohoo! It's alive!!!! :D

[flowerpower]

Congrats Blue! Nice going :) You can put more than one cutting in a pot. They won't grow too much over the winter.

[bluelacedredhead]

I'm even more amazed than you are LG. I really appreciate the info that you and FP supplied me with, not to mention planting the seed in my mind to begin with ;)
Wilderness, it really wasn't difficult. You should try it. What's to lose? a branch or two..But more important, what's to be gained?? Fresh sage indoors in winter, and a learning experience..
And you know where to come to get the right answers..

[Vera_EWASH]

I've just grown them (Salvia officinalis/Culinary Sage) from seed....by the 2nd year they are full size beautiful plants!

Vera