Back to growing guides
S
HerbsHardyPerennial (short-lived)
Sage
Sage is a woody aromatic herb grown for savoury strongly flavoured leaves that are useful fresh or dried. It brings structure as well as kitchen value, with grey-green foliage that suits sunny borders, herb beds and gravel-style plantings.
Basic information
Category
Herbs
Lifecycle
Perennial (short-lived)
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
2 companions · 2 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
365 days
Germination window
10–21 days
Germination temperature
18–21 °C
Plant spacing
45 cm
Row spacing
45 cm
Sowing depth
0.5 cm
Height
75 cm
Spread
45 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Give sage full sun and sharply drained soil, especially through winter, because wet roots shorten its life. Prune lightly in spring to keep plants leafy and compact, but avoid cutting hard into old bare wood that may not reshoot well.
Common pests
Rosemary beetle, sage leafhopper, capsid bugs, root rot in wet soils.
