GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Salvia officinalis (x Purpurascens) problems

Jake · 15-02-2012, 09:06 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:45:15 +0000 (GMT), wrote:

In article ,
Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:
On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:22:17 -0800 (PST), lagagnon
wrote:

We have this sage plant that has normally been quite healthy but this
late spring on trimming it back we notice a lot of very droopy leaves,
more discolored than normal. We have not had a tough winter here on
Vancouver Island so I am unsure what the problem is. Anything we can
do?

Sage is relatively tough but hates wet soils so that may be the
problem and once things warm up it may do better. If it's an old plant
then sages do tend to sprawl naturally, of course, so a hard chop back
may help (that advice is based on UK conditions). An appropriate feed
won't go amiss.

Not until after it starts growing, though! However, my experience
is that sage (like rosemary and even thyme) is often fairly short
lived in the presence of wet winters. What kills it is fungal
root rot, and the solution is to layer it every couple of years,
as the new roots are much more resistant.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Totally agree - but I was going on the OP saying it's late spring
where he is and he's been trimming back, plus he hasn't had a bad
winter. I've got a thyme that's about 16 years old. It's hacked back
to ground level every spring and still overwhelms its place before
summer. My sages are 7 years old but are growing in, I suppose, 70%
grit. Again, I hard chop in spring and they come back beautifully.
OTOH, I treat rosemary as an annual - can never get it to overwinter
whatever I try. Weird isn't it?

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.
A raisin is just a grape with sunburn.