Caring for Sage during Winter

The sage or Salvia officinalis shrub is regarded as a sturdy and evergreen household herb. It needs minimal care, growing to about 2 feet with minimal fertilization and watering. English Sage and the Golden Sage are the most popular sage varieties. The Salvia montana variety is best suited to survive freezing conditions.

Sage Winter Care Tips

Insulating herbs like sage during the winter season is recommended. Sages grown in pots can be simply moved indoors for the winter. Sage growing in the garden bed needs some systematic care.

Basic Winter Protection

Sage earthed-up during the spring season, to induce fresh growth, needs winter protection. You should cover up the exposed root sections with dug up garden soil. However, don’t clamp down hard on the plant.

Winter Mulching

You should mulch the sage shrub before the winters set in. Sprinkle some straw mulch around the base of the plant. You can also use organic manure for this purpose. This helps to avoid freezing of the sage’s exposed root sections and the lower stem.

Winter Pruning

Sage’s foliage tends to entangle itself, unless pruned regularly. However, cutting herbs back during the winter is not advised. Some of the sage’s stem tips may die during the cold months. Wait for freezing temperatures to pass and then prune the dead tips and clustered foliage. You shouldn't pick the sage leaves during winter. Pruning or picking tends to expose parts of the plant that can die immediately due to the cold.