We grow sage at home in pots on our own
Growing sage at home is a simple procedure. If a adhere to simple rules, then a useful and incredibly beautiful spice will become a real find in the kitchen. Green mass is used for cooking various dishes, and is also used to treat certain diseases.
Is it possible to grow sage in a flower flowerpot
Many people think that sage is grown only outdoors. soil. In fact, this type of spice develops well in home conditions. The main thing is to choose the right variety and follow the rules of care.
Types of sage that can be grown in a room:
- Drug. This is the most popular variety and belongs to the group of perennial plants. With proper care, the bushes grow up to 75 cm tall. Leaves are oblong, slightly pubescent. They are painted gray-green on both sides. The flowers are purple with a blue tint.
- Muscat. Also great for growing in an apartment. Reaches 1 m in height. Clary sage belongs to the subshrubs. The leaves are large, located on long petioles. The flowers are white, pink, less often they acquire a blue tint.
Both types contain a number of useful vitamins and minerals that are simply necessary for the human body.
Both medicinal sage and clary sage have a high taste and pleasant aroma.
Growing sage at home: choosing a place, a flowerpot and substrate
To grow sage at home, you do not need to have special skills. This is an unpretentious plant that develops well. in almost any room.
Seat selection
Sage thrives on large quantities sunlight, so keep the flowerpot in a room that overlooks east or west side. On the southern windows, the plant will need shade, as direct sunlight can leave a burn on delicate leaves of salvia.
If in the apartment all windows face the north side, then an additional artificial lighting.
With a lack of light, sage stems stretch and deform under their own weight.
As for the air temperature, the optimal indicators are 20-250C. Also, the room should not be drafts. They negatively affect the development of the plant.
Choosing the right pot for sage
This is an important point that needs to be treated with special care. Sage has a well-developed root system, so the pot you should buy a large one (from 10 to 15 liters). If there is no possibility initially purchase the correct container, then planting is carried out in a flowerpot with a volume of at least 1.5 l, but on the condition that the pot will be changed in the near future.
It is worth replanting the plant only in early spring or autumn.
Substrate preparation
In order for salvia to please with beautiful and juicy leaves, it is necessary to plant only nutritious, loamy soil, which contains a large percentage of nitrogen. You can also use a cactus substrate, but with the addition perlite.
Sage can be combined with parsley, marjoram, oregano, and thyme.
Rules for planting salvia at home
You can grow young plants in a flowerpot as seed method, and with the help of cuttings. Both methods are not difficult and effective.
Vegetative method.To do this, you need to separate the twig about 10 cm long. Then remove all leaves and existing processes from it. Place the prepared stalk in a container with clean water and leave in this condition for two weeks. At the end of this time, the planting material placed in a pot with a nutrient substrate.
Seed method. For planting, grains are used, the width of which not less than 3 mm. The procedure is carried out in the month of May. The planting material is soaked in ice water for a day. The seeds can also be refrigerated for 24 hours. Then place them in a moist, nutritious substrate.
The container with grains is kept in a room where the air temperature is within 250C. The soil is necessary regularly and abundantly to water. Water is used only well-separated and at room temperature. If everything is done correctly, then the first shoots can already be observed in 2-4 weeks.
Sage care at home
Salvia differs from other spices by its unpretentiousness. But despite this, you still need to follow the standard rules.
With an excess of moisture, sage loses its aroma and taste.
Plant care:
- Irrigation. The crop prefers moist soil. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly monitor its condition. Also, do not forget about spraying. Once a week, it is recommended to put a pot with a plant under a warm shower, after covering the soil with polyethylene.
- Fertilizer. Sage loves feeding. The first is carried out in early spring. During the period of bud formation and flowering, mineral mixtures are introduced. The frequency of procedures is 10-15 days.
- Pruning. This is an important procedure, which affects not only the appearance of the bush, but also the quality of the green mass. Pruning is done every 1.5 years. For this, only a sharp garden tool is used.
Sage is harvested twice a year. First procedure carried out before flowering, and the subsequent one - in late autumn. Initially, the lower twigs, then the middle tier and the upper (gradually). Separating too much shoots at one time are not recommended, as this can harm the bush.
Leaves and twigs are washed under running water, then collected in bundles. The spice is dried in a warm, well-ventilated area. In a week leaves, twigs are chopped and placed in a glass container, tightly closed cover. You can store the finished spice for no more than a year.
Sage is a unique plant that, with proper care, will provide the whole family with a set of essential vitamins. To do this, it is enough to correctly plant the salvia and observe the peculiarities of collecting and storing spices.