Pruning Purple Sage

The unpruned pruple sage plant

When we took on the allotment last January, we inherited a pretty substantial herb patch consisting mostly of a well established giant purple sage (Salvia officinalis "Purpurascens") plant and rosemary bush of unknown variety, mixed in with some oregano and thyme and something I could not identify at the time which turned out to be a a kind of giant daisy.

The woken-up pest controller

Thrilled as I was that I have all these plants, as the year went on I have not used the sage at all. I tried to reduce its size and gave the off-cuts away to friends to use in the kitchen but it wasn't until last week that I decided to go about it a bit more brutally and give it a proper prune. I was thinking about getting rid of it altogether, but as it is a good feed for pollinators, I decided to keep it. Moreover, I have read that drinking water infused with this plant can help with sore throats - something that I sometimes suffer from as a teacher.

Cutting away the lowest and widest branches I noticed that those that were lying down and touching the soil have developed roots. This is a commonly used method for propagating the plant asexually called "layering" - covering a lower branch with soil, waiting for roots to develop and then cutting it off and thus getting a separate plant. I am not sure whether the previous owners have done this intentionally or whether it just happened but I separated sections of those branches which gave me some really healthy looking cuttings.

Cuttings from the lower branches that have already rooted

I potted and watered them and I keep them in a shady spot behind the shed. I now have eight plants that I definitely do not want to keep but I am thinking I might give them away or wait until our allotment association's open day where I am sure we will have a plant sale.

Three of the cuttings in their new pot. Pretty, aren't they?