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Sage
May 28, 2009 21:02:16 GMT
Post by troykerr on May 28, 2009 21:02:16 GMT
We have sage going profusely but it is about to flower. Should we allow it to or should we cut the flowers off?
Thanks
Carl
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Sage
May 28, 2009 21:13:35 GMT
Post by clarevoyant on May 28, 2009 21:13:35 GMT
I have purple and golden sage, I let them flower every year, it grows and grows and gets used and used.
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Sage
May 28, 2009 23:23:06 GMT
Post by Fi on May 28, 2009 23:23:06 GMT
Carl, I can see no reason, possibly other than aesthetic, to not let it flower. It makes little or no difference to the taste. The only thing I do do with sage, other than taking leaves when I need them for cooking, is to cut the stems back and dry them each autumn. Otherwise the plants can get very leggy. Your question has given me an idea though - I'm in the middle of planning a parterre at the moment, and, since sage is easy to grow from seed, grows so quickly and keeps some of its leaves through winter, I think I'll try using it as a low hedge, say 10" - 12" high, round one or two of the beds.
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Sage
May 29, 2009 8:55:24 GMT
Post by troykerr on May 29, 2009 8:55:24 GMT
Many thanks for the sage advice. I had recalled that with some plants/herbs it can be beneficial to remove the flowering heads and wondered if Sage was one such.
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Sage
Jun 2, 2009 10:22:16 GMT
Post by Tigger on Jun 2, 2009 10:22:16 GMT
Oh lawks! I have been nipping the flowers off my sage. I was concerned it was going to bolt. Mind you it did have a load of botritis on it so I thought it best to do a radical prune. The plant looks healthier, but at least I know now to let it flower.
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Sage
Jun 2, 2009 11:28:34 GMT
Post by clarevoyant on Jun 2, 2009 11:28:34 GMT
Carl, the only thing I remove the flowers from is Chives, unless the stock is getting low, then I let it flower and it re-seeds the area in which it grows.
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Sage
Jun 3, 2009 13:31:57 GMT
Post by Fi on Jun 3, 2009 13:31:57 GMT
I sometimes put chive flowers in salads - they're a bit more pointy than the leaves, but taste OK and look pretty. The same is true for many different herbs - just taste a flower head to see if you like it. For all herbs, I think it's up to the gardener to decide whether to let them flower or not - neither will harm the plant. I like to leave the flowers on because they attract bees and other beneficial insects. Obviously picking some of the leaves and stems for use does help to stop them becoming straggly, but I prune them in autumn to keep them compact and dry some of the prunings to use over winter. Maybe the one drawback or advantage of sage is that it will seed itself freely after flowering. If sage has become very straggly, it will usually grow again after very hard pruning to about three or four inches from the ground. It's also easy to propagate from soft wood cuttings if growing it from seed sounds too fiddly.
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Sage
Jun 3, 2009 20:50:51 GMT
Post by Ava bike on Jun 3, 2009 20:50:51 GMT
I thought this was a thread about Gateshead. But then again, I don't think they have gardens in Gateshead.
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Sage
Jun 3, 2009 21:07:28 GMT
Post by ivy noidea on Jun 3, 2009 21:07:28 GMT
I thought this was a thread about Gateshead. But then again, I don't think they have gardens in Gateshead. But they had a garden festival a few years ago.
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Sage
Jun 3, 2009 21:08:56 GMT
Post by ivy noidea on Jun 3, 2009 21:08:56 GMT
I thought this was a thread about Gateshead. But then again, I don't think they have gardens in Gateshead. But they had a garden festival a few years ago. OMG! I just checked - it was 1990! That counts as quite a few years ago, I think.
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