How To Save Sage Seeds

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Got Sage growing in your herb garden?

Salvia officinalis or common garden Sage is an easy herb to grow, and is both a culinary and medicinal herb.

Tricolor Sage
Tricolor Sage

If you love yours and want more Sage plants, you have a few options. You can buy another plant, buy seeds, take cuttings, or layer your plants. If you don’t think you have the skill set yet to tackle the latter two options, just save seeds!

It’s just a matter of letting your Sage flower and go to seed. You leave the flower heads alone, and let the pollinating insects do their work.

Sage in Bloom
Sage in Bloom

Bees and other insects will pollinate the Sage flowers, and soon green seeds will form.

The little seed pods run up and down the upper part of the stem and resemble hungry baby bird mouths or bells with sharp points. I’m partial to the baby bird beaks myself.

Green and Ripe Sage Seeds
Green and Ripe Sage Seeds

The seeds are fairly large and easy to see within the seed pod. As the seeds ripen they turn darker in color, and if left alone they will just slip out of the pod and drop to the ground.

If you don’t mind, some of these seeds can be left to germinate- providing they are not completely over shadowed by the parent plant or plants. Don’t worry, only a few may germinate so it is unlikely you will be overtaken by Sage!

If you want to save the seeds, or plant them elsewhere, collect them by tipping or gently pinching the base of the pod. If the seeds are ripe, they will just roll out of the pod into your hand.

Read more:  How to Grow Saffron (5 Steps)

You can also cut the flower stalk and place them unside down in a paper bag. As the seeds ripen they’ll drop out in to the bottom of the bag. Easy!

Ripe Sage Seeds
Ripe Sage Seeds

A few things to remember:

Salvia officinalis or Common Garden Sage seeds can be planted in either the Spring or Fall.

Garden Sage is winter hardy to about zone 3 with no special care. This is not true of all Sage varieties, like the Tricolor Sage. Before leaving your plants outside all winter, check to see if your favorite Sage is hardy where you live!

Source: Gardening 101

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