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Harvesting and Pruning Your Sage

Gardening Guide: The Ultimate Sage Guide: All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Healing with Aromatic Sage

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Harvesting and Pruning Your Sage

By Bill Dugan, Executive Editor

Harvesting sage

How to Harvest Your Sage

You can harvest your sage as you need it, whether that’s a whole stem or one leaf. However, the best time to harvest is before the plant flowers. Afterward, the leaves lose some of their aroma and flavor.

The correct way to harvest sage is to pinch off the leaves along the stem. You can pluck new small leaves, or larger leaves. Remove gently so you don’t pull the plant out of the ground.

How to Prune Your Sage

Spring is the best time to prune sage, because the plant will be vulnerable if you prune before winter and may not grow back in the spring. Prune about a third of the way down the stem, right above a set of two leaves. The plant will put out new growth right where the leaves meet the stem. Even if you don’t plan to use your sage leaves, it’s a good idea to prune the plant each year to reinvigorate the plant and help it keep its shape.

What are your sage-harvesting tips? Please tell us your experiences in the comments below.

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sage, sage leaves

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Growing Zones for Sage
  • Types of Sage Plants
  • Growing Sage from Seeds, Cuttings, or Seedlings
  • Growing Sage in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds
  • Starting with the Right Soil for Your Sage Plants
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Sage
  • Should You Fertilize Your Sage Plants?
  • How—and When—to Water Your Sage Plants
  • Harvesting and Pruning Your Sage
  • Storing and Preserving Your Sage
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Sage Diseases
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Sage Plants
  • The Right Way to Weed Your Sage Garden
  • Root Rot: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Root Rot in Sage Plants
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Sage
  • 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Growing Sage at Home
  • 10 Sage Companion Plants
  • Plant Profiles

  • Scarlet Sage
  • Mealycup Sage
  • Golden Variegated Sage
  • Cleveland Sage
  • Pineapple Sage
  • Common Sage
  • Recipes

  • Pumpkin Sage Soup
  • Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Lasagna
  • Lemon Sage Pasta Salad
  • Sage-Lemon Tea
  • Classic Turkey Sage Dressing
  • Chicken Breasts with Fresh Sage
  • Roasted Vegetables with Sage and Pecans
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Sage
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Sage
  • Resources about Sage
  • Sage Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • Preserving Sage: 6 Different Methods and Uses
  • How Do I Overwinter My Sage Plant?
  • The Ultimate Sage Guide—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Healing with Aromatic Sage

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