Sage, weeded and lightly mulched

Sage will benefit from regular weeding, as weeds will crowd the plant, hindering air circulation. Plus, weeds compete with the plant for nutrients.

Properly preparing your soil is an excellent preventive measure against the emergence of weeds. When you till or cultivate the area where you’ll plant sage, remove weeds and debris. You’ll likely find that the first few weeks after planting are the only time you’ll be pulling up weeds in your sage garden. After planting and initial weeding, place mulch no later than three to five weeks after planting to further deter weeds. Note: sage needs plenty of air circulation and dry soil, so mulch lightly.

Once your sage plants have started growing, the space in between plants will fill in—and that will smother most weeds. Healthy sage plants actually prevent the need to weed!

If weeds come up between your more mature sage plants during the season, work the soil around the base of the plants with a hoe—only deep enough to kill weeds and not damage the plant’s roots.

Do you have problems with weeds in your sage garden? How do you handle weeding—and preventing weeds in the first place? Please tell us how you handle weeds in your sage garden.