To date, according to the databasea joint project of two world-known organizations engaged in the systematization and description of plants (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom and Missouri Botanical Gardens, USA), called The plant list (plant list), 986 species of sage grow on the globe.
Latin name sage - Salvia. This is a perennial plant of the family Luminous. AT Russia traditionally him share on salvia and sage. The first relate to ornamental plants that are cultivated in annual culture.
Salvia varieties (natural and hybrid) are soldseeds. They are sown on seedlings in February-March in the landing boxes. Then there is a picking and seating of seedlings into individual containers. Disembarkation takes place approximately at the beginning of June, after the threat of return frost has been removed. Salvia blooms (almost all varieties) from four months to the end of the summer season. Decorative effect is created by various shades of colors - from purple to scarlet.
Sage grown as a perennial plant xwell known both in Europe and in all other parts of the world. So how to grow sage quite simple, in the horticulture of different climatic regions taken cultivate own species tested by time, medicinal and culinary experience.
Most often the plant is associated with medicinal use. Main him the type is called - sage officinalis (Sālvia officinālis).
Mquick salvia (Salvia sclarea) is ubiquitous, often growing asweed. Its use is associated with a specific smell of essential oil, reminiscent of the aroma of orange and bergamot. The alcoholic beverage and culinary industries use it to add nutmeg to the products.
Sage meadow (Salvia pratensis) grows on slopes, including stony ones, and is distributed throughout Europe. His dried leaves are used in cooking as a seasoning for salads, soups, broths. Included in the homemade marinade.
Salvia deserted (Salvia deserta) in Russia it grows on the slopes of the Altai. Among the others wild growing species has particular value as outstanding honey plant.
Salvia nemorosa is alsoMoldavian, he's Yabla sage. Growing in the country as an ornamental and honey plant is associated with some difficulties. The fact is that historically it has been cultivated as a thermophilic. Intolerance to winters with little snow and susceptibility to freezing is the distinctive qualities of oak sage. Planting and care in the open field in the middle of the Russian Federation are not difficult. A shelter for the winter is quite a difficult and time-consuming agrotechnical process for this species.
Cultivation of a plant has features associated with the historical origin of each species. Growth area - almost all natural areas. Growing sage home gardens interesting in terms of obtaining a decorative aromatic plant honey plant, which also has medicinal and culinary features.
Fruits of almost all varieties of sage - triangular rounded nuts from 1.5 to 3 mm. Sold to gardeners, gardeners from manufacturers - seed nurseries. Youseed sage growing not difficult, even the most inexperienced can handle itgardener (technology process can be read below). It is much more difficult to preserve this plant for the second and subsequent years in conditions of little snow and rather severe winters of the middle zone of the Russian Federation.
Все виды шалфея нетребовательны к механическому composition of the soil: suitable for them loam with introduced humus and lime. But the heavy clay soils with poor permeability - the cause of sage freezing and rot in the summer wet period. For the spring planting of the plant, it is enough to prepare the site for cultivation in advance, adding humus humus in the fall, before the planting season sage
Rules of cultivation adult bush dictate a fairly rigid approach to the place and distance to other plants.
Sage shrubs with timely feeding and watering can grow to a meter height, their width for the second and subsequent years will increase from half a meter in diameter.
So tohow to grow sage from seed in the conditions of the middle zone of the Russian Federation the easiest way is by seedlings, therefore the main efforts of the gardener should be focused on these works. 
Seeds should be soaked for 24 hours before planting.warm water. Then rinse the bag in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Seeds prepared in this way can be sown in a seedling box, sealing them to a depth of no more than 1.5 mm. Close the box with glass or plastic film, place in a warm place (20-25 degrees Celsius). Ventilate periodically, opening for 5-20 minutes to additionally check the humidity and the absence of mold.
Через две-три недели появятся ростки.The glass must be removed, put the box in a lit room. Best of all - next to the radiator, under the window sill. The temperature for sage should not be below 20 degrees Celsius - the plant is thermophilic.
Saplings about 1.5-2 cm in height need to be transplantedcups (peat or paper pots), remembering that the sage root system is powerful, so it is easy to damage it when planted in the ground, if removed from plastic containers.
In early June, grown and hardened seedlingscan be planted in the ground. Prior to this, since the beginning of May, it can be carried out in the sun. The soil needs to be cooked in the fall, adding humus and mineral fertilizers to it: the earth should not be acidic. If necessary, add peat and sand.
Plants should be placed at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other. This scheme can be perceived as temporary. In the second year, you can transplant sage individually along the tracks.
Caring for seedlings does not require special tricks:weeding, watering, feeding with liquid fertilizers once a decade, three times a season - with mineral fertilizers. Planted seedlings need to be watered with warm water, you can - warmed by the sun.
Growing sage in the country sowing seeds in open ground need to startAutumn, October-November. At the same time, soil preparation is carried out back in September; humming, leaf litter, some sand and peat are needed for digging. The earth should be loose, lumps - minimal.
Spread the seeds into the wells, sprinkle with river sand, a layer of dry humus and shed. Seed germination with this method, according to gardeners, will be no more than 50%. When spring planting, the land is prepared in autumn, in the spring you need to loosen it, removing the roots of perennial weeds.
Seeds germinate at daily average temperatures.soil about twenty degrees. Such conditions give the end of May, so you need to loosen, water and weed the seeds with seeds planted before the winter or spring. You can wrap non-wrap - it will serve as a good shelter from night frost and keep the soil from drying out.
Rare (expensive) varieties of sage should not be grown in this way, as well as thermophilic, which should be read in the instructions on the seed bag.
The plant of the first year may bloom atfavorable conditions: early powerful seedlings, warm May without return frosts. Although the main task of the gardener for this period is to grow a strong plant for subsequent growth and flowering.
Top dressing should not be excessive.It is enough to do this once in twenty days with liquid fertilizers: manure diluted 1:10, infused herbs of the same concentration, humate prepared according to the instructions. Fertilizing with mineral (potash-phosphate) fertilizers is desirable in the fall.
Watering plants produced as needed, it is better to do in the evening. The soil under it should not be too wet, possibly root rot. At one place sage grows well from five to six years, after this period Bushes can become huge (with good care) or, on the contrary, degenerate. The plant can reduce the number of root points of growth. And in fact, and in another case of him better to transplant.
Virtually all types of sage do not toleratelong frosts with little snow. To prepare the plant for the winter (in time it is the onset of stable cold with minus night temperatures) you need to start with pruning: all shoots are cut to the height of the soil, under the stump. The plant is filled with mulch (dry humus). At the same time all root points of growth should be closed. After steady frosts with temperatures not lower than 5-6 degrees, sage should be covered with spruce leaves or residuesand garden plants.
In winter, they are sure to watch a good snow shelter, in snowy winters you need to pour snow. Укрытие весной можно убирать только по окончании return frost, do it gradually, carefully watching the night temperatures. Tender young shoots of sage, warmed up in the daytime sun, can freeze at night at sub-zero temperatures.
Liked plants can be propagated by dividing the bush, vegetatively and grafting.
For dividing the bush the best time is spring.After the emergence of young shoots need to dig a sage bush and gently share it. If you can't do it with your hands, you can take a sharply ground shovel and quickly divide the bush into two (or more) parts. The division can be carried out with disinfected pruners, cutting the root system into parts.
For vegetative propagation in early summer you needCarefully bend down to the ground a strong process, pin the clip, sprinkle with earth. Ensure that the primer covers the bracket. Two months later, a developed root system, the cutting will allow to separate the new plant from the mother plant.
Для черенкования нужно лезвием или скальпелем cut off a sturdy shoot, leave four buds on it. At the top to keep the leaves intact, the fourth goes into the soil. Root into a prepared light planting mixture of humus and perlite to a depth of 8-10 cm, placing the escapement obliquely. Shed. Create a mini greenhouse, covering the container with a cutting film. To humidify as necessary, to air. In a month, the cutting will give good roots.
With planting the plant in the ground is not necessary, as sage should root well by autumn.
