2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Sage will not only decorate your garden with long, bright blue and purple candles of flowers, but it will also do a good job if someone in the family has a toothache or throat. In addition, medicinal sage is known not only for its medicinal properties, but also for its gingerbread qualities
The heat-loving nature of salvia officinalis
Sage came to our region from sunny Greece and Italy. In our latitudes in the wild, it practically does not occur. And if somewhere you are lucky enough to meet this plant in a field or forest, then, most likely, it will be already a feral culture, accidentally brought here from someone's gardens and orchards.
Medicinal sage owes its origin to its thermophilic character. This is a perennial plant, but in regions with very harsh winters, especially when the cold season does not please with generous snowfalls, sage freezes in the open field. Therefore, after mowing the raw material, it will be wise to collect its seeds for future reproduction.
When to harvest and sage seeds
As a medicinal raw material, the tops are harvested during flowering, the dates of which fall in June-July, and the leaves are collected at least three times a season until September.
Those who are going to collect plant seeds should wait until they turn brown in the lower cups. The seed remains viable for about three years.
Autumn preparation of the site for spring sage sowing
If you are going to sow sage on your plot for the first time, you need to choose a place protected from drafts and gusty winds for it. Preparing the soil for sage is the same as for a salad. In September, humus or compost is introduced for autumn digging at the rate of 4 kg per 1 square meter. area of the site. Nitrophoska is suitable as mineral fertilizers - 40-50 g per 1 square meter. If the soils are acidic, they should be limed.
Reproduction of sage
Sage can be propagated by sowing seeds directly in open ground or through seedlings. If you plan to get useful raw materials early, then in winter you should take care of future seedlings. Sowing is carried out at such a time that by the time of disembarkation, the seedlings are already 30-35 days old. Sowing seeds in the garden begins in early spring. They are placed on the site at the insistence of about 15x25 cm. Sage can also grow under a film cover.
With a lack of seed, as the planted plants grow, the bed can be significantly increased due to the vegetative propagation method. For example, sage can be propagated by dividing the bush, as well as increasing the number of plants by rooting layers.
You can collect leaves from a plant as it grows. If the climate in your region allows you to grow sage as a perennial crop, then from the second year of cultivation, raw materials can be collected 3-4 times per season. First of all, the lowest leaves are collected from the stems. The size of the leaves indicates that it is time to start harvesting - they should be about 8 cm long. A week later, the leaves that have grown on the middle part of the stem are removed from the plant. After another 5-7 days, the tops are removed. Sage can be grown in the same place for no more than 5 years.
Do not dry medicinal raw materials in the open sun. For these purposes, a shadow is more suitable. Store dry leaves in tightly sealed boxes. This is a good remedy for fighting colds. The hot broth is used to rinse the mouth for flux, gum disease, throat. And tea made from sage leaves will ease the symptoms of bronchitis and promote expectoration of phlegm during a protracted course of the disease.
As a spicy seasoning, sage is added to recipes for meat dishes, to stewed vegetables. On hot days, sage leaves complement the refreshing taste of summer drinks: they go well with lemonade, pear juice.
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