MetaChat - My sage plant is dying. What am I doing wrong?

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03 December 2007

My sage plant is dying. What am I doing wrong? →[More:]I don't know what variety of sage it is. I'm growing it indoors in a pot in my office for decorative, not culinary, use. I am (surprisingly) having a lot of trouble finding care tips online for indoor-grown sage plants. Anyone have any tips for making this plant happy? I find myself picking more dead leaves off of it each day. I gave it fertilizer spikes a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn't seem to have helped. I water it every few days. More water? Less water? Is it too cold for it on my windowsill (it was in the 20s F yesterday)?

If a photo would help, I can take one with my cell phone camera.

post by: amro at: 09:02 | 6 comments

It might be too cold on your windowsill - it should be okay though, as long as it has lots of sun. Try not to get any water directly on the leaves the fuzz holds them and it can cause leaf rot. Sage's ideal growing conditions are sunny and dry, so make sure it has full sun, and water it less, not more.

Did I mention sun?

The dead leaves you're plucking off - if they're yellowish, too much water. If they're brownish, not enough water.

posted by iconomy 03 December | 09:31

This is a really good short and sweet guide to growing it, and it reminds me that you might have some kind of annual variety, which is just naturally dying. If you have the hardy common sage though, it can live for years and years with a little help from you.

posted by iconomy 03 December | 09:35

Hmm, they're brownish, and the soil is dry. I'll try more water. Unfortunately, it's been awfully cloudy lately, although it is getting some sun this morning.

The dead leaves you're plucking off - if they're yellowish, too much water. If they're brownish, not enough water.

Is that a good rule of thumb for all houseplants, or sage in particular?

posted by amro 03 December | 09:35

Oh, good link, thanks... I don't think it's an annual. I got it from someone on craigslist (a guy who was moving and couldn't keep his houseplants, so was giving them away) who said he had been growing it for 6 or 7 years, so I expect that it's not the sort to die each year.

posted by amro 03 December | 09:39

That's pretty much a rule of thumb for all plants. Brown means "hey, I'm thirsty, how 'bout some water over here", while yellow means "my roots are drowning in all this water you're giving me".

posted by iconomy 03 December | 09:42

I've never grown salvias inside. I'm kind of surprised that it's possible, really. Outdoor salvias are generally sun-loving, drought-tolerating perennials. (At least in every climate I've ever lived in.) So my thinking would be more light and let it dry out between waterings.

Have you thought about getting it a grow light?

posted by mudpuppie 03 December | 15:04

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