Is my sage dying? :(

[mint]

Hi everyone!

About half a year ago I've bought common sage (salvia officinalis), which died (apparently, because of over-watering), but I have succeeded to make a new plant from its cutting. However, the plant that I currently have, was growing nicely and had about 7 leaves, but one day the problems started again... It didn't seem to be overwatered, but when I was checking if there is maybe too much water under the container, I saw that there was one pair of pretty long roots coming from the container and soaking in some water that was in clay pot beneath. So, that was causing the problems... Immediately I removed the old soil and replanted my sage, to make sure that there was no roots sticking out at the bottom. It was all fine (the plant came back to life), I just needed to remove a few leaves that were already brown for some reason. Now, maybe a week or two after that, I'm having some problems again with that sage... This plant currently only has four leaves. They are all curled and hard (like if they were dry), but they still have green colour, although it's somehow pale. I thought it didn't have enough water since the soil was only a bit moist (even about two inches deep) and I watered it, but after two days it's still looking the same

The weather became a bit more warm here, but I'm not sure if that's the cause of the problems. It's gets to about 28°C, maybe 30°C max. (82°F - 86°F)

I'll add a photo of it. If you have any ideas they'd be much appreciated Thanks

[imafan26]

Well, I don't feel too bad now. I kill sage regularly. They like water but not too much. They don't like to be watered overhead or be rained on for days They need a well drained soil and they prefer it to be slightly alkaline. If you have a yard find a spot on a slope that is in full sun and throw some compost in the hole and mix it in the soil. Most compost are alkaline and it will help hold moisture in the soil. Water well but try not to wet the leaves. Let the soil almost dry before watering again. It seems sage likes to be neglected.

[mint]

Thanks! I'll see what I can do.

It seems funny to me that it's supposed to be easy to grow sage, when it's so hard to me. All other plants that I have are much easier to grow

Thanks again

[rainbowgardener]

Well, it barely is a sage plant. It is a teeny little baby and as such needs different care than an actual sage plant would. As a cutting, it has barely any roots. Therefore it can't absorb water from the soil well and it can't reach down in to the soil for water that is below the surface. So unlike an established plant, you need to keep the top part of the soil consistently damp.

The leaves are like they are because it is losing water from the leaves by transpiration faster than the tiny new roots can absorb it. I find it helps cuttings to keep them under a humidity dome ( like a soda bottle with the bottom cut off) to reduce transpiration from the leaves.

Re what happened in the first place, you mentioned roots growing down into standing water. You had your container sitting in a saucer holding water? That's a big no no. When you water a plant, let the water drain in to a saucer and then EMPTY the saucer.

I do find sage very easy to grow and ridiculously productive, once you have an established plant.

[imafan26]

I did not think this was a new cutting if the roots were coming out the bottom of the container. I was thinking more like it was getting too much water and the roots were rotting. Unfortunately if a plant doesn't get enough water it wilts or if the roots are rotting because it gets too much water it still wilts because no water is getting to the top of the plant.