Every sage seed contains the concentrated life force of an impressive herbal plant. If you want to experience the cycle of life in all stages, harvest and sow the seeds yourself. We explain how to do it on the windowsill and in the flower bed.
How to harvest and sow sage seeds?
Harvest sage seeds in the fall by cutting off the inflorescences on a dry day and stripping seed pods from the stems. To sow on the windowsill, soak the seeds in water at the end of March/beginning of April and plant them 1-1.5 cm deep in seed pots. Direct sowing is also possible by planting the seeds in the seedbed in May at a distance of 30-40 cm.
Autumn is harvest time for seeds – this is how it works
When a sage bush is allowed to bloom, it invests all of its energy in growing fruits and seeds. When autumn is just around the corner, the flowers have completely withered. Now hidden behind it are the ripe hermitage fruits with the sought-after seeds. How to harvest seeds successfully:
- Cut off the flower heads on a dry day
- Using a narrow-mesh sieve, remove flowers and seed pods from each stem with your fingers
- Sift the flower-seed mixture until pure seeds remain
After the sage seeds have been allowed to dry for 1-2 days, they are stored in a dark, airtight container until sowing.
Sowing on the windowsill - this is how it works
At the end of March or beginning of April, take out the seeds and let them soak in water or chamomile tea for a few hours. The sowing continues in these steps:
- Small cultivation pots fill with seed soil or peat sand (€6.00 on Amazon)
- Insert 1 or 2 sage seeds each 1 to 1.5 centimeters deep
- Sift thinly with sand over the substrate and moisten it
Germination takes 7 to 21 days on a warm, partially shaded windowsill. The seed soil must not dry out during this time.
Simple and efficient – direct sowing
If the thermometer consistently exceeds 10 degrees from the beginning of May, the seedbed is prepared in a sunny location. Thorough weeding and fine-crumb tillage pave the way for rapid germination. Finely sifted compost is used to optimize soil that is too sandy, while soil that is too dense is improved with sand.
Sow the individual sage seeds 30-40 centimeters apart, at a depth of 1.5 centimeters. After the bed has been watered with a fine spray, a garden fleece serves as protection against late ground frosts and voracious pests.
Tips & Tricks
Don't be surprised if the sage seeds you harvest yourself turn into a completely different plant than the mother plant. Only the seeds of pure species, when sown, produce a plant with exactly the same attributes of its ancestors. If you want to be on the safe side, purchase certified seeds from specialist retailers.