The drought-tolerant Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) has lovely silvery-gray foliage. Russian sage blooms along its long stalks in late summer, creating billowing clouds of small lavender flowers. Although Russian sage prefers warm sunlight, it may also survive in regions with extremely chilly winters. Russian sage can be challenging to divide and prefers to be left alone, but successful division is frequently feasible. Russian sage can take a while to establish itself, so be patient. However, Russian sage is a hardy plant that will endure in your yard for many years once it is established.
When the plants are young in the spring, divide Russian sage. To prevent the roots from drying out too quickly and to give the newly divided plant time to settle in its new place, pick a chilly morning on a cloudy day.
- The drought-tolerant Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) has lovely silvery-gray foliage.
- Although Russian sage prefers warm sunlight, it may also survive in regions with extremely chilly winters.
With pruners or kitchen shears, remove only approximately 3 to 4 inches of the Russian sage cluster. With a shovel, dig the Russian sage cluster. If the Russian sage clump is big, cut off a smaller portion of it with the edge of your shovel and leave the rest of the plant in the ground.
Shake the Russian sage plant carefully to shake off extra soil as you lift the cluster from the ground. As you divide the clump into smaller pieces, carefully pry the roots away with your fingertips. The size of each division should allow for four or five shoots, with multiple strong roots on each shoot.
With a shovel or trowel, dig a hole for each division, then plant the freshly divided Russian sage in a bright area of your yard. Each plant should be spaced at least 18 inches apart.
- With pruners or kitchen shears, remove only approximately 3 to 4 inches of the Russian sage cluster.
- If the Russian sage clump is big, cut off a smaller portion of it with the edge of your shovel and leave the rest of the plant in the ground.
For the first growing season, water the Russian sage right away and keep the soil evenly moist. After the first growing season, Russian sage can withstand dryness and only sometimes has to be watered in hot, dry weather. Avoid overwatering the Russian sage since too much moisture can make it decay.
You can also plant divisions of Russian sage in patio pots. Select a container with a hole at the bottom, and then fill it with potting soil from a store. At the same soil depth as when it was first planted, place the Russian sage in the container. For the first growth season, keep the soil moist but avoid overwatering.
When can Russian sage be divided and transplanted?
The faded flowers will still provide interest and color to the winter landscape if you choose not to trim the bushes back.
It might be challenging to transplant established Russian sage. With as much soil and the plant’s root system as you can, dig a wide circle around the plant. After transplanting, the plant will probably experience shock, from which it may take several months to recover. Early spring is the ideal time to move Russian sage. In the coldest areas, wait until the earth is warm. Before transferring the plant, trim the stems back by two-thirds. Until you notice new growth, keep the transplant well-watered; after that, gradually reduce water.
Russian sage can you separate it?
Russian sage plants require very little watering maintenance. In actuality, once established, Russian sage does well in dry soil and requires little water.
Every other year in the late fall, scatter a spoonful of all-purpose fertilizer or a shovelful of compost around each plant.
Provide a 2-inch (5-cm) coating of pine needles over the winter in areas north of USDA Zone 6 and remove them in the spring when new growth appears.
While leaving the stems and seed pods in the garden until spring adds winter interest, you can trim the stems back to a foot (.5 m) above the ground for a neater appearance.
Pruning is the main part of Russian sage care in the spring and summer. Cut the old stems back to just above the lowest tier of leaves when the new spring growth appears. Shear off the top one-third of the stems if the plant starts to sprawl or spread open in late spring or summer to promote upright growth. If the plant stops blooming in the summer, cut off the top half of the stems. This promotes new growth and a fresh blooming cycle.
By splitting the clumps or taking cuttings in the spring, you can propagate Russian sage plants. Every four to six years, divide the clumps to revitalize the plants and limit their expansion.
How well does Russian sage transplant?
Russian sage can be transplanted at any point during the growth season. It thrives in full sun and well-draining soil that is either slightly dry or moderately damp. Pruning in the spring can help minimize flopping, which is a problem when Russian sage is grown in areas with less than eight hours of direct sunlight per day.
How is a cutting of Russian sage rooted?
Russian sage can be propagated by stem cuttings, seeds, or by splitting mature plants. In the garden, you can also transplant young plants or seedlings.
Under ideal circumstances, established plants will self-sow and occasionally spread via underground rhizomes as well.
It should be noted that depending on their patent status, some cultivars cannot be propagated without a license.
From Seed
If you choose to sow Russian sage seed indoors, you may do so at any time of the year.
If you intend to plant seeds outdoors the next season, it is advised to start them at least six to eight weeks before the last anticipated frost in your location.
Start by cold stratifying the seeds for 42 days in a plastic bag inside the refrigerator at a temperature of about 40F. The rate of germination will rise and accelerate as a result.
Spread the seeds evenly across the soil’s surface, at least a half-inch apart. If seedlings become too crowded, which may happen if they move around when you water, you can thin them later.
To ensure that the seeds have adequate soil contact, gently press them. Add a very thin layer of soil or sphagnum moss on top.
Place the tray in a spot with regular temperatures between 60 and 65 °F, cover it with plastic, and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Lift the cover once or twice a day, or anytime the soil surface seems dry to the touch, and sprinkle the seeds with water from a spray bottle while you wait for them to germinate.
In many cases, your seeds will germinate considerably more quickly than the recommended 90 days. After 120 days, they might not have germinated if you have not noticed any symptoms of germination. If this is the case, throw them away and start over.
Remove the plastic cover after the seeds start to sprout. Position the tray beneath a grow lamp or in a window with natural light. Continue watering as necessary.
You can transplant the seedlings into individual 12-inch pots with potting soil and landscaping sand mixed in when they are an inch tall. This will encourage adequate drainage.
Late spring or early summer is the best time to plant in the garden. The first blooming season for plants raised from seeds occurs in the second year.
After the risk of frost has gone, cold stratified seeds can also be dispersed onto a planting space that has been prepared outside. Till seedlings sprout, gently water the planting area and keep it damp.
From Cuttings
This approach produces pleasant outcomes, has a high success rate, and is far quicker than beginning from scratch.
Both softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings can be rooted, and each gardener seems to have a favored method that they use depending on the season with varied degrees of success.
Spring is the best time to take softwood cuttings, whereas summer is the best time to take semi-hard cuttings.
The optimum time to take cuttings is when you know you can take care of them and when the plants are at their healthiest.
Using a clean pair of pruning scissors and a healthy, mature plant, take numerous cuttings that are each about four inches long in order to propagate Russian sage from cuttings. A leaf node is a good place to start your cuts.
With the exception of a few at the end of each cutting, remove all the leaves. Take out any flowers or buds.
If desired, dip the cut ends of each in powdered rooting hormone. Russian sage will root even without additional rooting hormones, however using them may increase your success rate.
Put the bottom of each cutting approximately an inch deep into a 12-inch well-draining container that is filled with damp sand or your preferred soilless media.
Place your clippings in a sheltered spot indoors with good lighting and a temperature of about 60 degrees.
Within a few weeks, the cuttings should start to create pale white roots, and as those roots take hold, they will start to sprout new growth.
In the interim, keep the soil moist. When your rooted cuttings are about a foot tall, you can plant them in the garden.
From Seedlings/Transplanting
As soon as the threat of frost has gone, Russian sage can be planted in the garden.
Before planting, harden off seedlings or rooted cuttings. This can be accomplished by taking them outside for an hour in a protected, partially sunny place on the first day, bringing them back inside, then gradually increasing the time spent outside each subsequent day by about an hour until they are able to spend the entire day outside.
When plants are grown enough for effective in-ground transplanting, a foot-deep hole that is about two and a half feet broad and as deep as the plant’s root ball should be dug.
Avoid damaging the plant’s delicate roots by placing it in the hole with care. After lightly compacting the earth back around the plant, water it thoroughly.
From Division
If you wish to manage the growth of your current Russian sage plants, division can be useful. Additionally, it can urge them to bloom more forcefully. Naturally, it’s also a fantastic method to introduce new plants to your yard!
Every three years, you can divide your plant, and the optimum times to do so are in the spring or the fall. Before your plant is actively blooming, or right when the blooms have completed blooming but before plants hibernate for the winter, divide.
Before dividing in the fall, you could want to prune the stems with a pair of clean garden shears to a height of about six to eight inches.
With a shovel, dig out the plant from the soil, making sure to go far enough to avoid damaging the roots. Work in segments if you can’t dig up everything at once.
To divide the parent into clumps with roots attached, either into thirds or in half, depending on the size of your plant, gently remove some of the extra soil from around the roots so you can see what you’re working with.
To keep the roots moist while you work, gently separate the roots with your hands and lay the divisions in a shallow tray of water.
For each of the separated pieces, create a hole that is as deep as the length of the roots. To complement the soil’s existing nutrients, add some compost.
Place the crown of each division at the hole’s surface. As you work, pack soil around the roots, continue with each division, replant the parent, and then thoroughly water.
Should the amount of Russian sage be reduced?
For us on Nantucket, Russian sage is an excellent plant because it possesses all the characteristics we value in a superb perennial:
- It is resilient and requires little particular care from the gardener to overwinter.
- Most of us on the island have a lean, sandy soil, which is where it operates best.
- Its fragrant, gray-green leaves has just the right amount of fuzz to be particularly deer resistant.
- It has a lengthy interest season, looking fantastic from June through October.
- When seasonal people are present on the island in the middle to late summer, it blooms for a very long time.
- It is extremely adaptable in the environment thanks to its lacy leaves, blue flowers, and open habit. It works well with decorative grasses, can be added to perennial gardens, and creates a striking mass planting.
I’ve also had great success pruning Russian sage in the fall when I take down my spent perennials, even though many of us have been trained to leave it standing and prune it in the spring. Wait until it is dormant, preferably after a frost, but be sure to do so.
Russian Sage should be pruned with the following goals in mind: Removing dead twigs, cutting off broken or damaged branches, and encouraging vigorous growth from a healthy foundation of stems that will bloom the next summer.
To prune Russian Sage while it’s dormant, adhere to these steps:
- Trim back all previous growth to healthy buds within 6 to 8 inches of the ground.
- Remove any damaged or broken timber as well as any dead branches.
- Remove any weak branches that won’t be able to sustain robust new ones the next season.
- In order to encourage strong, new shoots to replace the older ones, prune a couple of the oldest stems close to the soil, if possible.
I’ll share a small secret with you now that we are aware of how to prune Russian sage properly. The “Hair Cut method of pruning” is used by the majority of island landscapers because of how forgiving this plant is. Simply grab the twigs in one hand and use the other to cut them all off evenly. Or, if you’d rather, use your hedge trimmers to attack them! Any remaining dead twigs will be rapidly buried by new growth next summer.
When should Russian sage be reduced?
Russian sage is a fuss-free perennial that adds color all season long and is drought resistant. With a modest 28- to 32-inch height, “Denim ‘n Lace” manages the towering and floppy growth of classic Russian sage. Plants that are fully colored resemble lavender. In Zones 4–9, hardy. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ is its botanical name.
Pruning Russian sage requires courage. Russian sage pruning can be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, your plants will become stronger and fuller and put up a more attractive flower display. Although taking tip cuttings may qualify as a pruning action by genuine botanists, pruning is not a part of the propagation of Russian sage.
Russian sage is normally pruned by the regular gardener at the beginning and end of the growth season. With its purple flower spires, Russian sage creates a purple haze in gardens starting in mid- to late summer. The silver-gray stems are encircled by whorls of the fuzzy blossoms, creating an intriguing sight. Plantings are given a great dramatic flair by foot-long flower heads. Pruning Russian sage in the spring properly paves the way for a stunning flower display.
Russian sage’s stems change from being green, soft, and succulent to having a woody component as it ages throughout the growing season. This kind of perennial flower is referred to by gardeners as a semi-woody perennial or shrubby perennial. Russian sage stems should be cut back to 18 inches at the end of the flowering season in cold climates, when the blooms have faded and a deadly frost has occurred. For a more interesting winter garden view, skip the pruning and leave the stems alone. In the coldest regions where Russian sage is hardy, it is good to leave stems in place. zone 4 and zone 5.
Stems freeze as winter approaches and subfreezing temperatures take hold. Depending on how cold it gets and how long it lasts, stems may or may not freeze to the point of death. Russian sage has two sites where new growth appears in the spring: the stems and the plant’s crown, which is where the stem tissue and roots converge. Typically, the crown is hardly visible above ground.
On Russian sage, a harsh winter may kill all of the aboveground stems, and only the crown produces new growth. Stems may only partially die back during milder winters. In this situation, the Russian sage would produce new growth from both the stems and the crown.
Snip stems back to 12 to 18 inches as springtime approaches. Leave 18 inches in place if you’re cleaning up your garden well before the last average frost date. Cut stems down to 12 inches or less if there is no longer any risk of frost.
Zones 4 to 9 are hardy for Russian sage. It might not die back significantly, if at all, throughout the winter in warmer areas. After the blossoms have faded and when winter has arrived, Russian sage should be pruned in regions with mild winters. If you don’t want to see stems throughout the winter, you can give them a severe pruning now, trimming them to a height of 6 to 12 inches. Otherwise, wait until very early spring or late winter to perform a rigorous pruning.
Pruning Russian sage right after after flowering in regions with lengthy growing seasons might encourage a second flush of bloom. Reduce plant growth by 50% to promote reblooming.