How to Grow Spanish Sage Herbs

Spanish Sage, or Salvia lavandulifolia, is a subspecies of the more well-known Salvia officinalis, or Common Sage. Sage grows naturally across Central Europe and Asian Minor. It’s believed that the plant originated somewhere in or near Greece and was cultivated wherever the Greeks traveled or traded throughout their long history. Sage is commonly used as an herb in cooking, known for its minty though bitter flavor. Though Spanish Sage is considered inferior by many culinary aficionados, it lacks a chemical found in Common Sage which produces that bitter aftertaste, creating an altogether different and not unpleasant experience for the taste buds. As Spanish Sage is very difficult to find in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, here is a guide on how to grow your own Spanish Sage herbs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bonemeal
• Rich clay-loam soil
• Shovel
• High nitrogen fertilizer
• Water
• Plastic cups
• Spanish sage seeds
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Sand
• Perlite

1. Begin germinating your Spanish Sage seeds before the last frost of winter. Place equal measures of bonemeal, sand and perlite in a number of plastic cups. Press a seed about ¼ inches into the contents of each cup and then soak the seed.

2. Cover the top of each cup tightly with plastic wrap and use rubber bands to hold the plastic wrap in place. Spanish sage needs a very moist and Nitrogen rich environment to grow well. The bonemeal takes care of much of the seed’s Nitrogen needs for the moment. Place each cup on a windowsill in direct sunlight. The seeds should germinate in 10 to 21 days and should sprout 2 or 3 weeks later.

3. Map out an area outdoors where you will plant the seedlings. They should be placed sometime at the very beginning of spring. This may be significantly different times depending on whether you live in a temperate or sub-tropical zone. Dig holes each one foot wide and one foot deep at least three feet apart from each other. A fully grown Spanish Sage can be 1.5 feet in diameter.

4. Line the bottom of each hole with a thick layer of bone meal to provide the plant with long term nutrients. Fill each hole in with specialized rich clay and loam soil if you live in a sandy part of the world. Place each seedling level with the surrounding soil in their holes and water them well.

5. Water each Spanish Sage daily and provide them with a high nitrogen fertilizer once a month. They should be well developed enough to use their leaves for spices in mid summer. Watch out for white fuzz or black spots growing on the stalks of the Spanish Sages. If they appear you must immediately use fungicidal chemicals on the affected areas. Sages are prone to fungal infestations because of the wet environment they prefer.

Tips & Warnings

• The Genus name Salvia means “to heal” in Greek. The leaves contain essential oils which are composed of many powerful medicinal chemicals. Though the herb was always believed to have medicinal properties, it is only recently that modern medical science has proved the efficacy of Sage as an antihydrotic, antibiotic, antifungal, astringent, antispasmodic, estrogenic, hypoglycemic and tonic.

Resources

• More Information on Spanish Sage