How to Plant Texas Sage
Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) is also known by the name of purple sage, Texas ranger, silver-leaf and white sage. It is an indigenous plant to Northern Mexico, New Mexico and Texas. In its natural habitat, Texas sage is a densely growing, 3 to 5 foot high semi-evergreen shrub. Texas sage produces 1/2 to 1 inch wide, tubular shaped, purple, pink, lavender or blue flowers in mid-summer. Plant Texas sage where it has room to grow and make sure it is provided good drainage. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Garden hoe
- Shovel
- Coarse sand, wood chips, tree bark straw, or perlite
- Snips
- Hammer or block of wood
Instructions
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Choose a planting location for Texas sage that is in full sun for best growth. A location that can provide 8 to 10 hours of sunshine every day is ideal.
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Remove any weeds and their roots from the planting location using a garden hoe.
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Dig planting holes that are approximately 10 inches wide and 12 inches deep if you are planting them from 1-gallon containers. Dig planting holes that are approximately 14 inches wide and 16 inches deep if planting Texas sage in 5-gallon containers. If planting several Texas sage, space each of the planting holes between 3 and 4 feet apart, depending on the variety you are planting.
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Amend the soil you removed from the planting hole if the soil in the planting location is very sandy or clay-like and heavy. Texas sage requires excellent drainage or it will die. Mix into the soil you removed from the planting hole 1/2 cubic foot of coarse sand, wood chips, tree bark or straw, if the soil is heavy and clay-like. Mix into the soil 1/2 cubic foot of perlite if the soil is sandy.
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Cut along the side of the pot down to the bottom of the container to remove the Texas sage from its pot, if planting the sage from a 5-gallon container. Lay the container horizontally on the ground, or a potting bench if planting from a 1-gallon container. Use a hammer, block of wood or a trowel and strike down along the rim of the container to loosen and remove the pot from the root system.
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Scoop a few shovel fulls of soil back into the planting hole. Set the Texas sage into the planting hole. The top of its root system should be sitting approximately 1-inch above the adjacent topsoil. Remove the Texas sage from its planting hole and scoop in more soil if needed.
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Fill the planting hole full with soil. Pack the soil down around the Texas sage using your hand, or foot.
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Water the Texas sage with 1-gallon of water if you planted from a 1-gallon container. Water with 5-gallons of water if you planted from a 5-gallon container.
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Tips & Warnings
Provide regular water for Texas sage until it becomes well established. For the first two to three months after planting water once or twice a week when the soil feels dry at a depth of 2 inches.
Fertilize Texas sage twice a year, once in early spring and again in mid-summer using a 10-10-10 (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) or similar fertilizer. Spread rates vary by manufacturer, so read the directions on the label.
References
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