Question
I have a Bergarten Sage plant.  I planted it (in zone 7) this year. When can I harvest some leaves? What are the guidelines for harvesting leaves? I have had very little success with sage plants in the past; I was told this type is hardy. I noticed that it has grown taller since I planted it although the leaves at the bottom are now brown and crumpled. thank you for your time.!

Answer
PP:
The Berggarten sage is from the area of Berggarten castle in Germany. It is called mountainside. It is hardy and the prettiest green sage. It needs well composted soil and given full morning sun. Do not feed chemical food. Use organic every 3 weeks (fish emulsion ). Prune 1/3 of new growth every 3 weeks. Pul brown leaves off and place in paper bag to dry. Crumble them and place in a spice jar. You may harvest leaves at any time.

Leroy

HERBALPEDIA
SAGE
Salvia officinalis
Names: garden sage, meadow sage, Spanish sage, Greek
sage, Dalmatian sage; Salbel, Salbei, echte Salvei
(German); sauge (French); salvia (Italian); Salvia
(Spanish)
Family: Labiatae
Description: small, rounded shrub with a height of 2 feet
and a width of 2 feet. The flowers are violet-blue, pink
or white up to 1 3/8 inches long, small, tubelike,
clustered together in whorls along the stem tops. The
leaves are woolly white, textured, elongated ovals 1-2
1/2 inches. The drier the weather, the grayer the leaf
color. Blooms May to June.
Cultivation: A perennial to zone 4-5. Germination is 2-3
weeks. Space 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart. Soil temperature
60-70F. Soil should be well drained, sandy, fairly rich
with some nitrogen and a pH of 6-6.5. Sow seeds 6-8
weeks before the first frost. Needs mulch when
temperatures drop below 0F. Cut 6-8 inches of top
growth from the plant 2 or 3 times a year (after the first
growing season), then dry the bunches in thin layers.
Sage leaves are heavy so drying may take from 7-10
days. Seeds difficult to germinate, root cuttings in sand
or layer them. Use a light application of fish emulsion in
early spring. Set traps to deter pill bugs; use bacillus
thoringiensis to kill worms; spray with insecticidal soap
to kill mealy bugs.
History: The generic name for sage, Salvia, comes from
the Latin word meaning "to heal" or "savior" The
Greeks called it elifagus which became the Greek
spahkos and later, sawge in Old English. .The ancient
Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat
preservative. They also believe it could enhance
memory. Pliny prescribed it for snakebite, epilepsy,
intestinal worms, chest ailments, and menstruation
promotion. Dioscorides considered it a diuretic and
menstruation promoter and recommended sage leaves as
bandages for wounds. Around the 10 th century, Arab
physicians believe sage extended life to the point of
immortality. After the Crusades, this belief showed up in
Europe where the saying : "Why should a man die who
grows sage in his garden?" evolved. Charlemagne
ordered sage grown in the medicinal herb gardens on his
imperial farms and the French called the herb toute
bonne, meaning all's well. Every country's herbals
recommended sage: an Icelandic book from the year
1000, Hildegard of Bingen, Chinese physicians,
Ayurvedic physicians and John Gerard and Nicholas
Culpeper. Folk healers in America used sage to treat
insomnia, epilepsy, measles, seasickness and intestinal
worms. The Eclectics used it primarily to treat fever and
also prescribed sage poultices for arthritis and the tea as
a sexual depressant. As late as the 1920s, US medical
texts recommended sage tea as a gargle for sore throat
and sage leaf poultices for sprains and swellings.
English herbalists believed that in the garden,
this plant would prosper or wane as the owner's business
prospered or failed. It was also said that the plant grows
vigorously in any garden where the wife rules the house.
It was common, then, for the husband to prune the
garden ruthlessly to destroy the evidence of his
subservience. In France, it was displayed in cemeteries
to mitigate grief.
Properties: aromatic, stimulant, carminative,
antispasmodic, antiseptic, immune stimulant
Chemistry: Of oil: pinene, camphene, myrcene,
limonene, linalool, bornyl acetate, borneol, salviol,
camphor, cineole, thujone, phellandrene
Nutritional profile: one teaspoon (.7 g) ground sage has
2 calories. It provides 0.1 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g
carbohydrates, 12 mg calcium, 0.2 mg vitamin C and 41
IU vitamin A
Medicinal Uses: Sage oil has a unique property from all
other healing herbs--it reduces perspiration. Several
studies show sage cuts perspiration by as much as 50%
with the maximum effect occurring 2 hours after
ingestion. This effect explains how it developed a
reputation for treating fever with profuse sweating.
Salysat is a sage-based antiperspirant marketed in
Germany. Sage is a drying agent for the body. Use it as
a sore throat gargle and as a poultice for sores and stings.
Use two teaspoons of the herb per cup of water, steep for
twenty minutes and take a quarter cup four times a day.
Can also be used as a gargle. It tastes warm, aromatic
and somewhat pungent. Tincture: 15-40 drops, up to
four times a day.
Like rosemary, sage contains powerful antioxidants,
which slow spoilage supporting its traditional use as a
preservative. This is due to the presence of labiatic acid
and carnosic acid. British researchers have confirmed
that sage inhibits the enzyme that breaks downacetylcholine, thus preserving the compound that seems
to help prevent and treat Alzheimer's.
Sage makes a good digestive remedy. The
volatile oils have a relaxant effect on the smooth muscle
of the digestive tract, while in conjunction with the
bitters, they stimulate the appetite and improve digestion.
Sage encourages the flow of digestive enzymes and bile,
settles the stomach, relieves colic, wind, indigestion,
nausea, diarrhea and colitis, liver complaints, and worms.
Its antiseptic properties are helpful in infections such as
gastroenteritis. Sage is a tonic to the nervous system and
has been used to enhance strength and vitality.
It has a tonic effect upon the female
reproductive tract and is recommended for delayed or
scanty menstruation, or lack of periods, menstrual
cramps and infertility. It has an estrogenic effect,
excellent for menopausal problems, especially hot
flashes and night sweats. It stimulates the uterus, so is
useful during childbirth and to expel the placenta. It
stops the flow of breast milk and it is excellent for
weaning. One German study shows sage reduces blood
sugar levels in diabetics who drink the infusion on an
empty stomach. It also contains astringent tannins
which account for its traditional use in treating canker
sores, bleeding gums and sore throats. Commission E
endorses using 2-3 teaspoons of dried sage leaves per
cup of boiling water to make an anti-gingivitis tea.
The Chinese value it in treating yin conditions such as
weakness of the stomach, nerves and digestive system.
(S. miltiorrhiza--dan shen)
Floral Calm Tea: 4 oz skullcap herb; 2 oz rosemary
flower, leaf; 2 oz linden flower; 1 oz sage leaf; 1 oz
passion flower herb. Combine 1/2 ounce of the mixture
with 3 cups of boiling water in a teapot or container with
a well-fitting lid. Let stand for five to fifteen minutes
before straining. Drink 2 ups hot or cold as needed. (The
Herbal Menopause Book)
Cyclone Cider Deluxe
?cup grated fresh gingerroot
?cup chopped onion
?cup fresh rosemary leaves
1/8 cup fresh sage leaves
1/8 grated fresh horseradish
4 slices fresh organic lemon
4 slices fresh organic orange
4-6 fresh peeled garlic clovesd
2-4 cayenne peppers
apple cider vinegar
honeyor maple syrup
Place all herbs, fruits and vegetables into a widemouthed
jar. Cover with 2-3 times as much apple cider vinegar.
Place plastic wrap over jar and then secure tightly with a
lid. Shake daily for 2-4 weeks. Store at room
temperature out of direct heat and light. Strain, squeezing
all liquid possible out of the herbs. Discard herbs and
rebottle the vinegar. Add honey to taste, enough o make
a syrupy consistency. Take 1-2 Tbsp as needed, or add
to soups, sauces, marinades and dressings.
Homeopathic: Homeopaths use sage for night sweats,
coughs, and to dry breast milk.
Flower Essence: Sage flower essence enables the Self to
learn and reflect about life experience, particularly
enhancing the capacity to experience deep inner peace
and wisdom. This remedy addresses a natural distillation
process which occurs as the healthy person ages.
Drawing wisdom from life experience; reviewing and
surveying one's life process from a higher perspective.
Aromatherapy Uses:
Extraction method: steam distillation of the dried plant.
Characteristics: strong, herbal, fresh and spicy;
colorless. Top note.
Energy: heating, drying; Taste: pungent, bitter,astringent
Dosha effect K V-, P+
Blends well with: bay, bergamot, geranium, ginger,
lavender, melissa, myrtle, niaouli, orange, rosemary;
cajeput; clary sage; eucalyptus; peppermint, pine, rose,
tea tree, citrus, rosewood, citronella, pine
Toxicity: Since the oil contains up to 50% ketone, a
toxic substance that causes cramps, it should not be taken
orally.
Uses: Digestive system: helpful for weak or debilitated
digestion, also good for diarrhea
Respiratory: strengthens the lungs and if useful for colds,
flu, coughs and sore throats.
Reproductive: Promotes menstruation and is helpful for
scanty periods or menstrual cramps. Eases hot flashes
and sweating during menopause
Muscular System: relaxes the muscles, especially when
they have been overworked as in weight-training or other
strenuous sports.
Skin: Good for cuts and wounds; seems to arrest
bleeding from cuts and wounds and helps the formation
of scar tissue.
Emotion: Quickens the senses, strengthens the memory
and tones the conscious mind. Indicated for tiredness,
depression and grief
Blends:
Digestive: 6 drops sage; 4 drops peppermint; 2 drops
orange
Respiratory: 5 drops sage; 4 drops eucalyptus; 2 drops
thyme