Salvia pratensis
Meadow clary
Common names: Meadow sage
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- May–Jul
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Meadow clary, botanically Salvia pratensis, is a native perennial wildflower of lean meadows, semi-dry grasslands and sunny roadsides. From a rosette of wrinkled, toothed leaves rise stems 30 to 60 cm tall, carrying violet-blue lipped flowers in tiers of whorls from May to July. The flowers have a lever mechanism: when a bumblebee pushes into the bloom, the stamens swing down and dust its back with pollen. For bumblebees and wild bees it is therefore an important nectar plant. In the garden it suits flower meadows, perennial and gravel beds, sunny slopes and large containers. If cut back after the first flowering, it often blooms again in late summer. Forms with white and pink flowers also exist. For meadow plantings, use regional wild seed from your area of origin.
Care instructions
Plant meadow clary in spring or September in a full-sun spot with permeable, not overly nutrient-rich soil, leaving 35 to 40 cm between neighboring plants. In the first year, water regularly during dry spells; afterwards rain is usually sufficient, as the deep taproot draws water from the subsoil. It does not need fertilizer. Cut the stems back after the main flowering in June or July to about 10 cm above the ground, and it will sprout anew and often bloom again in August or September. If you leave some flower heads standing, it will self-seed. Cut back old stems in early spring. Typical mistakes are soil that is too rich or wet, which causes it to topple and only last a few years. It also tolerates late transplanting poorly, as the taproot does not take this well.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May, Aug–Sep
FloweringMay–Jul
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lime-loving, loamy, lean
Meadow sage grows naturally in unimproved meadows and semi-dry grassland, preferring chalky, well-drained loam. In the garden, ordinary soil that isn't too rich is enough, as long as it dries out well and is neutral to slightly chalky. Its deep taproot lets it cope with dry spots too. On very nutrient-rich or heavy, wet soils it gets leggy, topples over and lives only a few years. There, mix in plenty of sand or gravel.
Feeding
Light feeder
Meadow sage needs no fertiliser. On lean soil it stays sturdy and flowers richly, while with fertiliser it turns soft and falls apart. In a container, it is also enough to swap the top layer of soil for fresh, free-draining soil in spring. Avoid fresh manure and heavily nutrient-rich feeds altogether.
Overwintering
Meadow sage is fully hardy and needs no protection in the bed. The leaf rosette often stays green and shoots again in spring. Winter wet harms it more than frost, so make sure drainage is good. In a container, place the pot against a sheltered house wall, raise it on pot feet and protect the root ball with horticultural fleece or hessian in hard frost.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate meadow sage by sowing. From March to May, sow into deep pots, because the taproot needs room, or sow directly in the bed from April. The seeds need light to germinate: just press them in and cover them with at most a very thin layer of soil. At about 20 °C and even moisture they germinate after 2 to 3 weeks. A second sowing window runs from the end of August to September, when you sow outdoors. Move young seedlings to their final position early, as later it dislikes being transplanted. Don't divide older plants, because the deep root is damaged. On lean, open ground it also self-seeds.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Meadow clary yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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