Monday, April 15, 2019

Midnight Sage Propagation | 4" Pots


Midnight Sage Propagation | 4" Pots #artscienceEARTH

MENIFEE, CALIFORNIA\\ This post is a bit of humble brag but, it's also an experiment. I have a few reservations about how these cuttings are going to do. I only pulled out four of them to see how it goes. Let me lay it out for you.

Mexican Midnight Sage is a very hardy, drought tolerant plant. It comes from Mexico and is a variation of the plant that you may have smelled burning in a spiritual ritual are even tasted in a classy restaurant. Sage has many variations.

This variety doesn't taste very good so, it's not for culinary uses. I don't have much experience with the spiritual uses, such as smudging or burning sage but, I'm not sure this variety is the best for that. It does smell very nice, though. It grows quickly and hardily so, it's great for this climate. It also flowers in a way that reminds me of lavender and is attractive to hummingbirds. 

A few weeks ago, I did some divisions from the main plant. I may have roughed it up, a bit. They are still standing and I have high hopes but, I'm new to this plant so, I'm a little concerned. With summer coming up, though, I think they'll be fine.

So, that process left me with some cuttings. Some by accident and some by pruning and shaping the new plants. I ended up with about 15 of them and put a few in the Greenhouse Sandbox.



These four have formed strong tap roots. I was trying to be gentle but, a few of them were really hanging on. Fortunately, everyone is ok and potted them up in these 4" pots.



Now, I have one major concern. These plants tend to reach very deep with their roots. The 5 gallon pot that I bought the main plant in is very tall. I don't have much potting soil right now but, I wanted to make some room for new cuttings. If I had my choice, I would have used larger ones, even for these little cuttings. They may just reach right on through the pot!

When roots reach air, they tend to die off. My hope is that, once they do, they will be able to adjust and begin to grow more side roots and fill out the pot. I remember reading or watching a video somewhere that growing a new plant in a pot that's too small is better than one that's too big. By the time they outgrow these little pots, I should have plenty of potting soil to give them bigger one.

Fingers crossed. 



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Josh | #artscienceEARTH



DISCLAIMER: It's fair to acknowledge that I AM NOT AN EXPERT.


I have no formal training or education regarding agriculture, horticulture, ecology or any other subjects appearing in this blog. I have access to the internet and a strong desire to constantly be learning new things. This entire blog is just as much about my own education as it is yours. 


I also have a unique ability to "weed out" some of the nonsense and find reputable sources of information so, I'm confident that this information will help you understand this process. Many of the techniques that I share with you are new to me, too. More than that, it serves as an example that even if you have no experience or training, you can still have success and grow in your own garden!


Although, my intent is to share knowledge here, I treat much of this blog as a scientific journal. These are simply documents of scientific facts that I have either seen first hand are intend to recreate myself. So, please, do as much of your own research and use your own judgement with this information and embrace the journey of discovery. 


"The only source of knowledge is experience." Albert Einstein

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