You certainly know sage, but do you also know pineapple sage? It is not only a great culinary herb, but also a beautiful ornamental plant.
Pineapple sage (Salvia rutilans) is a culinary herb that not only has a practical use, but also scores highly with its ornamental value. The perennial plant from Central America is quite well adapted to our climate and is therefore easy to cultivate. The lamiaceae are vigorous and the leaves exude a pleasant, fruity aroma when touched lightly, which is reminiscent of pineapple. The scarlet, nectar-rich flowers attract many insects and, due to the relatively late flowering, provide an autumnal highlight in the herb garden.
In the following we will tell you what to consider when planting this attractive plant, which is equally impressive as a kitchen herb and ornamental plant.
Find the right location
Even beginners should have no problems cultivating pineapple sage. However, an important basis for good growth is the choice of location. You can basically cultivate pineapple sage outdoors. But he is not hardy. Therefore, you should favor the attitude in the bucket. You create ideal growing conditions with a warm, moist location that is not in full sun. The pineapple sage tolerates morning and evening sun very well. However, you should protect the plant from the blazing midday sun. In a less than ideal location, the pineapple sage may not die immediately, but will grow more slowly and release less fruity flavors.
Tip:
Plant pineapple sage in a frequent and easily passable place. Frequent touching of the leaves releases their fruity scent. This is an enrichment for every herb garden.
As far as the location of the container is concerned, the container plant is no different from pineapple sage, which is cultivated outdoors. A warm, partially shaded spot is ideal. With the container plant, however, you have the advantage that you can position the plant variably and thus protect it well from the blazing midday sun by simply changing the locationchange.
The ideal location in keywords:
- light
- moist
- warm
- partial shade
Selecting the ideal substrate
The soil should be particularly nutrient-rich and permeable so that the irrigation water can drain off well and the feared waterlogging does not occur. Poor substrate should be loosened before planting and enriched with compost. The addition of sand also makes the soil more permeable. A mixture of clay soil, sand and compost is the ideal substrate for the spice plant.
The right floor in keywords:
- permeable
- humos
- sandy
- clay soil
- nutrient rich
Cultivate pineapple sage in a bucket
When cultivating outdoors, you should note that these are not hardy plants. If there is a risk of ground frost, you must dig up the pineapple sage, place it in a planter and bring it to winter quarters. This effort can be avoided by cultivating in a bucket. You can set up the bucket variably over the summer and later transport it to the winter quarters at any time.
What should the planter be like?
Quite large planters are ideal for fast-growing plants. The plant pot should have a volume of at least ten liters. Then the roots can spread well and it does not have to be constantly transplanted. It is also important that you make sure there are enough drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Waterlogging can only be prevented if the irrigation water can drain off well. Drainage, which you can create from potsherds or coarse gravel in the bottom of the container, also offers effective protection against waterlogging.
Planting pineapple sage - step by step instructions
- Select a suitable location/planter.
- Loosen and prepare the substrate.
- Now dig the planting hole and place the plant in the bucket.
- Then fill the tub with substrate and press down the soil.
- Finally water the plant well.
How should the plants in the pot be treated?
The pineapple sage outdoors is more robust and easier to care for. The container plant, on the other hand, only has a limited supply of substrate and nutrients. Since the plants prefer a moist environment, you must not forget to water the potted plants. During the growth period, regular fertilization is also a prerequisite for he althy growth.If you mix the potting soil in the bucket with compost, the pineapple sage will receive an organic slow-release fertilizer as soon as it is planted.
What happens to the bucket in winter?
Pineapple sage is not hardy outdoors either. In the bucket, the situation appears even more difficult when there is frost, because the roots are far more vulnerable in the container than in the ground outdoors. The container plant therefore needs a frost-free winter quarters in good time. The temperatures should not drop below five degrees, but should not exceed 15 degrees either.
How to properly repot pineapple sage
To the delight of every hobby gardener, the pineapple sage is a vigorous plant. However, this also makes more frequent repotting necessary. At the latest when the root ball has completely penetrated the planter, it is time for a larger planter. The new plant pot can outperform its predecessor by four to five centimeters in diameter. In addition, always make sure there are enough drainage holes for the irrigation water and create a drainage system made of potsherds to prevent waterlogging.