Easygoing
Sage is an easy plant to take care of. Give it a sunny spot in your garden with well-drained soil and it will come back for years to come. Sage is drought-tolerant, so watering is rarely necessary. Fertilizer is not necessary when planting in the garden. If planting in a container, apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring and once more mid-summer after pruning.Overwintering
Sage is a frost-hardy perennial to zone 4, meaning it can survive temperatures down to -30˚. However, you'll want to take some steps to ensure the plant survives bitter cold days and comes back thriving in the spring. Stop harvesting the plant in the fall to allow it to prepare for winter and prevent it from sending out new growth. Give it a good layer of organic mulch such as wood chips or shredded leaves to help insulate the roots through.When gardening in containers, your zone decreases by at least one full zone due to the lack of insulation compared with in-ground plants (i.e. if you garden in zone 6, treat your containers like you're in zone 5). If that drops your zone to 4 or below, consider moving your containers to a protected area like inside a garage or shed. You can also sink the entire pot into the ground, cover with mulch, and dig out in the spring to help insulate the roots during the cold season.
Spring Pruning
In the spring as plants are starting to wake up, prune back 2/3 of the woody stems. It may seem harsh, but the plant will bounce back and produce much more bushy, tender growth throughout the season.
