How to Repot Sage

Preparing the Pot

• 1

  Select a container that is approximately 2 inches larger than the old pot. Use a pot that has a drainage hole.

• 2

  Use a clean pot. When reusing a pot, clean out any remaining dirt to prevent the spread of insects or diseases.

• 3

  Place one or two shards of broken pottery over the drain hole to prevent dirt from clogging the opening.

• 4

  Pour a shallow layer of potting soil into the pot. Use a lightweight commercial potting mix, designed specifically for containers, or make your own mix using one part potting soil, one part peat moss and one part vermiculite or sand.

Preparing the Plant

• 5

  Remove any dead leaves or dry, woody stems from the sage plant.

• 6

  Loosen the dirt gently from the edge of the pot using a small hand spade or knife. If necessary, trim any roots hanging from the drain hole.

• 7

  Place the fingers of one hand around the base of the plant, tip the pot over and gently slide the plant out. Avoid tugging the plant to prevent damaging the stem.

• 8

  Brush off excess dirt from the root ball and trim any dry or dead roots.

• 9

  Pull the roots apart gently with your fingers to allow air to circulate to the center of the root ball if the root ball is compacted.

Repotting the Plant

• 10

  Place the plant in the center of the pot. The top of root ball should be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pot.

• 11

  Fill the pot with potting soil to the top of the root ball, and tamp the dirt down firmly to remove air pockets.

• 12

  Water the plant until water flows out the bottom of the pot. Pour off excess water from the saucer.

• 13

  Wait a couple of weeks before fertilizing. If you used a potting mix that contains fertilizer, wait at least six weeks before applying fertilizer to avoid burning the roots.