How to Transplant a Purple Sage

Transplant or thin seedlings when they develop their second set of leaves. Plant them in pots or cell packs large enough for later transplanting to the garden. If you prefer, thin the seedlings planted in flats. Divide well-established purple sage plants every 4 years.

Fill disinfected containers with moist, pasteurized potting mix. Loosen the soil around the seedlings with a table knife. If the seedlings are planted in a flat, carefully separate individual plants by gently pulling apart the tangled roots. To avoid damaging the stems, handle seedlings by their leaves. Place the seedlings in the new containers and tamp soil around them. Watering the transplants and keeping the containers out of direct sunlight for a few days avoids transplant shock.

Harden off the seedlings about 10 days before transplanting them outside. To harden off, stop fertilizing and set them outside for several hours a day in filtered sunlight and sheltered from the wind. During the first week, gradually increase the sun exposure until the plants are in full sun for a full eight hours. To avoid disease, do not overwater the seedlings.

Transplant the seedlings to the garden after 10 days of hardening off. If the seedlings are in cell packs, turning them upside down and pushing on the bottom removes the plants. If the seedlings are in pots, turn the pots upside down with the plants between your fingers and gently tap the bottom of the pot. Seedlings in peat pots need to soak for several minutes in water before planting directly in the ground. Cover the tops of the peat pots completely with soil when planting. If the plants are still in flats, use a putty knife to cut straight down and around them.

Plant the seedlings in the ground. Dig a hole as deep as the pots and an inch or two wider. Gently separate and spread the roots. If a pad or coil of roots are present, cutting or pulling them off allows new roots to form. When placing the plants in the holes, ensure the root ball top is even with the soil’s surface. Tamp the soil around the roots and gently water the transplant.