How to Prune Russian Sage for More Purple Blooms

Russian sage adds lovely purple blooms to the landscape in mid-summer and late summer, complementing its attractive silvery-green foliage. But properly pruning Russian sage is the key to getting as many flowers as possible on this semi-woody perennial.

Prune Russian sage annually in winter to keep it compact and bushy and promote maximal flowering next summer. Late fall and early spring are also good times to prune Russian sage.

Learn all about when to prune Russian sage, how to prune it, and why pruning it is important.

When to Prune Russian Sage

The best time for pruning Russian sage is winter, which is when the plant is dormant. Early or late winter both work, as long as you prune at some point during the winter (or as close to winter as possible).

Russian sage, with its seed heads and graceful branches, does provide winter interest. You can hold off on pruning until late winter to take advantage of this. If you would rather get the task of pruning out of the way, prune in early winter.

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How to Prune Russian Sage When Dormant:

1. Choose your pruners. In choosing between bypass and anvil pruners, consider how much dead wood you’ll be removing. Anvil pruners provide a more powerful cut that is ideal for removing dead wood.
2. Sterilize your pruners. As a general practice, sterilize your pruners by wiping them down with isopropyl alcohol. Sterilizing your pruners before pruning Russian sage is especially important if, for whatever reason, you have to do your cutting before or after the dormant season.
3. Make your cuts. Cut the plant down to a height of from 8 to 18 inches, depending on your tastes. By leaving the plant on the tall side (12 to 18 inches), it will have more of an immediate impact when it begins to leaf out again. However, as a result, the plant will be less compact, so it’s a trade-off.

Why Pruning Is Important

Pruning Russian sage is important because it makes a plant grow more compactly and promotes superior flowering. Pruning also tidies up your plant, as an annual pruning allows you to cut off dead or damaged branches.

Look for branches that cross over other branches while pruning your plant and remove them. Finally, pruning will help generate new, healthy growth, keeping your plant vigorous and robust.

6 Additional Tips to Encourage Growth

Russian sage is relatively low-maintenance. But there are a few additional steps to take to ensure that you get the most out of your display:

1. Fertilize it. Although Russian sage is not a heavy feeder, you can achieve more robust plants by working compost into the soil. But do not overdo it: Overly rich soil can cause Russian sage to flop over. The extra nutrients can promote excessive branch growth.
2. Give it good drainage. Like most plants, Russian sage performs better in ground that is well-drained. Poorly drained soil can invite fungal problems such as root rot.
3. Do not overwater. While you should water newly-planted Russian sage to help it become established, ease up some on the irrigation after the plant has become established. Russian sage is drought-tolerant, and overwatering can invite fungal diseases.
4. Give it full sun. Russian sage flowers best in full sun.
5. Give it room. This is a good-sized plant, so avoid installing multiple plants right on top of each other. When they mature, such overcrowding can invite fungal diseases. Space Russian sage plants 3 feet apart.
6. Prune twice a year. In areas where summers are long enough, consider pruning Russian sage a second time annually to encourage more blooms. Pruning Russian sage right after it finishes flowering can promote reblooming late in the season. Just as with the winter pruning, cut the plant down to a height of 8 to 18 inches.