Sage planting calendar
When to plant sage — pick your state
Sage timing swings hard by climate — choose your state for sow, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to its USDA zone and frost window.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific
Common questions
When should I plant sage?
Sow indoors 6–8 weeks before the average last frost date, barely covering seeds with vermiculite; germination takes 7–14 days at 21–24 °C (70–75 °F), then grow on at 15–18 °C (60–65 °F). Transplant outside on or around the last frost date — common sage (Salvia officinalis) is hardy in zones 4a–10b, though ornamental cultivars ('Tricolor', 'Aurea', 'Purpurea') are only reliably hardy from zone 6 upward. Plants may not flower in their first year from seed; restrict heavy harvests the first season to allow root establishment. Because the right window depends on your local frost dates, pick your US state above for a calendar with exact sow, transplant, and harvest dates.
Does the best time to plant sage vary by state?
Yes — planting dates swing by several weeks across the US because each state sits in a different USDA zone with its own frost window. Every state page here gives sage dates calibrated to that state's climate.
How are these sage planting dates calculated?
Each state's dates come from that state's dominant USDA hardiness zone and NOAA average frost dates, then adjusted for sage's cold tolerance and days to maturity.