Diviner’s Sage With Black Spots
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Lynne
Posted on: June 01, 2004

Recently I purchased a diviner’s sage plant from the Richter’s greenhouse. I read that it likes humid and moist conditions, so I planted it in some humus-rich soil and constructed a little greenhouse for it from a clear plastic bag, with holes in it for air. The plant did quite well for the first week or so, but in the past few days it has been getting black spots on the leaves, which get bigger until the entire leaf falls off. Sometimes the blackness starts on the tip of the leaf and spreads until the leaf drops. So I thought maybe it was too moist for it and removed the plastic bag, but it still has black stuff on it, only now it just curls up faster. Can you provide me with some insights about what might be wrong with my diviner’s sage and how I can help it? It was a rather expensive herb and I would like it to survive!

You did not say what sun exposure you gave the plant. This sage likes part to full shade. It may have received sun burn and this increased when the plastic was removed.

Of course it could have caught some fungus or bacterial infection. Sprinkle the spots with cinnamon. If this does not help, you could try a suspension of sulphur powder, in water as a spray. In any case make sure the plant has good air circulation, without being in a drying gale!

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