[3759allen]

i had a lovely crop of these 2 herbs this year, but now not sure what to do with them.

are they hardy so will survive over winter?

if they are is it best to prune them back to fresh lush growth in spring rather than woody branches?

i also have some chive that is dying off, will this grow back next year or should i start again in spring?

thanks. all

[crh75]

Chives will grow back.
Thyme, like lavender will not grow from old wood so any pruning should be light.  Personally I leave it and take cuttings every few years to replace it.

I'm not so sure about sage, again I don't prune mine but it does look a straggly mess, so does need sorting out.  They are easy to propagate from cuttings.
I think

[JayG]

Chives are herbaceous so the foliage dies back in winter (outdoors, anyway.) Benefit from being thinned out every few years.

Sage can get a bit messy in winter but if trimming doesn't improve matters it is very easy to strike from cuttings in spring, as crh75 has  already suggested.

I keep my thyme going by layering a few of the straggly shoots when it starts getting too woody (for me that means stuffing them into the soil nearly up to the green shoots and hoping it roots - it always does!)

UFN I'm having to use my Hudl 2 for internet access at the moment so forgive spelling mistakes and general lack of clarity (never had a better excuse!  )

[beesrus]

I've always left thyme, apart from really straggly old bits.
Sage-wise ( ), most years I just give it a real hair cut. It soon shoots up next year. In fact I think I get better growth that way.

[3759allen]

thanks for the replies.

does it matter when i prune the sage? and should i cut it right back (leaving an inch or so) to encourage new growth?

think i'll leave the thyme for this year and see if it needs tidying up at the end of the season.

[JayG]

Sage doesn't get as woody as thyme does but still won't love you if you really chop it down too hard - pick what you can in winter and then trim or start new cuttings next year.

[snowdrops]

I tend to prune my sage in spring so it has all year to recover. You can always just prune half one year & the other half the next as an insurance policy