Summer Savory Plant Care – Tips On Growing Summer Savory Herbs
Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) may not be as well-known as some of its herb counterparts, but it’s a serious asset to any herb garden. Keep reading to learn more about growing summer savory herbs, including summer savory plant care.
Summer Savory Uses in the Garden
What is summer savory? It’s the annual equivalent of its close perennial cousin winter savory. While summer savory lasts for only one growing season, it’s thought to have the most superior flavor. It’s a popular ingredient in meat recipes, as well as oil, butter, and vinegar infusions. Its flavor shines the most in bean dishes, however, earning it the name “the bean herb.” Summer savory plants grow in a mound-like formation and tend to reach a foot (31 cm.) in height. The plant has many thin, branching stems with a purple cast that are covered in fine hairs. The inch long (2.5 cm.) leaves are much longer than they are wide and have a gray-green color to them.
How to Grow Summer Savory Plants
Growing summer savory herbs is very easy. The plant likes rich, moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It also grows quickly and easily enough that it’s not at all a hassle to start a new crop each spring. Summer savory plants can be sown as seed directly into the ground after all danger of frost has passed. The seeds can also be started indoors about four weeks before the last frost, then transplanted out in warmer weather. It can even be grown indoors during the winter. Little summer savory plant care is necessary, other than watering. Harvest your summer savory by cutting off the tops when buds are just beginning to form. In order to have summer savory all summer long, sow new seeds once per week. This will allow you to have a constant supply of plants that are ready to harvest. Savory herb plants, both summer and winter types, can provide your garden (and food dishes) with that extra pizazz.
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The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.
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