Guidanceon Growing Savory Successfully Throughout All Seasons by Mark Diacono
Summer and winter savory are two hardy herbs that add a unique flavour to your dishes. Let's delve into their growing conditions, care, and characteristics.
Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)
Summer savory is a hardy annual herb that resembles a child of a hefty thyme crossed with oregano. It thrives best in full sun and well-drained soil with at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. The plant prefers warm weather and benefits from regular watering to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. To encourage bushier growth, regular harvesting by snipping leaves and stems once the plant is 6-8 inches tall is advised, while avoiding removing more than one-third of the plant at a time.
Summer savory has a scent that is slightly minty with a gorgeous piney undertone. Its flavour is particularly good with dairy, beans and pulses, chicken and fish, or added to tomatoes. The herb can reach about 35cm (13in) in height and spread, and produces beautiful small flowers that appear throughout summer and draw beneficial insects.
Winter Savory (Satureja montana)
Winter savory, on the other hand, is a cold-hardy perennial herb that can survive winter conditions better than summer savory. It prefers a sunny spot with well-draining soil and benefits from protection against frost heaving—a condition caused by the soil freezing and thawing repeatedly, which can damage roots. To prevent damage in winter, apply a thick layer of mulch at soil level to maintain stable soil temperatures, and water only during dry periods.
Winter savory has more menthol and pepperiness to it, making it a bold, spicy herb, ideal for wintery recipes. It remains evergreen in mild winters, offering structure and interest through the cold months, as well as a flavorsome harvest.
Common Care Tips
Regular harvesting encourages bushier, healthier growth in both summer and winter savory. Avoid over-fertilizing to maintain strong aromatic flavors. Pinch back flowers to prolong leaf production. Provide mulch in winter to protect roots, especially for winter savory. Water conserving moisture but avoid waterlogging; especially critical for summer savory during hot weather. For continuous summer savory harvests, consider successive plantings.
Growing and Care Tips for Both
Both summer and winter savory will flourish in a container if the growing medium and drainage are controlled. Both can be started undercover in spring by sowing thinly onto the surface of modules full of lightly damp compost. Regular watering is vital for both, especially for container-grown plants and newly planted ones, but they should not be overwatered or allowed to have constantly moist roots. Occasional winter watering is required by container-grown savory plants.
Winter savory can become straggly over time and should be given a light tidy up in early spring to keep it bushy and productive. Summer savory lives only until the cold weather hits hard, and every spring, it has to be sown anew.
Mark Diacono
Mark Diacono, a food expert known for growing a variety of unusual foods such as Szechuan pepper, pecans, and Asian pears, writes to a global audience on his best-selling Substack called Mark Diacono's Abundance. He has written fourteen award-winning books, including A Year at Otter Farm and A Taste of the Unexpected. Mark was also involved in the early days of River Cottage and has written four River Cottage books.
In conclusion, summer savory thrives in warm, sunny, well-drained conditions with regular moderate watering and harvesting, while winter savory requires similar soil and sun but adds tolerance for cold and benefits from winter mulching to prevent frost damage. Both herbs are largely pest and disease free, making them easy to grow and care for.
Home-and-garden enthusiasts who enjoy gardening might find cultivating the hardy herbs summer and winter savory an enjoyable task. These herbs, members of the home-and-garden domain, can add a unique flavor to various dishes, with summer savory being particularly good with dairy, beans, pulses, chicken, fish, or tomatoes, while winter savory offers a bolder, spicier taste ideal for wintery recipes.
