Summer Savoury: Care, Growing Guide, & Facts
Summer Savoury Plant Description
Summer savoury is a mint-family herb that grows every year. It’s occasionally used as a replacement for rosemary, thyme, or sage, or in combination with them. It’s less harsh than just its wintertime savoury cousin, thanks to a peppery taste.
The herb is a shrub with narrow green leaves that grows low to the ground. Flowers develop on the plant throughout the summer, and they might be white, lilac, or pink. Summer savoury blooms exclusively during the summer months since it is a fast-growing annual herb.
In the spring, sow summer savoury seeds. Summer savoury (Satureja hortensis) an annual herb. The flowers are usually pink, lilac, and white colours and are seen in Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus.
The blooming period for these plants is usually summer and the type of soil they require is loamy, with a pH of 6.6 to 7.5. They can grow up to 12-24 inches tall. They require sun completely.
How To Care Summer Savoury?
Summer savoury is an easy-to-grow plant that makes a great beginning herb if you reside in a temperate area. In the spring, it can be seeded straight into the garden soil or sprouted in late-winter containers.
Summer savoury doesn’t require a lot of water or additional care. The plant requires lots of sunlight and thrives in a rich, well-draining soil. It can be harvested all summer long, but the leaves are at their most flavorful just before the plant flowers.
Much of the perfume and flavour of the plant will be gone once it begins to blossom. Before harvesting, the stems should be about 6 to 8 inches long, and they can be utilised fresh or dried.
How To Grow Summer Savoury?
i. Light
Given its Mediterranean origins, it should come as no surprise that summer savoury requires light conditions to grow. It will be necessary to select a location that receives a lot of direct sun. Choose a window with southern light if you’re using a container inside.
ii. Soil
Summer savoury isn’t picky about the type of soil it grows on. A rich, loamy, alkaline soil, on the other hand, is appropriate. The soil must be well-drained, as the plant does not thrive in wet soil.
iii. Water
Summer savoury benefits from regular watering, specifically when it is first established. However, the soil should only be kept damp, not wet. It won’t be an issue if the soil is a little drier after it’s established, but regular watering during hot weather is still recommended.
iv. Temperature and Humidity
Summer savoury grows best in temperatures ranging from 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. When putting seeds outside in the spring, wait until the last frost has passed. Summer savoury is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and thrives in hotter conditions.
v. Fertilizer
For our summer savoury to thrive, we might not need to apply fertiliser. If you must use some, a modest amount of all-purpose kind will enough as the plant develops.
Summer Savoury Pruning
Summer savoury has minimal pruning requirements: select leaves when the plants are still little, between 4 and 6 inches tall, and pull back the stems just before the first leaf node to stimulate growth.
Propagation of Summer Savory
Whilst summer savoury may self-seed in the garden, it is extremely simple to grow from cuttings if you wish to give some to pals or relocate them. Choose a cutting that is about 4- to 5-inches long and remove all of the leaves from the bottom half.
Put this in a glass of water and watch it grow new roots. They’ll be ready to transfer when they’re roughly 2-inches long.
Plant the rooted summer savoury cuttings in well-draining, loamy soil in pots. Moisture should be present in the soil, but not too so.
How To Grow Summer Savory From Seed?
Summer savoury seeds, which are usually sown in the spring, thrive in loamy soil. If you want to plant these seeds in your garden, wait until late April, when frost is less likely.
It’s possible that you’ll have to order the seeds online instead of buying them from a garden shop. If you want to start the process inside, seeds can be potted up in late winter. You may transfer them outside in April if you wait until then.
The seeds just require a thin layer of soil to sprout, and they normally do so within 2 weeks. You’ll really would like to thin out the saplings after they reach a couple of inches in height.
This will guarantee that the herb grows to its full potential. The seeds should not be concealed and therefore should receive enough of direct sunshine to thrive.
Summer Savory Potting and Repotting
Summer savoury may be grown inside in window-box pots. This is the strategy to use if you live somewhere where the weather might change quickly, especially during the summer.
Rooted cuttings can be potted up to provide a steady supply of the herb throughout the winter. Choose a container that is at least 6-inches wide and deep, as well as one that drains well.
Trimming back the branches will aid in the production of high quality, bushy vegetation.
