Growing Summer Savory in the Kitchen Garden

One of the oldest known culinary herbs, Summer savory was wildly popular with the Greeks and Romans. It was used both as a sauce seasoning that was poured over poultry, fish, and meat as well as an antiseptic for the entire digestive tract.

Summer savory blooms in dainty blue, pink or white flowers in the summer. Their blossoms attract bees and other beneficial insects to the garden, so they’re not only delicious as a seasoning, but useful as companion plants in flower or vegetable gardens, as well. Like most herbs, Summer savory is at home in any container or window box.

Summer Savory’s Growing Habits

• Botanical Name: Satureja hortensis
• Origination: Southeastern Europe
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Zones: All zones
• Habit: Annual (re-seeds)
• Height: 1 1/2 feet
• Spread: 3 feet
• Blooming Time: Spring to summer
• Planting Specifics: Full sun with well-draining soil. Summer savory likes regular water.
• Propagation: Seeds can be sown in spring, and soft-stem cuttings can be taken in the summer to propagate Summer savory.

How to Grow Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)

Summer savory prefers to be planted in organically rich soil that’s slightly alkaline. Therefore, it benefits from a side-dressing of compost or worm castings whenever possible. Summer savory is bushy and low-growing so it makes an excellent edging plant for a kitchen garden, herb bed, or vegetable garden. It’s well-suited to container gardening, as well.

If more than one savory is planted as seedlings, they should be spaced about 9″ apart. Summer savory seeds can be directly planted into their permanent garden bed in the late spring. Often gardeners prefer to direct seed them because Summer savory resents having its roots disturbed. Once the seedlings grow to 1″ – 2″ tall, they can be thinned with small scissors to about 6″-9″ apart. The leaves are primarily harvested when flower buds begin to form.

Soft-stemmed cuttings can be taken in the summer to pass on to other gardeners. Rooted cuttings can be planted into containers and then brought indoors for winter cooking. The container should be placed in bright light or a window with a southern exposure. Pruning Summer savory in the early spring will prevent woody growth. This is one herb that has very infrequent pests or diseases.

Using Summer Savory as a Culinary Herb

Summer savory has a delicate pepper flavor and is likened to thyme in for cooking purposes. With its spicy, but delicate flavor it adds just the right touch to eggs, fish, green beans, poultry, and meats. It’s perfect for chopping finely and sprinkling on soups and broths. Summer savory can also be infused to create savory vinegar and savory oil.

Today’s gardeners have begun to take another look at old-fashioned Summer savory, both for its culinary properties in the kitchen, and for its pollinator-attracting qualities in the vegetable garden.