Savory
Satureja hortensis / Satureja montana · Annual (summer) / Perennial (winter)
Comes in two forms: summer savory is a softer annual, winter savory a hardier perennial. Both grow well in containers.
What it needs indoors
- Light
- Full sun6+ hours direct sun
- Water
- Let it dry outModerate; allow to dry slightly
- Temperature
- 60–75°F
- Growing medium
- Well-draining potting mix
- Native range
- Rocky ground of southern Europe
- Difficulty
- Beginner
What usually goes wrong
Yellows and dies off in autumn however well it has been treated
It is summer savory, which is an annual and finishes after one season. Winter savory is the one that stays.
Fix: Sow summer savory fresh each spring and treat it as a one-year plant. For something permanent on the sill, buy winter savory instead: same use, coarser leaf, hardier plant.
A whole packet sown and only a handful of seedlings
Sown too deep. Savory seed is very small and has almost nothing in reserve to push up through a covering of soil.
Fix: Scatter it across the surface, press it in with your palm, and cover with the thinnest dusting of mix or nothing at all. Keep the surface damp until it is up.
