Savory is one of those aromatic plants that should not be missing from any herb bed or apothecary garden. It is not only a popular seasoning for bean dishes, but also a valuable medicinal herb that is used in folk medicine for stomach aches and skin problems.
What are the characteristics of savory?
Savory, botanically known as Satureja, is a bushy-growing spice plant from the mint family. It reaches a height of 40 to 70 centimeters and flowers from August to September in white, pink or light purple.
Plant profile:
- Botanical name: Satureja
- Order: Lamiales
- Genus: Bean herbs
- Family: Mint family
- Growth: Bushy, upright subshrub
- Growth height: 40 to 70 centimeters
- Flowering time: August to September
- Flower shape: Spike-like whorls
- Flower color: White, pink, light purple
- Leaf: Ruler-lanceolate, wintergreen
Special features
Summer savory thrives as annual, herbaceous plants. Winter savory, on the other hand, can be biennial or even perennial.
Origin:
Savory can be found wild in poor soils throughout the Mediterranean region, where it grows on dry, stony slopes, in fields and on railway embankments.
Sowing and planting:
To grow savory from seeds, fill small seed pots with sowing soil at the end of April and simply sprinkle the seeds on top (light germinator). Growing outdoors is also easy, but you should wait for the ice saints as the seedlings are sensitive to cold. After the second pair of leaves appears, they are separated at a distance of thirty centimeters.
Location and care:
Give the savory a warm and sunny place in the herb bed. Alternatively, the robust spice plant feels extremely comfortable in a pot on the balcony.
Floor:
Like many herbs, savory is very frugal. It prefers light and, if possible, calcareous substrate. Poor soils are tolerated significantly better than nutrient-rich ones.
Watering and fertilizing
Fertilization is only carried out at the beginning of the growing season in early spring and even then only sparingly with a little compost.
You can also hold back when watering, because the savory reacts extremely sensitively to too much moisture. However, the herb survives dry phases without any problems.
Harvesting and preservation
Harvest savory shortly before or during flowering, as this is when the plant has developed the most flavor. To do this, the shoots are cut just above the ground, tied together and hung to dry in a not too bright, airy place. Then remove the leaves and store them in dark, tightly fitting containers.
Tip
Savory can also be frozen. To do this, place the branches cut into pieces in freezer bags. Alternatively, you can pluck the leaves, place them in portions in ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze.
