How to Grow Savory
Savory At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -12°C
Plant Family
Lamiaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow summer savory about 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost, once the soil has warmed. Scatter the seeds on damp soil and barely cover them, since they need light to sprout. They come up in 10 to 14 days: thin them (pull the extras) so the plants stand about 15 cm apart.
Summer savory is a fast, easy annual herb with a peppery taste that is a classic partner for beans, both in the pot and in the garden. It is grown fresh from seed each year. Its cousin, winter savory, is a woody plant that comes back every year and is usually grown from cuttings or by dividing a clump.
When To Start
First chance to plant
14 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Savory?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Savory Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Savory Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow summer savory outdoors, barely covering the seeds
1 week after your last frost· every year
Pick savory sprigs, best just before it flowers
50 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your savory seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the savory seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 24 days after you plant it
Your savory is growing! Keep it in full sun and let the soil dry a little between waterings.
About 34 days after you plant it
Your savory is nearly ready! Pick the leaves before it flowers for the best flavour.
About 54 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your savory.
About 60 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Savory's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.5 cm
Seeding Depth
15 cm
Plant Spacing
30 cm
Row Spacing
4
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Tower.
Method: Tower.
Succession Planting
Yes.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow savory in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for the best flavour.
- 2Give it light, well-drained soil with a little compost mixed in.
- 3Water when the top few cm of soil is dry, and do not let it sit soggy.
- 4A little compost tea once a month is plenty of food.
- 5The thin stems can flop, so plant them close together in a block or pinch the tips once to make them bushier.
- 6Pests rarely bother it, and a quick spray of water knocks off any aphids.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~60
Days to Maturity
27 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Pick fresh leaves before flowering
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking sprigs once the plants are about 15 cm tall.
- 2Snip the top few cm of each stem, just above a pair of leaves, so the plant branches and keeps growing.
- 3The flavour is best just before the small flowers open, so cut most of your harvest then, leaving about 10 cm of stem to regrow.
- 4Use the leaves fresh with beans, soups and stews.
- 5Hang bunches upside down in a dark, airy spot to dry, then strip the leaves into a jar.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Summer savory flowers attract bees, but there is rarely another kind nearby for it to cross with, so the seed comes true. Let a few plants flower and wait until the stems and tiny seed capsules turn brown and dry. Cut the stems into a paper bag, shake them to free the tiny dark seeds, and sift out the bits of leaf. Store the seeds labelled in a cool, dark, dry place for about 3 years.
Seed Production
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