How-to Guide
How to Grow Summer Savory
The short answer
Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is a fast-growing annual herb, forming tidy mounds about 12 to 18 inches tall, with a peppery flavor used with beans and meats. Grow it in full sun in rich, well-drained soil amended with organic matter.
Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and transplant after the soil warms, or direct-sow after frost danger passes. Succession-sow every few weeks for a continuous supply. Harvest leafy tips before the plants flower, when the flavor is at its peak.
Planting and care
Give summer savory full sun and well-drained, organically enriched soil. Because it is quick and short-lived, repeated sowings keep leaves coming all season.
- 1Sow — Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost and transplant after soils warm, or direct-sow after frost.
- 2Succession plant — Sow again every 3 to 4 weeks through midsummer for a steady harvest.
- 3Harvest before bloom — Cut leaf tips as flower buds appear, when flavor is strongest.
✔ Pot up a plant to overwinter indoors for a second flush of aromatic leaves.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- NC State Extension — Satureja hortensis (Summer Savory) — Summer savory is a fast annual herb for full sun and well-drained soil; culinary use with harvest before flowering.
- Illinois Extension — Savory: Summer — Summer savory is an annual grown in full sun; sow in spring and harvest leaves for best flavor before bloom.
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