How to Grow Winter Savories UK | Regional Planting Calendar

Regional Planting Calendar

Region	Sow
Southern England	early March to mid April
Midlands	early March to mid April
Northern England	early March to mid April
Scotland	early March to mid April

Southern England - detail & sources

NC State states early spring planting; RHS agrees on a spring sowing window.

Midlands - detail & sources

NC State states early spring planting; RHS agrees on a spring sowing window.

Northern England - detail & sources

Same spring window as elsewhere in the UK. A real caution kept honest: RHS notes it is semi-evergreen and can shed its leaves in very cold weather -- in high-rainfall, harsher regions like Northern England and Scotland, protecting ground plants with well-ventilated cloches over winter helps keep leaves available for longer.

Scotland - detail & sources

Same spring window as elsewhere in the UK. A real caution kept honest: RHS notes it is semi-evergreen and can shed its leaves in very cold weather -- in high-rainfall, harsher regions like Northern England and Scotland, protecting ground plants with well-ventilated cloches over winter helps keep leaves available for longer.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Sunlight	6-8 hours direct sun
Drainage	Free-draining, never waterlogged (RHS); NC State: sand or shallow rocky preferred, good drainage, occasionally dry, does not perform well in damp soil.
Lifecycle	Dwarf, sub-shrubby, hardy perennial -- genuinely distinct from the annual Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis), a different species RHS covers on the same combined "Savory" grow-your-own page but with clearly separate growing profiles. RHS: hardy but semi-evergreen, shedding leaves in very cold weather though keeping them through winter in milder areas; NC State gives a harder US number, hardy USDA zones 5a-10b.
Edible parts	leaves

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing and planting	0	RHS: full sun, free-draining conditions, in the ground or containers, spaced at least 20cm (8in) from neighbouring plants; heavy soil needs a raised bed or container instead. NC State: propagate by seed or stem cutting, planted in early spring.
Establishment and pruning	3	RHS: cut back old shoots in early spring; propagate further by softwood cuttings from new growth in summer, or by layering low stems into the soil in spring or autumn. NC State: cut back at flower buds to encourage fresh leaf growth, remove dead wood in early spring; grows rapidly, medium maintenance.
Overwintering	0	RHS: hardy but semi-evergreen, sheds leaves in very cold weather, keeps them through winter in milder areas. For continuous winter harvesting, move potted plants to a bright, cool, frost-free spot such as a greenhouse or porch; in high-rainfall regions, protect ground plants with well-ventilated cloches.
Harvest	8	RHS: harvestable for most or all of the year where growth persists, though winter growth slows considerably; strip leaves from stems, use fresh or dry by hanging in a warm, dark, well-ventilated place. NC State: harvest in summer when in flower; the plant lives for several years but is best replaced every 2 years to stay at its best.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: RHS: harvestable for most or all of the year where growth persists, though winter growth slows considerably. NC State: harvest in summer when in flower; first harvest possible within 2 months of sowing.

Storage

RHS: strip leaves from stems, use fresh or dry by hanging in a warm, dark, well-ventilated place.

Winter Savory Photo Gallery

A dense flowering mound

A dense mound of flowering winter savory.

On a rocky site

Winter savory growing from a rocky site.

A flower spike

A winter savory flower spike.

A flowering field

A field of flowering winter savory.

Leaf detail

Close-up of narrow winter savory leaves.

A single plant

A single winter savory plant on rock.

A pink-flowered variant

A pink-flowered winter savory variant.

A flower cluster

A cluster of winter savory flowers.

Flowering plants

Flowering winter savory plants.

References

1. North Carolina State University Extension (Plant Toolbox) - Satureja montana (Mountain Savory, Winter Savory)

   Soil: sand or shallow rocky preferred; pH acid, neutral or alkaline; good drainage, occasionally dry, does not perform well in damp soil. Light: full sun (6+ hours), tolerates light shade, struggles in full shade; dry to medium moisture preferred. Size: 0.5-1.5ft height, 1-1.5ft width, needs 12in-3ft of space. Hardiness USDA zones 5a-10b. Propagation: seed or stem cutting, planted early spring, harvestable within 2 months of sowing. Growth: rapid growth rate, medium maintenance; lives for several years but best replaced every 2 years. Pruning: cut back at flower buds for fresh leaf growth, remove dead wood in early spring. Pests/diseases: no known diseases or insect pests; rarely troubled by deer. Harvest: in summer when in flower, used fresh or dried.

2. Royal Horticultural Society - Savory

   Site: full sun, free-draining conditions, in ground or containers; open sunny spot, soil that never waterlogs; heavy soil needs a raised bed or container instead. Spacing: at least 20cm (8in) from neighbouring plants. Size: winter savory a shrubby plant up to 40cm (16in) tall (vs summer savory, bushy, about 30cm/1ft tall and wide). Harvest: winter savory harvestable for most or all of the year where growth persists, though winter growth slows considerably; strip leaves from stems, use fresh or dry by hanging in a warm, dark, well-ventilated place. Overwintering: hardy but semi-evergreen, sheds leaves in very cold weather, keeps them through winter in milder areas; for continuous winter harvest move potted plants to a bright, cool, frost-free spot (greenhouse or porch), or protect ground plants with well-ventilated cloches in high-rainfall regions. Pests/diseases: generally healthy and trouble free when grown in warm, sunny, well-drained conditions. Propagation: softwood cuttings from new growth in summer, or layer by pegging low stems into the soil in spring or autumn; cut back old shoots in early spring. Flavour: earthy, spicy, peppery (vs summer savory's milder, more delicate flavour).

2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.