Summer Savoury

[JennieAtkinson]

I have sown this for the first time this year, but the plants are SOOOO tiny. Not sure what to do with them. They are about 1" high and so thin they can hardly stand up. They appear to be teetering at the moment (but they are on windowsill in the house, so probably looking for the light). Am worried that I will lose them. I am watering them from below. I darent even try any water from above.

Is there any special diet or TLC for these wee things? Or will they get a move on eventually.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Is this the same as Good King Henry? Or am I losing the plot? (not for the first time!)
Bernie aka Dexterdog

[smallblueplanet]

Jennie it could be they want more light, we sowed some in a quarter tray without heat and they're doing really well. Previously we did start some in the heated prop in modules but they shot too quickly and so we started again.

Can you stand them outside during the day?

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks Manda - thats probably a good point. I could try them in the greenhouse, they would get more all round light there. Although on a windowsill in the house, its an old Manse, so the windows are very deep set. I will let you know how I get on.

I don't know DDL whether it is Good King Henry. I hand't really thought about growing it before but it appealed to me as

• it lends an aromatic peppery taste to soups (our favourite food )
• used to aid digestion (I'm always needing that )
• good for bee sting and removes fevers (well I'm being prepared )
• and most importantly is a companion plant for broad beans .

So all in all I thought it would be a good little plant to grow.

[Paulottie]

Is this the same as Good King Henry? Or am I losing the plot? (not for the first time!)
Bernie aka Dexterdog

I've heard that called 'linconshire spinach' and 'Mercury' but I think savory is different. there are many varieties but annual summer savory grows to about a foot has a pinkish tinged, squarish hairy stems and dark slender leaves. Kinda spicy and good with bean/veggie soup

Jennie could I please have some seed if they make it?

[serenity]

I planted some of these too this year with the sole intention of using them as companion planting for my broad beans. I planted them both at the same time in late feb. My beans are over 12 inch high yet the summer savory is less than half a an inch. At this rate my beans will have been harvested by the time the savory is ready to plant out.

Since the savory is suposed to be an annual how the heck do you raise is quick enough to use for the beans?

[smallblueplanet]

Well here's my summer savoury - even the second lot look a bit bendy, through reaching for light?

We've only grown them as companion to our climbing beans - french, runner, borlotti. I think on the packet it says sown direct, so maybe they would be sturdier?

- only 2 survived the first sowing, lacked light and too long in heated prop I think

- germinated at room temp. and stood outside as soon as possible

[Cutecumber]

Savory does start slowly, but once it's off there's no stopping it! It resembles rosemary in many ways - it's quite woody despite being an annual - and has a lovely savory smell and flavour. You'd be surprised how such a tiny pathetic seedling can become such a significant shrubby herb in the end.

It's not always easy to germinate as it needs light and warmth, and it needs to be kept just moist. Mine suffered last year, I think, from being kept too wet. This time I am trying to be a bit lighter on the watering at the early stage.

Mine (sown in modules, coevered with cling-film indoors) are only just coming up, so I'm not expecting them to catch up the broad beans!

[Herbaholic]

Good King Henry

I've heard that called 'linconshire spinach' and 'Mercury' but I think savory is different. there are many varieties but annual summer savory grows to about a foot has a pinkish tinged, squarish hairy stems and dark slender leaves. Kinda spicy and good with bean/veggie soup

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis) isn't the same as Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) which as well as the names mentioned by Paulottie, was also called 'Poor Man's Aparagus' apparently because the young new shoots could be cut and eaten the same as asparagus. It's a wonderful old herb or vegetable depending how you look at things, that was a favourite in Elizabethan salads, and one of those 'pot herbs' you read about in very old cook books. GKH is in the Amaranthaceae (amaranth) family the same as spinach, quinoa and beets and Summer savory is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family.

Jennie - It's counterpart Winter savory (Satureja montana) is also good for the digestive system but it's stronger than summer savory. It also goes well with beans and I find it works well with chicken and turkey. The oil from winter savory is also reputed to help cure baldness, although how true that is I don't know

I grow Winter Savory more because it's perennial and so doesn't need sowing every year, not tried summer savory yet, but I don't eat many beans on account of the ummm effect they have on this household maybe I'll give it a shot this year though and take it easy with the beans!

[tattiefritter]

I'm growing this as well (bought it in a seed ordering frenzy) and my first few have just germinated. They do look quite flimsy, they are on a sunny windowsill with some other herb seedlings who seem to be coping ok. I didn't know it was a companion plant for beans but at least I know where I'm going to put it now if it survives - I assume it'll be good among dwarf beans as well, my climbing beans will be planted around courgettes and squash. I love beans.

If I like it then I'll try winter savory.

[JennieAtkinson]

Jennie could I please have some seed if they make it?

PM me your address Paulottie and I'll send you some. Haven't got the seed packet with me at the moment, but I expect its one of those with about 500 in it!

The patient is looking a little healthier today having been moved into an outer ward (the greenhouse!). Will keep you posted

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for the advice.
Bernie aka Dexterdog

[JennieAtkinson]

They look really poorly - leggy and just falling over. So am going to start again!

I used a peat based compost, I wonder whether they perhaps don't like that ?

[smallblueplanet]

Don't throw them away yet though, our 1st lot were like that, the two that survived were repotted (buried a bit) and recovered eventually.

[JennieAtkinson]

Still very leggy but I potted them on up to their necks and they are now looking reasonably healthy, if a little small. Just got two pairs of leaves. Nothing like your pics SBP.