Content
Garden savory, or garden savory, is popularly called pepper herb. In Armenia it is called citron, in Moldova - chimbru, and in Georgia - kondari. The spicy plant is indispensable as a seasoning for meat and vegetable dishes and is often included in a set of natural spices. Garden savory is unpretentious. It is easy to grow it in your garden.
What does garden savory look like?
An annual subshrub up to 70 cm high, it grows in the Transcaucasus, Crimea and the Mediterranean. The herbaceous flowering plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The branched stem, brown with a purple tint, is covered with linear-lanceolate, sharp leaves. The savory root is cylindrical, about 15 cm in length, located near the surface.
The subshrub blooms with lilac or pinkish interspersed flowers, which are collected in loose elongated inflorescences.The hairy calyxes reach up to 4 mm in diameter.
The fruits of the bush look like small triangular nuts.
Savory annual or perennial
There are several dozen species of savory in nature. Some of them are perennial. Garden savory is grown as an annual crop.
How does garden savory propagate?
Unlike perennial types of pepper grass, the garden type is propagated by seeds. In regions with high summer temperatures and early spring, this aromatic herb can be grown by direct sowing into the ground. In central Russia, the Urals and Siberia, it is recommended to grow the plant in seedlings.
It is possible to propagate the subshrub by cuttings from a plant that has overwintered in a warm room.
Types of savory
Culinary enthusiasts and traditional medicine experts are well aware of several types of savory:
- Mountain savory (Satureja montana) grows mainly in the Balkans. The perennial lush shrub is covered with white flowers. The herbaceous plant can reach a height of 80 cm.
- Lemon savory (Satureja biflora) lives up to its name. The herb is a perennial subshrub with delicate pinkish flowers and contains essential oils that give the aroma a delicate hint of lemon.
- Savory (Satureja viminea) It has a straight, densely leafy stem. It is called mint because of the special aroma emanating from the leaves.
- Cretan savory is often confused with thyme. Unlike its herbaceous counterparts, the Cretan species has twig-like branches.
- Douglas savory (Satureja douglasii)) - the most spreading of all types of this spicy herb. The creeping shrub can reach one and a half meters in diameter. The aroma of its inconspicuous leaves contains notes of lemon and mint.
In cultural gardening, all types of savory can be grown from seeds, the peppery aroma of which will enrich dishes.
How to grow savory in the garden
Fragrant garden savory is a warm and light-loving plant. In order for the bush to delight you with flowering, you need to choose the brightest place in the garden for its cultivation. Perennial savory species can be obtained from seeds or by cuttings.
What conditions do plants need to create?
Growing crops on the site does not require too fertile soil. Garden savory blooms quite luxuriantly on loam and rocky soils. It is much more important to choose an area where the groundwater is deep. Pepper grass does not tolerate excessive moisture. The culture is also very sensitive to its neighbors. The proximity of weeds with a powerful root system inhibits the growth of garden shrubs.
Growing garden savory from seeds
Small thyme seeds are difficult to germinate. Often sprouts appear only after 4 - 5 weeks. To speed up the process of growing savory from seeds at home, it is recommended to pre-soak the material in warm water for a day.
Recommended timing
Planting savory seeds for seedlings should begin in mid-March. In the southern regions, pepper grass has time to grow when seeds are directly planted in the ground. But in regions with a cool climate it is impossible to do without growing seedlings.
Preparing containers and soil
Containers with a height of 7–10 cm are suitable for germinating seeds.In order to normalize humidity at the bottom of the seedling boxes, it is necessary to make drainage holes and lay drainage.
The soil for growing garden savory requires slightly alkaline or neutral soil. Seedlings respond well to fertile, breathable soil mixture.
Its composition:
- 2 parts of turf land;
- 2 parts compost;
- 1 part sand.
How to plant savory seeds
Sowing of garden savory is carried out almost superficially: small seeds may not germinate if planted deeply.
Algorithm of actions:
- The heated soil in the container should be moistened with plenty of warm water.
- Make grooves no deeper than 1 cm.
- Seeds that have been pre-soaked and dried to a loose state must be spread at a distance of 4 - 5 cm.
- Cover with light soil.
- Then cover with film to speed up germination.
Herb seeds germinate at temperatures not lower than 22 - 24 degrees Celsius. Planting savory seeds as seedlings ensures a bountiful harvest of aromatic herb for the entire season.
Growing seedlings
The first shoots appear after 1 - 2 weeks. If the temperature and humidity levels were disturbed when growing savory seedlings from seeds, then this period may increase.
When sprouts appear, it is necessary to place the pots with seedlings in a bright, warm place. Plants should not be picked. Before planting in a permanent place in the garden or vegetable garden, it is necessary to water the garden savory with water at room temperature.
To obtain powerful seedlings, plants should be fed with humic fertilizer 1 or 2 times with an interval of 7 - 10 days.
Planting and caring for savory in open ground
Planting seedlings in open ground can begin after the weather has settled. Although garden aromatic savory can tolerate short-term drops in temperature, spring frosts will kill young plants.
To grow spices in open ground, you need to carefully prepare the area. To do this, dig up the soil and clear it of weed roots. Apply organic fertilizers at a rate of at least 5 liters per plant. When growing on heavy soils and digging, add sand or wood ash.
Plants are planted at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. To do this you need:
- Make holes about 25 cm deep.
- Place drainage (vermiculite, expanded clay or charcoal) on the bottom.
- Fill the holes with nutritious soil mixture.
- Pour over warm water.
- Water the soil in the pot with seedlings and dig up the plant with a lump of earth.
- Place it in the hole and cover it with soil without damaging the roots.
Drainage is especially important when growing mountain savory, which is accustomed to the rocky soil of mountain slopes.
Aromatic garden savory, when grown from seed by direct sowing into the ground, produces good greens in warm climates. Thanks to the mild winter and early spring warmth, the seeds germinate quickly, and the plant manages to bloom by mid-July.
With the emergence of seedlings, the plantings must be thinned several times. To do this, first remove the plants, leaving a gap of 7 - 10 cm. The second and subsequent thinnings should bring the distance between the bushes to 20 - 30 cm. A similar procedure should be carried out if the bushes have grown by themselves.
Watering during the growing season should be regular. Do not allow the soil to dry out for a long time or be overly wet. In hot, dry weather, water the plants no more than once a week.In August-September, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
When growing perennial types of garden savory (mountain, lemon, twig) in open ground, it is necessary to take care of the bush before wintering. Tender roots do not tolerate frost well, so you should make shelters from spruce branches or dry leaves.
In the spring, an overwintered perennial pepper bush is cleared of leaves and old damaged branches are cut out.
Diseases and pests
The plant rarely suffers from disease. Root rot and powdery mildew can affect bushes if soil moisture is exceeded. Correctly arranged drainage and adherence to the watering regime help to avoid the disease.
When white spots of powdery mildew appear on the leaves, it is recommended to treat the plant with the fungicide “Skor”, “Fundazol” or any other special agent. When using chemicals, you should take into account the period before harvesting the grass.
Experienced gardeners recommend using safe products against powdery mildew on savory leaves. A solution of soda with the addition of laundry soap is no less effective than industrial fungicides. In this case, the grass can be collected for drying within a couple of weeks.
To prepare an infusion for powdery mildew, you need to dilute 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a liter of warm water. 50 g of soap should be crushed and stirred in boiling water. After the liquid has cooled, mix. Treat the leaves and stem of garden savory with this mixture using a sprayer. Thanks to the soap, the soda solution sticks well to the leaves. Savory should be sprayed in dry weather.The disadvantage of a home remedy for powdery mildew is sensitivity to moisture. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure after a week.
When affected by root rot, the crop withers very quickly. Fighting the disease is difficult. Signs of damage often become noticeable when the plant can no longer be saved. To avoid the spread of rot, the diseased bush must be removed and the top layer of soil must be sprayed with a fungicide. Be sure to loosen the row spacing to evaporate excess moisture.
Pests avoid garden pepper grass. Its strong aroma repels insects.
When to collect and how to dry
Leaves and flowers are used as seasoning. You can use fresh herbs as a spice throughout the garden season. The plant acquires a special aroma at the beginning of flowering. Culinary experts note that herbs collected during the period of intense color acquire a slight bitterness.
In garden savory plants, which are grown specifically for use as food, branches can be cut off, leaving no more than 10 - 12 cm. In ornamental garden plantings, grass should be collected selectively so as not to disturb flowering.
The basic rules for collecting and drying spices are the same for all types of herbs:
- Collect grass in sunny, dry weather.
- Rinse the raw materials with running water and dry in the shade in the open air.
- Dry the grass in bunches of several branches in a ventilated area.
- Do not dry in direct sunlight.
Dry leaves and flowers of garden savory should be removed from dried branches and crushed. Store in glass jars or paper bags away from the sun.The aroma of dry grass retains for a long time.
Conclusion
Garden savory is ideal for creating alpine hills and borders. Lush bushes with delicate flowers will not only decorate any garden plot, but also provide aromatic spices with a unique taste of dishes.
