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Garden savory, or garden savory, is popularly called pepper grass. In Armenia, it is called citron, in Moldova – chimbra, 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 backyard.
What does garden savory look like
An annual shrub up to 70 cm high grows in the Transcaucasus, in the Crimea and the Mediterranean. A herbaceous flowering plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The branched stem, brown with a purple tint, is covered with linear-lanceolate sharp leaves. Savory root is cylindrical, about 15 cm long, located near the surface.
The shrub blooms with lilac or pinkish interspersed flowers, which are collected in loose elongated inflorescences. Hairy cups reach up to 4 mm in diameter.
The fruits of the shrub look like small trihedral nuts.
Savory annual or perennial
In nature, there are several dozen species of savory. Some of them are perennial. Garden savory is grown as an annual crop.
How garden savory breeds
Unlike perennial types of pepper grass, the garden species is propagated by seeds. In regions with high summer temperatures and early spring, you can grow this fragrant herb by direct seeding in the ground. In central Our Country, in the Urals and in Siberia, it is recommended to grow a plant in seedlings.
It is possible to propagate the shrub by cuttings from a plant that has overwintered in a warm room.
Types of savory
Cooking lovers and connoisseurs of traditional medicine are well aware of several types of savory:
- Savory mountain (Satureja montana) grows mainly in the Balkans. Perennial lush shrub covered with white flowers. Herbaceous plant can reach a height of 80 cm.
- Lemon savory (Satureja biflora) matches its name. The herb is a perennial subshrub with delicate pinkish flowers containing essential oils that give the fragrance a delicate touch of lemon.
- Savory (Satureja viminea) characterized by 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 their grassy counterparts, the Cretan species has branches that resemble twigs.
- Douglas Savory (Satureja douglasii)) is the most sprawling of all types of this spicy herb. The creeping shrub can reach one and a half meters in diameter. The aroma of its nondescript leaves mixed notes of lemon and mint.
In cultural gardening, all types of savory can be grown from seeds, the peppery aroma of which will enrich the dishes.
How to grow savory in the garden
Fragrant garden savory is a warm and light-loving plant. In order for the bush to please with flowering, it is necessary to choose the brightest place in the garden for its cultivation. Perennial types of savory can be obtained from seeds or cuttings.
What conditions do plants need to create
Very fertile soil is not required for growing crops on the site. Garden savory blooms quite luxuriantly on loamy and stony soils. It is much more important to choose a site where 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 seeds of garden savory 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 dates
Planting savory seeds for seedlings should begin in mid-March. In the southern regions, pepper grass has time to grow with direct planting of seeds in the ground. But in regions with a cool climate, growing seedlings is indispensable.
Preparation of containers and soil
Containers 7-10 cm high are suitable for germinating seeds. In order to normalize the humidity at the bottom of the seedling boxes, it is necessary to make drain holes and lay drainage.
The soil for growing garden savory requires slightly alkaline or neutral. Seedlings respond well to fertile breathable soil mixture.
Its composition:
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 2 parts of compost;
- 1 part of the sand.
How to plant savory seeds
Sowing of garden savory is carried out almost superficially: small seeds with deep incorporation may not germinate.
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 pre-soaked and dried to a free-flowing state must be spread out at a distance of 4-5 cm.
- Cover with light soil.
- After cover with a film to accelerate germination.
Seeds of spicy grass germinate at a temperature not lower than 22 – 24 degrees Celsius. Planting savory seeds for seedlings provides a bountiful harvest of fragrant grass for the whole season.
Growing seedlings
The first shoots appear after 1 – 2 weeks. If the temperature regime and humidity level were violated when growing seedlings of garden savory from seeds, then this period may increase.
When sprouts appear, it is necessary to install pots with seedlings in a bright, warm place. It is not necessary to dive plants. 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 to 10 days.
Planting and caring for thyme in the open field
Planting seedlings in open ground can be started after the weather settles. Although garden aromatic savory can tolerate short-term drops in temperature, spring frosts will kill young plants.
For growing spices in open ground, it is necessary to carefully prepare the site. To do this, dig up the soil and clean it from the roots of weeds. Apply organic fertilizers at the 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. For this you need:
- Make holes about 25 cm deep.
- Put drainage on the bottom (vermiculite, expanded clay or charcoal).
- Fill the holes with nutrient soil.
- Pour warm water.
- Water the earth in a pot with seedlings and dig a plant with a clod of earth.
- Set it in the hole and sprinkle with soil, without damaging the roots.
Drainage is especially important when growing mountain savory, which is used to the rocky soil of mountain slopes.
Fragrant 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 together, and the plant has time to bloom by mid-July.
With the advent of planting seedlings, it is necessary to thin out several times. To do this, first remove the plants, leaving a gap of 7 – 10 cm. The second and subsequent thinning should bring the distance between the bushes to 20 – 30 cm. A similar procedure should be carried out if the bushes have grown by self-seeding.
Watering during the growing season should be regular. Do not allow long-term drying of the soil and excessive moisture. In hot, dry weather, water the plants – no more than once a week. In August-September, the frequency of irrigation should be reduced.
When growing in open ground perennial species of garden savory (mountain, lemon, rod-shaped), care must be taken to care for the shrub before wintering. Tender roots do not tolerate frost well, so shelters from spruce branches or dry foliage should be arranged.
In the spring, the overwintered perennial pepper bush is cleared of foliage and old damaged branches are cut out.
Diseases and pests
The plant rarely suffers from diseases. Root rot and powdery mildew can attack bushes if soil moisture is exceeded. Properly arranged drainage and adherence to the irrigation regime helps 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 time before collecting the grass.
Experienced gardeners recommend using safe remedies against powdery mildew on savory leaves. A solution of soda with the addition of laundry soap is no less effective than industrial fungicides. At the same time, the grass can be harvested for drying in a couple of weeks.
To prepare an infusion from powdery mildew, you need to dilute 2 tablespoons of soda with a liter of warm water. 50 g of soap should be crushed and stirred in boiling water. After the liquid has cooled, mix. With this composition, process the leaves and stem of the garden savory using a sprayer. Thanks to soap, the soda solution adheres well to the leaves. Spray savory should be in dry weather. The downside of a home remedy for powdery mildew is moisture sensitivity. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure after a week.
When affected by root rot, the culture fades 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 topsoil should be sprayed with a fungicide. Be sure to loosen the aisles to evaporate excess moisture.
Pests bypass garden pepper grass. Its strong fragrance repels insects.
When to collect and how to dry
Leaves and flowers are used as a seasoning. You can use fresh grass as a spice throughout the garden season. The plant acquires a special aroma at the beginning of flowering. Culinary specialists note that the grass, collected during the period of intense color, acquires a slight bitterness.
In garden savory plants that are grown specifically for food use, branches can be cut, leaving no more than 10 – 12 cm. In decorative 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 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 must be removed from dried branches and chopped. Store in glass jars or paper bags away from the sun. The aroma of dry grass retains for a long time.
Conclusion
Savory garden is ideal for creating an alpine slide and borders. Lush bushes with delicate flowers will not only decorate any garden plot, but also provide a unique taste of dishes with fragrant spice.
