8.      Summer Savory – Another Mediterranean herb with a slightly peppery flavor, it goes well with tomatoes. This makes is a nice addition to Italian red sauces. It is an annual growing to about 18 inches tall making it suitable for growing indoors in containers. Summer savory is also one of the easiest to start from seed with a germination time of less than a week and 6 weeks to first harvest. Because it is a Mediterranean herb, give it full sun as many hours a day as possible supplemented with grow lights so it gets about 10 to 12 hours of light a day.  Summer Savory is a lighter taste than its cousin Winter Savory.

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Starting – The mature plant is 12 to 18 inches high and 10 to 14 inches wide so do one plant per 12 inch pot. Sow seeds just under the soil surface or sprinkle on top. Water and let drain thoroughly. Try to pick a sunny location where the pot will get at least 5 to 6 hours of light each day. Then supplement with grow lighting another 6 to 10 hours. You should see seedlings in less than a week. Let the seedlings get an good start and thin to 3 plants per pot. After another week, thin to one plant per pot. Do Not Overwater. Use well drained, slightly alkaline soil with a PH about 7. If growing for storage later, you might plant two or three plants in separate pots.

Harvesting – After about six weeks, you can start a light harvest by cutting leaves at the leaf base with scissors. When the plant flowers, leaf growth will stop and you will have to cut the stems and leaves off at soil level for drying and storing. You should be able to prolong the tender leaf stage by cutting off flower buds as they appear. Give it a try.

Storing – After flowers have appeared, leaf growth stops. Cut the plant at soil level and hang it to dry. If you have more than one plant, tie the stems in bunches and hang to dry. Then remove the leaves and store in an airtight container away from light.

Uses – With its slightly peppery taste, summer savory can be use in place of pepper or thyme. It goes with about any bean recipe that you have. Bean soups or salads in particular go well with summer savory. Use it in Italian Red Sauces or other tomato dishes, cheese and eggs, omelets, vegetables, potatoes O’Brien in place of parsley, herb roasted potatoes, herb pork chops and herb chicken, pea soup and savory tea.