Winter, summer savory

Q. I have read that savory is going to be the 2015 herb of the year. What is the difference between winter savory and summer savory?

Betty from Poland

A. Both summer and wintery savory are used for culinary purposes. The main difference is that summer savory is an annual and winter savory is a perennial.

Both are small shrubby plants with small slender leaves that grow about 18 inches tall. Winter savory has a more pungent scent and corresponding flavor compared with summer savory. According to Culpeper, an old time herbalist, savory is used to aid in digestion and reduce flatulence when combined with bean dishes.

Both savories are easy to grow from seed, starting them indoors 10 weeks before the last frost. Different from most seeds, savory needs light to germinate, so press them into a sterile seed starting medium, but don’t cover them. Use a container with holes in the bottom. Water them lightly (I water from the bottom) to help with dampening off (the process of seedlings dying off as soon as they break ground).

Keep the container covered with clear plastic until the seeds germinate. This covering also helps keep the seeds from drying out. Don’t forget to harden off your seedlings before you plant them outside. Both winter and summer savory grow best in full sun with good drainage. Winter savory will winter over, and after a few years, needs to be pruned back. The tiny white flowers will help you identify it growing in the garden since the summer savory has pink to purple tiny flowers and doesn’t return the following spring.

They can become self-seeders but not so that it invades your herb garden. So, if you’re planting in pots, I would suggest summer savory. If you’re planting in the garden, winter savory will come back year after year and save you the work of replanting every year.

For more information, go to: http://go.osu.edu/savory

Today’s answer is provided by Barb Delisio, OSU Extension master gardener volunteer and herb enthusiast. Call the office hot line at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Clinic hours vary this time of year due to the winter season.