Savory (winter)
Other Common Names Include:
White thyme, Spanish savory
Latin Name: Satureja montana
Plant Family: Lamiaceae
Close Relatives: Mint, oregano, thyme, rosemary, summer savory
Uses and Markets: Culinary (e.g. flavouring meat and bean dishes, soups and stews); Essential Oil (e.g. perfumes, food processing)
Production Life Cycle in Ontario
Perennial
Hardiness Zone
5b
Special Notes
Winter savory is sometimes considered inferior in flavour to summer savory, but hardier and able to withstand more cooking.
Propagation method
Most commonly by transplants from seeds, stem cuttings or root division. Plants should be divided and moved to a new field every 2 to 3 years.
Greenhouse Seeding/Propagation Dates
February to April
Field Seeding Date:
N/A
Field Transplanting Dates
April-May (division); May-June (transplants).
In-row spacing
40-60 cm
Between row spacing
80-120 cm
Optimal Soil temperature at planting
>10°C
Fertility
No current Ontario fertility recommendations exist. Research and recommendations from outside Ontario do not necessarily apply to Ontario growing conditions. No research has been found on the nitrogen requirements of winter savory, but excessive nitrogen should be avoided. Click here for phosphorus and potassium application guidelines and for more information on specialty crop fertility.
Soil type
Sandy or sandy loam, well-drained.
Soil pH
6.0-8.0
Special requirements for growth habit
None
Optimal Temperature Range
10-20°C
Temperature sensitivity
Freeze tolerant.
Irrigation requirements
Irrigation usually not required.
Days to harvest
For dried savory or essential oil production, a light harvest can occur just before flowering the first year, with subsequent harvests annually at the same time or year. Fresh herb can be harvested throughout the summer.
Specialized equipment:
None
Harvest
Harvest Scheduling
Multiple harvests from the same planting (fresh herb); Single harvest annually (dried herb or essential oil).
Hand harvest or machine harvest
Hand harvest (fresh herb); machine harvest (modified forage harvester – dried herb and essential oil).
Quality parameters/grades
No established grades; Quality is determined by the market.
Additional Harvest Notes
Optimal quality occurs at or just before flowering, but savory for fresh use can be harvested at any time of year. For fresh use, harvest during cooler parts of the day to reduce moisture loss and cooling costs. Remove field heat as soon as possible after harvest.
Post harvest
Special handling/
None
Storage Conditions
Relative humidity (RH): >95% (fresh herb)
Temperature: 0°C (fresh herb)
Duration: 2-3 weeks (fresh herb)
Specific pests observed on this crop in Ontario (observations based on limited experience with this crop)
Insects and Invertebrates: Four-lined plant bug, leafhoppers, leaf rollers, spittle bugs
Diseases: None
Other Potential Pests:The following pests have not been observed on this crop in Ontario. However, they are either significant concerns for closely related plants in Ontario, or are reported on this crop in other production areas. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential pests. Not all of these pests will necessarily survive Ontario’s climate, but could potentially survive in a protected environment (e.g. greenhouse, storage facility).
Insects and Invertebrates: Spider mites, aphids
Diseases: None
*Indicates pests commonly mentioned as causing significant damage or economic loss to this crop in other regions.
Comments
To date the following pests have been the most significant in Ontario: four-lined plant bug. This crop is in Crop Group 19: Herb and Spice Crop Group and subgroup 19A: Herb Subgroup. This crop group is being revised and may change in the near future. For more information on Crop Groups, refer to the Pest section. Always refer to product labels, and follow all directions specified on the label, before applying any pest control product. For more information, consult an OMAFRA specialist. For pest control products registered on this crop refer to OMAFRA Publication 838.
None
- McKeown, A.W., C.J. Bakker and J. Schooley. 1998-2002. Herb Demonstration Garden, University of Guelph Simcoe Research Station, unpublished.
- Westerveld, S., Elford, E., Filotas, M. and J. Todd. 2010-present. OMAFRA herb demonstration garden. OMAFRA Simcoe Resource Centre, unpublished.
- McVicar, J. 1997. Jekka’s complete herb book. Raincoast Books, Vancouver.
- Small, E. 2006. Culinary herbs, 2nd Edition. NRC Research Press, Ottawa.
