When to plant Savory in Arid Australia

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Raise savory as seedlings and transplant out, starting seed from August to October, with winter savory also able to go in during June. The fine seed is barely covered at a 3 mm depth, germinates in 7-21 days and the plant is ready to pick in 60-80 days. Set transplants 40 cm apart in rows 20-30 cm apart. This peppery, thyme-like herb is well matched to the dry inland: it wants full sun, lean soil and sharp drainage, all of which come naturally around Mildura, Alice Springs and Broken Hill. Summer savory is the annual; winter savory the tougher perennial.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

Green months are your sowing window: June and August to October.

Growing notes

Savory is a Mediterranean herb at heart, so the hot, dry, low-humidity conditions of the arid zone suit it better than most gardeners expect. Both summer savory (the annual) and winter savory (the woody perennial) prefer poor, gritty soil to a rich bed, and both will sulk if over-fed or over-watered. Grown lean and dry, the leaves carry far more of the sharp, peppery flavour they are prized for.

The most common failure here is damping-off and rot at the seedling stage, brought on by sowing the fine seed too deep or keeping the mix too wet. Surface-sow into a free-draining seed-raising mix, press the seed in rather than burying it past 3 mm, and let the surface dry slightly between waterings. Once transplanted into full sun, savory needs very little pampering.

For plants set out in spring around Kalgoorlie or Port Augusta, the summer challenge is simply heat with no relief. A light mulch keeps the roots cooler, but avoid piling it against the stems of winter savory, which resents damp collars. Trim the annual summer savory regularly to keep it bushy and delay flowering, and cut winter savory back hard in early spring to force fresh, tender growth rather than woody stems.

Savory at a glance

Common questions

What's the difference between summer and winter savory?

Summer savory is a softer annual with a milder, sweeter flavour, best sown fresh each year. Winter savory is a hardy, woody perennial with a sharper, more resinous taste that survives from year to year and can be cut back hard each spring.

Does savory grow well in hot dry climates?

Very well. Savory is a Mediterranean herb that prefers lean, gritty, free-draining soil and full sun, so the low humidity and heat of inland Australia suit it. Grown dry and unfertilised, the leaves develop their strongest flavour.

Why are my savory seedlings collapsing?

This is usually damping-off from sowing too deep or keeping the mix too wet. Surface-sow the fine seed no deeper than 3 mm into a free-draining mix and let the surface dry slightly between waterings to prevent rot.

When can I sow savory in Alice Springs?

Raise seedlings from August to October, with winter savory also suited to a June sowing. Transplant once the worst cold has passed, and the plants will establish through spring ready to pick within a couple of months.

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