Summer savory in May: monthly care

Summer savory is a tender annual herb that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It will not tolerate frost, so sow or plant outdoors only after all risk of frost has passed in May or June. Choose a warm, sunny spot with loam, sandy or chalky soil; it performs particularly well in light, free-draining conditions and dislikes heavy, waterlogged ground. Prepare the soil by removing weeds and working in a little grit or sharp sand if drainage is poor. Summer savory has low nutrient requirements, so there's no need to add compost or manure—overly rich soil can actually reduce the intensity of its flavour. Rake the surface to a fine tilth if sowing seed directly. Sow seeds thinly on the surface or barely cover them with a few millimetres of soil, as they need light to germinate. Space rows about 20 cm apart. Germination usually takes one to two weeks in warm soil. Once seedlings have two or three true leaves, thin them to 20 cm apart to allow good air circulation and prevent mildew. Alternatively, you can start seeds indoors in modules in April and transplant the young plants outside in May once they're hardened off. Plant them at the same spacing—20 cm apart—and at the same depth they were growing in their pots. Water gently after planting or sowing to settle the soil, but avoid saturating it. Summer savory establishes quickly in warm weather and needs little further attention once the roots are down. There's no need for staking or mulching; in fact, a mulch-free surface helps keep the base of the plant dry and discourages rot.