How to Grow Salad Burnet
Sanguisorba minor
Salad burnet is a drought-tolerant, semi-evergreen perennial herb for full sun and free-draining soil. Its young leaves taste of fresh cucumber and can be harvested year-round. Little care is needed — remove flower stems to keep leaf production going, and cut back hard in midsummer for a flush of tender new growth. Divide clumps every few years to keep plants vigorous.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Little feeding needed. A light general fertiliser in spring is sufficient. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which promote lush growth at the expense of flavour.
Watch For
- Aphids on young growth
- Powdery mildew in dry conditions
- Slugs on young leaves
Companions
Salad leaves, Chives, Parsley, Thyme
Pet Safety
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun; tolerates light shade
Prefers full sun for best flavour and compact growth. Tolerates light shade but leaves become less flavourful. Avoid dense shade.
Watering
Low water needs once established
Drought tolerant once established. Water young plants regularly to help establish. Mature plants need watering only during prolonged dry spells.
Fertilizing
Light spring feed; avoid excess nitrogen
Apply a light general fertiliser in spring. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which promote lush leafy growth but reduce the cucumber flavour characteristic of the herb.
Pruning
Remove flower stems; cut back hard in midsummer
Remove flower stems as they appear to maintain leaf production. Cut the whole plant back to 10 cm in midsummer to regenerate fresh, tender foliage.
Spacing
30 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart
Space plants 30 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. Generous spacing improves air circulation and allows the rosette to develop fully.
Growing Tips
Harvest young leaves
Pick leaves from the outside of the rosette before they mature. Young leaves have a superior fresh cucumber flavour and softer texture.
Remove flowers for better leaves
Cut flower stems as soon as they appear to keep the plant in leaf mode. Allowing flowering reduces leaf quality significantly.
Midsummer cut-back
Shear the whole plant to 10 cm in July to trigger a flush of tender new growth and extend the harvest season.
Divide every 3 years
Split congested clumps in autumn or spring to maintain vigour and create new plants.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 30 cm |
| Row spacing | 40 cm |
| Mature height | 45 cm |
| Mature spread | 40 cm |
Forms compact rosettes. Space generously for air circulation and to allow leaves to spread freely.
