Growing Oregano

Growing Oregano (origanum vulgare) is a must if you enjoy Italian, Turkish, Greek, and Spanish foods.

Besides cooking, oregano leaves can be used for making homemade oils, crafts, and for medicinal purposes.

Today we think of pizza and spaghetti sauces when we think of oregano, but culinary uses were once secondary to its medicinal qualities.

Oregano tea can help clear the nasal passages and eases the sore throat of the common cold.

When used topically, oregano is one of the best antiseptics because of its high thymol content.

Description

Oregano is a perennial that grows 2 feet tall in zones 5 to 9.

Flowers: Culinary oregano bear spikes of tiny white flowers above the leaves in midsummer.

Leaves: Carried on square stems, oregano leaves are opposite, with toothed or smooth edges, and range from 1/2 inch to 2 inches long.

Flavor and fragrance: Oregano has a spicy, pungent flavor with an undertone of sweetness; it is highly aromatic.

How To Grow

When to plant: Buy the plants to be sure of getting the flavor you want. If you want to try growing oregano from seed, sow three to five seeds indoors in individual pots eight weeks before your last spring frost. Transplant the seedlings to the garden a week before that date. Propogate by layering: Bend the stems to the ground and cover them with soil in early summer; transplant the newly rooted plants in the early fall. Take the cuttings in late spring before they bloom.

Where to plant: Oregano prefers full sun.

Soil and fertility: Plant in well-drained soils of average fertility. Allow the top inch of the soil to dry out between waterings.

Plant spacing: Allow 1 foot between groups of plants.

Pests: Aphids, leafminers, spider mites

Diseases: Root rot, leaf spot

Harvesting

When to harvest: Cut small sprigs anytime after the plant reaches 6 inches tall. Harvest whole stems for drying just before they bloom. Cut the entire plant back 2 to 3 inches above ground in August to promote new growth.

How to harvest: Snip off the ends of the stems with sharp scissor or shears. For drying, cut off whole stems an inch or two above the soil surface.

Drying: Hang the leafy stems upside down to air dry, or strip the leaves from the stems and dry on the fruit leather insert of a dehydrator.

Uses

Cooking: Tomato sauce isn't tomato sauce without oregano. Use the leaves to season cheeses, eggs, most vegetables, and meats.

Oils: Add oregano to olive oil to create a perfect seasoning for Italian dishes.

Arrangement and crafts: Add fresh or dried flower spikes to arrangements.

If your growing oregano simply for its culinary uses, then you're missing out. Oregano has so much more to offer.