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Growing Oregano is like most other herbs, very
easy to grow. There are many different variations available for growth depending on weather you want to cultivate
or harvest. Growing oregano within the comfort of your own home though usually involves 2 different kinds known as
Greek Oregano and Wild Marjoram.
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When planting Oregano seeds, make sure you work and loosen up the soil first and then
lightly cover with another layer of thin soil that is moist and well drained. What a
lot of people would choose to do is start the seeds indoors and then move to the
outdoors when temperatures are relatively high. Oregano will not tolerate cold weather
at all so depending on your geographic region, you want to grow them mainly indoors if
you have the room so consider buying a few window boxes.
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A few Tips and general growing
hints:
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Make sure the soil is always well
drained.
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Do your best not to alter the flavor of
the herb by using unnecessary compost or fertilizer.
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When watering your Oregano, don't use
to much. In fact you can let the soil dry a bit and then water it gently. Just don't waterlog the
soil.
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So if you cant get this well drained
area within a flower bed, try using pots as an alternative.
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Place Oregano seeds approximately 1
foot apart.
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Place in areas of high sunshine. Oregano plants need
roughly 8 hours of sunshine per day.
In general, Oregano can grow to over 2 feet high but on
average, will reach a height of 1 foot.
More Oregano
Tips
When caring for you plants, don't be using
mulch such as wood chips, straw or even grass to keep the moisture levels up.
If your oregano begins to bloom flower heads during the
growth season, snip them off as this will help promote more leaves growing.
When your plants have reached 6 inches or
more, you can begin to cut off leaves which you can use in your cooking. In fact, try to cut the entire plant back
approximately 2-3 inches throughout the growth season to further encourage new growth.
Oregano Benefits
Oregano uses
Use with meats, sauces, salads, salad dressings. You can
store it in the freezer, have it fresh or dried (actually has flavour).
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Inside Info On How To Grow Oregano
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Most discerning cooks prefer fresh herbs in their cooking, as the difference in taste is
huge. The same is true for Oregano. Nothing can beat the flavour boost that fresh oregano brings to any dish.
Once you have learned How To Grow Oregano, you will have a constant supply of this amazing herb to add to
your favourite tomato-based dishes.
Oregano is easily grown, indoors or out whether you grow it from seeds of from small plants.
If you want to grow oregano from seeds, you should start indoors in seedling pots.
Simply sprinkle the seeds over the soil; there is no need
to cover it. Then, give them a good misting of water. In a sunny windowsill, they will germinate within a
week.
Once the spring frosts have passed, you can transplant your oregano plants to the outdoors. Oregano plants grow
well in the garden or in outdoor containers.
The plants should be planted about 10-12 inches apart in
well-drained soil, where there is a lot of sunshine. Oregano grows well in most conditions, provided there is
enough sunshine. Only water your Oregano when it is very dry.
Fertilizer should be used sparingly or not at all on herbs as it affects the flavour. Simply remove any weeds
without adding mulch, compost or fertilizer.
As with most herbs, you should pinch off any flower buds that form. By pinching off the flower buds, your herb will
grow bushier and retain more flavours.
Your oregano needs to be at least 4 inches tall and should have a minimum of 12 leaves before you start harvesting
the leaves. Once it is 6" tall, you can cut back the whole plant for harvesting. The plant will grow again, flower
again and produce even more leaves.
The best time to harvest oregano and other herbs is in the morning, after the dew has
dried up on the leaves. The suns warm rays dry up the oils that add flavour and aroma, later in the day.
To use oregano in cooking, the leaves should be finely chopped. It can also be stored whole in the refrigerator or
freezer. You can also dry your oregano by hanging it upside down by the stems or placing it on a rack in a dry,
warm room.
Oregano should be cut back at the end of the growing season and the area covered with mulch. Oregano plants last
for about 2-4 years before they become woody. At this point, you will have to replace them with new plants.
You should be aware that there are many varieties of oregano, or Origanum vulgare. The most common variety that we
use in cooking is Greek oregano. Mexican oregano or Lippia graveolens is not really oregano at all, but often used
in the preparation of chilli powders. Whilst Golden oregano is a beautiful plant, it has fewer flavours than its
Greek counterpart does.
Oregano leaves grow in opposite pairs and the leaves are dark green in colour and oval. Leaves may be fuzzy in some
varieties. Flowers are purple, pink or white and the stalks spiky. Now that you know How To Grow Oregano easily,
you will not be surprised when your plant reaches 2' in height.
Parsley
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