Oregano, originally native to the Mediterranean region, is also extremely popular as a herb north of the Alps. The plant is very easy to care for and can be grown easily both in the garden and on the balcony.
How can I successfully grow oregano in the garden?
To grow oregano successfully, choose a sunny location, slightly lean garden soil with good drainage and a calcareous subsoil. Propagate the plant through seeds or cuttings and maintain a planting distance of at least 25 cm. The best time to harvest is during the flowering period.
Oregano loves a sunny location
In its homeland, oregano grows as a dense carpet in full sun. Therefore, give the sun-hungry herb a sunny and warm place in your home garden. It looks very good in a herb spiral and decorates every herb bed with its beautiful labial flowers, which are swarmed by bees.
The suitable substrate
Oregano is an undemanding garden herb. It thrives well in slightly lean garden soil and prefers air-permeable, dry and slightly calcareous subsoil. However, the plant reacts sensitively to waterlogging and then tends to rot.
Propagate Oregano
Oregano, like many other herbs, is available from specialist retailers as a fully grown and hardened plant. However, you can also propagate the culinary herb yourself from seeds or cuttings and grow the early plants in the garden.
Propagation by seeds
Oregano is a light germinator, so do not cover the small seeds with substrate. Commercially available growing or vegetable soil (€6.00 on Amazon) without the addition of artificial fertilizer is suitable as a growing substrate. To prevent the small seeds from drying out, you should cover the growing pot with a transparent plastic bag and moisten it once a day with a fine spray mist. Separate the seedlings when they are five to ten centimeters tall.
Propagation by cuttings
Before inserting the approximately 15 centimeter long, freshly cut cuttings, remove the lower leaves. Potting soil, normal potting soil or herb soil are suitable as growing substrates. The pot does not need to be covered. Place the seedlings in a bright place and keep them evenly moist. As a rule, the cuttings root after four to six weeks and can then slowly be acclimated to the outdoors.
The planting distance
Oregano grows bushy and spreads out flat. When you plant the herb, you should therefore give it enough space. A planting distance of at least 25 centimeters is ideal.
Transfer oregano
Oregano can be planted at any time during spring and summer. You can use this opportunity to divide large perennials and multiply the oregano in this way.
The flowering season is the best harvest time
The aroma of oregano is most intense during the flowering period in the hot summer months. You can then pluck individual leaves directly from the stems or cut off entire branches including the pretty flowers and dry them in bundles in an airy and dark place. Drying intensifies the aroma of the oregano and makes it even more intense.
Good or bad neighbors
Planted as a mixed crop, oregano promotes the he alth of some vegetable plants. Good neighbors are especially:
- Onions
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Leek
- all pumpkin plants
Tips & Tricks
If you would like to cultivate oregano as a pot plant on the balcony, place the herb in special vegetable soil. This promotes growth and ensures a particularly aromatic taste of the oregano.
