Growing Oregano in the Home Garden
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a perennial in the mint family, native to the Mediterranean and western Asia. It grows as a spreading mound 1 to 2 feet tall, comes back every year in most of the US, and is one of the few herbs that tastes as good dried as fresh. The main way to go wrong is buying a plant with no flavor.
Pick a flavorful plant
"Oregano" covers several plants, and their flavor varies a lot:
| Plant | Notes |
|---|---|
| Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum) | The strong, peppery oregano of Greek and Italian cooking. White flowers. Hardy to about zone 5 |
| Common oregano (Origanum vulgare) | Often sold as seed. Flavor ranges from good to almost none; pink flowers and a looser habit. Hardy to zone 4 |
| Golden oregano ('Aureum') | Yellow-green leaves, mild flavor; grown mainly as an ornamental |
| Italian oregano (Origanum × majoricum) | A cross with marjoram; sweeter, milder, less cold-hardy |
| Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana) | A close relative with a softer flavor; killed by frost, so grown as an annual |
| Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) | Not an Origanum at all, but a tender shrub in the verbena family with a stronger, citrusy flavor |
Seed-grown common oregano is a gamble on flavor. The surest route is to buy a plant labeled Greek oregano and rub a leaf before you pay; good oregano should smell strong and leave a slight bite on your tongue. Once you have a good plant, propagate it by division or cuttings so the flavor stays the same.
Planting
Plant nursery plants after your last frost date (find yours here). To grow from seed, start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before that date. The seed is tiny and needs light to germinate, so press it onto the surface of moist seed-starting mix without covering it. Expect sprouts in one to two weeks at around 70°F.
Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart. They spread slowly into a wide clump.
Sun, soil and water
Oregano wants full sun and well-drained soil. It is not fussy about pH, anything from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline works, but it does not tolerate wet roots, especially in winter. If you have heavy clay, grow it in a raised bed, on a mound, or in a container. Don't mix sand into clay; a little sand in clay makes it pack harder.
Go easy on fertilizer and compost. Plants in lean soil stay compact and have the strongest flavor; rich soil gives soft, leafy growth with less taste.
Established oregano is drought-tolerant. Water when the top inch of soil is dry, and less often in cool weather.
Harvesting and drying
Start picking sprigs once plants are 4 to 6 inches tall. The flavor is strongest just as flower buds form, so that is the time for a big harvest for drying: cut stems back by up to half, just above a pair of leaves. The plant regrows quickly, and you can usually take a second cutting later in summer.
To dry, tie small bundles and hang them upside down somewhere warm, dark and airy. When the leaves crumble, strip them off the stems and store them in a sealed jar away from light.
If you leave some stems to flower, bees and other pollinators will work the blooms all summer.
Through the seasons
- Spring: cut out last year's dead stems once new growth shows at the base.
- Summer: trim back leggy plants after flowering to keep them compact.
- Winter: common oregano rarely needs protection. In zone 5, Greek oregano benefits from a loose mulch once the ground freezes; poor drainage kills more plants than cold does.
- Every 3 to 4 years: the center of a clump gets woody and bare. Dig it in spring, divide it, and replant the vigorous outer pieces.
Pests and diseases
Oregano has few problems. Aphids and spider mites show up occasionally, mites mostly in hot, dry weather; a hard spray of water helps with both. Root rot is the main killer and is almost always caused by wet, heavy soil. Give plants room so air can move, and avoid overhead watering in humid areas.
Oregano grows well alongside other Mediterranean herbs with the same needs, such as thyme and sage.