OREGANO

Organic Oregano

    200 Seeds Pack   

The botanical name Origanum vulgare comes from the Greek oros for “mountain” and ganos for “joy,” named for its favourite growth habit – the warm, dry mountainsides of Greece. Oregano was cultivated in France since the Middle Ages and is a major component of Mediterranean cuisine. The Roman’s next adopted oregano because they enjoyed the taste and how easy is was to cultivate. Their love of the herb helped spread its use all throughout Europe and Northern Africa. 

There It is estimated that there are over forty different species, and countless hybrids of Oregano due to the wide variability of the species and its ability to cross pollinate very easily. 

Oregano is a perennial plant that has the characteristics of an herb, green and leaflike, with round shaped leaves.  As a perennial, oregano is often grown for 3–4 years but in northern climates where the temperature is colder it is often grown as an annual. 

Oregano is a shrub-like herb with multiple-branched stems, growing either upright or in a creeping manner, depending on the variety. It can grow as tall as three feet in height. The leaves are narrow and pinnate, or arrow-shaped, and have a soft, fuzzy texture. They grow in pairs, well-spaced out along tender stems. As the plant grows, the more mature stems become woody at the base. In the late summer, small white flowers bloom from the flower spikes (bracts) at the top of the stems. Typically, Oregano is harvested just before the flowers bloom, when the flavour and aroma is at its peak. Oregano is said to have a ‘balsamic’ flavour; a combination of mint (a closely related herb), thyme, and rosemary. The taste is strong and somewhat bitter. 

      PLANTING & GROWING

The aromatic herb can grow in plant containers in your balcony garden or inside near a sunny window.

Soaking needs to be done at least a few hours before planting, and preferably overnight. To prevent damping off when starting seeds indoors, it’s essential that you disinfect all of your pots, plastic grow trays, seed cells, and seedling tray covers before you reuse them.  

Oregano is considered to be a cold-hardy herb. If well-established, and also well-mulched, oregano will often stay green in temperatures as low as -12ºC. Anything lower than this will cause the plant to go dormant, but it will burst back into life again in the spring! 

Sow at any time if the plant is to be kept indoors. 

Sow indoors in spring to plant out in summer, or sow in August to September to overwinter the plants for next year. The seeds can also be sown directly where the plants are to grow in a well prepared bed in early summer once all danger of frosts have passed.

Sow the seed thinly, if growing in pots sow enough for a few plants in each pot. Press seeds in lightly. Do not cover the seeds with soil, as they need light to germinate.

Oregano seeds germinate in around 14 days. Once the seedlings have developed two pairs of true leaves, thin out the weakest seedlings. In outdoor beds, space seedlings or thin plants to 30cm (12in) apart, in rows 45cm (18in) apart. 

Avoid over-feeding or over-watering to maintain pungency of flavour in the leaves, but keep in mind that container-grown plants need to be watered more often than plants grown in the ground. 

The Oregano plants will go dormant in winter and look almost dead. Avoid over-watering during this time and the plant should revive in spring.  

Oregano is a hardy herb that can be planted anywhere, near just about anything. So, you can plant oregano near many other plants to help your overall garden grow well.  

If you haven’t been impressed with the flavour of oregano you’ve purchased at the store, consider that commercially available dried oregano may contain any number of species of oregano, and even unrelated plants! Growing your own is the best way to find out which best suits your palate and compliments other ingredients.