Discover 3 easy ways to grow oregano in your garden or on your balcony so you can enjoy fresh oregano year-round.
If you love cooking Italian food, you’ve probably got plenty of dried oregano (Origanum vulgare) in your pantry. This member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) is an absolute culinary staple! And did you know it’s not difficult to grow in your garden or on your balcony?
Let’s go into 3 ways to grow oregano, so you never have to run out again.
Growing a potted oregano plant
If your local garden center has a herbs section, it’s sure to carry oregano as well. You may even find this one at some supermarkets if they offer potted herbs. But how do you keep it alive after bringing it home? No worries: growing a potted oregano plant is absolutely doable if you follow some simple care guidelines.
The most important factor to remember when it comes to growing herbs is light. This species is native to the sunny Mediterranean, which means it loves plenty of sun. That’s why oregano plants placed on the kitchen windowsill usually don’t last very long or end up looking spindly and sad. Even if they’re right next to a window, it’s usually just not enough unless you use strong artificial lighting. Instead, for the best results, grow your oregano outside. At least during summer, that is – being Mediterranean natives, they’re not a fan of frost, like thyme. In fact, oregano and thyme often grow together.
I recommend buying your oregano plant in spring, which is when you’re most likely to find one for sale anyway. I usually repot mine immediately because they tend to be pretty cramped in their nursery planters, placing it in a nice 6-10” terracotta planter depending on its size. Regular potting soil is perfect, especially if you mix in some perlite to improve drainage. Start your smart garden with zero effort for 10 % off
Summer care
Unless it was already growing in full sun at the nursery, gradually move your oregano to a higher-light position to avoid shocking it. Don’t leave it to wither in the shade! Water once the soil is about halfway dry during the warm summer months and add a little liquid fertilizer once a month or so.
It’s usually recommended to remove any blooms your oregano may produce, as they affect flavor. However, bees adore oregano flowers, so you can absolutely opt to leave them if you want your garden or balcony to be insect-friendly. The flowers are actually also edible.
Winter care
Move the plant indoors when temperatures drop below around 40 °F to prevent it from going dormant, which would be a little inconvenient if you want access to yummy fresh oregano all year long. Let the soil dry a bit more during the winter season, and also be sure to stop fertilizing or you may end up damaging the roots.
Question: Is oregano perennial or annual? You probably guessed it from my comment about dormancy: this is a perennial.
Growing oregano from cuttings
Did you get some cuttings from a friend’s oregano plant? Got some fresh stalks at the supermarket? Or maybe you trimmed an existing oregano plant? Great! To grow oregano from cuttings is the perfect way to easily multiply this herb. No green thumb needed.
Learning to grow your own food can be beneficial and starting with herbs like oregano is a fantastic first step, actually one of the things to do before 30.
You can root oregano cuttings in water or soil. Make sure the stems are at least around an inch or two long. Remove the bottom leaves and make an angled cut on stalks from the supermarket. If you have rooting hormone for plants on hand, that’s fantastic – it’ll really speed up the process. To propagate in water, simply pop the cuttings into a glass or small vase, place in a nice and light location and change the water every few days until roots have formed. At this point, you can pot up the cutting(s) and provide normal oregano care as described in the previous paragraph.
To propagate in soil, pop the cuttings in a small planter, find a light spot in your home and keep the soil lightly moist (by spraying daily, for example). If you have a propagator or heat mat, that’s a huge plus, as fresh cuttings do like some extra warmth and humidity. You’ll know your propagation attempt was a success if you start seeing new leaves appearing. You can switch to normal oregano care at this point.
Learning
Growing oregano from seed
Looking to start from zero? As with the other methods, growing oregano from seed is a breeze. Your local garden center will probably carry oregano seeds and everything else you need: a seedling tray, fresh soil and ideally a mister (since the seeds will wash all over the place if you try to water normally).
You can start a few weeks before the last expected frost in your location. Fill the tray with soil and simply sprinkle the oregano seeds on top. Place the tray in a nice and light location, but not one that receives direct sun, as that would be a little too harsh. Keep the soil lightly moist using the sprayer and be patient: you’ll see the first sprouts after 1.5-2 weeks. Once they look sturdy enough you can switch to watering normally, and you can thin them out and pot them up once they’re about 6” tall.
Once Spring has really set in, carefully acclimate your brand new baby oregano plants to a sunny outdoor spot. Voilà! It’s really that easy.
If you enjoy growing herbs from seeds, you may want to consider adding some of the best indoor plants to grow from seed to your collection for a beautiful and natural touch to your home. Don’t forget to decorate it with this fresh spring vignette.
How to harvest oregano
If your oregano is happily chugging along, looking nice and full and regularly putting out new foliage, it’s plucking time! Use clean shears to cut the tops right above a pair of leaves (which is where the growth nodes are located). No worries about the beheaded stems. They’ll regrow and actually branch out, meaning they’ll be fuller than they were before you cut.
Give your freshly harvested oregano a rinse. You can use the leaves fresh, but you can also opt to freeze or dry them to use later.
Conclusion
Growing oregano is easy and anyone can do it! As long as you keep this plant’s Mediterranean nature in mind, you should be able to enjoy fresh oregano year-round. Elevate your favorite pizza or pasta dishes or get creative, making oregano oil, using your oregano to season homemade pickled flower buds or even including it in an amazing wild herb butter.
