The oregano is one of the main herbs used significantly in the kitchen.

Whether for Italian dishes or as a condiment in salads and fish, it is always good to have a bottle of this spice on hand.

Although its use is dry, it is also useful to use it fresh, so if we have a plant in the kitchen, we have self service all year round.

GROW OREGANO IN THE GARDEN

The use of this perennial plant is widespread throughout Mediterranean cuisine  (where Italians have a lot to say about it), which of course covers many countries.

As we have said, they can be eaten either dry (preserved in a pot) or fresh, although they show more flavor and smell once the leaves are dry.

As if that were not enough, oregano not only lives off its intoxicating flavor, but is also considered a medicinal plant. That’s how it is.

Both for its  antioxidant potential and its antimicrobial effect , it is perfect to ward off certain minor diseases.

Also, used as an infusion, it calms coughs and is effective for people with diabetes.

Studies are currently underway where oregano is used for its anticancer potential , although it is still too early to talk about results.

CLIMATE AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS

Oregano is an eminently Mediterranean crop, although it is widespread in many areas of Europe and Asia. In short, a temperate climate is ideal for its cultivation, especially in slightly humid areas and sunny spaces.

As for the  soil , it requires soils rich in organic matter and humid soils.

The texture that we have in the soil (sandy, clayey, loamy, etc.) is not essential as long as we offer a soft soil and soil with good potential to retain moisture.

The substrates especially suitable for pots, which are mixed with peat and sand, are perfect if we want to have our oregano plant in the kitchen, near a window.

FERTILIZER AND IRRIGATION NEEDS OF OREGANO

If we think about it in the long term, we can have oregano for up to almost 10 years .

This being the case, it is important to have a subscriber plan. For example, a background one before planting and the maintenance one, incorporating organic matter around the plant periodically (remember that it requires soil rich in nutrients).

For its cultivation in pots, we can incorporate fertilizers with the three essential nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (triple NPK).

Regarding irrigation, although it requires slightly damp soils, it is not advisable to overwater. It is possible to observe the hydration status of the plant through its leaves and to know indirectly if it needs watering or not. However, to avoid mistakes, the substrate must be checked.

A substrate that leaves our hands with remains of earth indicates that it is in its field capacity and we should not water. A caked earth that does not leave us moisture in the soil indicates that we must water. But beware …

Don’t make the mistake of checking substrate moisture just by looking at the topsoil. You have to insert a stick, your finger or any other object to check the humidity in lower layers.

 WHEN CAN I GET OREGANO LEAVES?

If you are growing it at home, giving it all the “whims” it asks for, you may be able to pick some leaves according to your needs.

The normal thing is to collect them in summer, rather pulling towards the end of the summer season. You can cut twigs that house several leaves and use it in this way.

To dry them , it is convenient to arrange them in the window or airy spaces, so they will lose all the humidity. Once dry, they are crumbled into small pieces (like those in the spice jar we are used to).

OBTAINING NEW OREGANO PLANTS

The oregano is a plant that is left wanting and allows new varieties easily and economically.

It can be done by means of seeds, by cuttings or, much more convenient, by division of the plant.

If you want to obtain new plants (other than the mother) through seeds , they are sown in early spring. It does not matter the separation since later you will make a ringing . 

Once the seedlings grow, you can separate them to 20 or 30 cm and if you want to permanently arrange them in the garden, the ideal is to leave them with a 50 cm planting frame.

For cuttings the normal procedure of action is followed (as we saw in the article on cuttings ). In spring 15-20 cm twigs are cut and rooted in pots grown indoors.

The division by mattes is ideal for those who do not have much time and want to do it in the most comfortable and fast way possible.

Having a mother plant, it only consists of dividing them into different parts, each one with all the vegetative parts intact (roots included).