Oregano

Origin & history

Origanum vulgare is native to Germany — as wild marjoram it grows on sunny banks and dry limestone grassland, where it is one of the best insect plants going. The name is usually traced to the Greek oros ganos, “ornament of the mountains”. It still played no part in German cooking for a long time; it only became the pizza herb with the Italian restaurants of the post-war decades.

Varieties

The key point when buying: “Origanum vulgare” on its own often gets you the mild native wild form with pink flowers. The strong pizza flavour sits in subspecies hirtum, Greek oregano, with hairy leaves and white flowers — look for that detail on the label. Golden and variegated oreganos are ornamentals with weak flavour. Seedlings vary widely in aroma, so a plant raised from cuttings is more dependable than a packet of seed.

Care

Oregano gets its strongest flavour on poor, limy soil in full sun — on a well-fed bed it grows lush and tastes of little. Harvest only sparingly in the first year; from the second, cut the whole clump back by half after flowering and it will push out fresh growth again. Remove the old dry flower stems in spring. It spreads by short runners and self-seeds; dividing it every three or four years keeps it vigorous.

What can go wrong

The commonest disappointment is not an infestation but a lack of flavour, and the cause is nearly always the wrong subspecies, a part-shaded spot, or too much water and nitrogen. In heavy soil the crown rots over winter — so plant slightly raised, with sand or grit in the planting hole. In muggy summers mildew sometimes shows up in crowded stands; cut back hard, plant further apart and water at the base instead of over the foliage.

Harvest, storage & kitchen

Oregano is one of the few herbs that taste stronger dried than fresh — here the storage jar is not a poor substitute. Strip the leaves from the stems only after drying and store them as whole as possible; rub them between your fingers straight over the pan, otherwise the aroma fades in the jar. Cut about a hand’s width above the ground so leafy shoot bases remain. In tomato sauces it can go in right at the start.

Frequently asked questions

When do you sow and plant oregano?

Raise it indoors from 15 March to 10 May at around 20 degrees, pressing the seed onto the surface and keeping it moist. Plant out from 10 May to 20 June, 25 centimetres apart. Sown early straight into cold ground it usually comes up very patchy.

When does oregano flower?

As a rule from July to September, in white or pink. You can keep picking flowering shoots, the leaves simply get a little smaller. Leave part of the clump standing: the flowers are edible and rank among the busiest bee plants in a herb bed.

Does oregano grow outdoors in Germany?

Yes, wild marjoram is native here and fully hardy — it grows on dry banks and woodland edges. In the garden it wants the same conditions: full sun and lean, chalky soil that drains quickly in winter. The clump dies back and shoots again in spring.

Can oregano be kept in a pot?

Yes, three to five litres will do. Use a lean sandy mix, stand the pot in full sun and water sparingly — the leaner it grows, the more flavour it has. The pot can stay outdoors all year, but should not sit in a full saucer over winter.

When do you cut oregano back?

After flowering in September, and firmly: shorten the clump by about half so it puts out fresh growth once more. Leave the dry flower stalks standing over winter and clear them only in spring, which protects the rootstock and helps insects.