Planting Out Oregano Needs Just A Suitable Spot And The Right Preparation
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By DAN ORI
Dan has over 27 years’ under his belt caring for plants and gardens. Working as a Horticultural Instructor and Consultant, he draws on a diverse range of experience that includes working as a Head Gardener, Tree Surgeon, Garden Centre Trouble Shooter, and writer of academic papers. Dan has a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture and is currently a candidate for the RHS’s most prestigious award – The Master of Horticulture.
Contributions From EMILY CUPIT
Emily is a Gardening Writer, Photographer and Videographer from Derbyshire, UK. She is the Founder of Emily's Green Diary - a community of more than 75,000 people who share in her gardening journey.
IN THIS GUIDE
Oregano is a popular culinary herb which can be grown indoors on a sunny windowsill or outside in your garden.
Oregano can be grown from seed indoors between February and May or purchased as a pot plant from a garden centre or plant nursery.
When purchased as a potted plant or when grown from seed, oregano is best planted out in a garden between April and July.
To plant oregano:
- Choose and sow your seeds or purchase an oregano plant.
- Decide where you wish to grow your oregano – either in a pot or directly in the ground.
- Prepare your growing area with the right growing medium and drainage.
- Plant oregano to the same depth it was at in its previous pot.
1) Choose Your Oregano Plant
The first thing to think about when you want to sow or plant oregano is which type you would like to grow.
Origanum vulgare is the common oregano plant, but there are several different types that you might consider, such as Greek or Italian oregano, oregano ‘hot and spicy’ and several cultivars with other distinctive smells and tastes.
2) Choose A Suitable Spot
Oregano should be planted in a sunny spot with free-draining soil.
You can grow oregano in the ground or in a raised bed or container.
The containers can remain outdoors for the summer or stay inside on a sunny windowsill all year round.
3) Prepare Growing Area
If you plan on growing oregano in the ground or in a raised bed, before planting you should prepare the area, making sure that there is plenty of organic matter and that the area drains freely.
If growing oregano in a container, you should choose a container just a little larger than the existing root system of the plant you wish to place within it.
The container should have drainage holes at the base and it may also help to have it raised off the ground with pot feet so that the water can definitely drain away freely.
The container should be filled with peat-free multipurpose compost.
Keep this moist consistently when growing in containers, though you should take care that the soil could not become waterlogged.
“Adding one part vermiculite to two parts peat-free multipurpose compost helps your planting mixes moisture regulation and drainage,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori.
“Alternatively, you could use a John Innes No2 compost adding one-third horticultural grit to the mix.”
4) Plant Out
The actual process of planting is very simple.
Simply make a hole large enough to accommodate the roots, place the plant in the hole and firm the soil or growing medium gently around the roots.
Make sure that the plant sits at the same level in the soil or growing medium as it did in its previous pot.
Water well around your plant.
In some cases, you might consider mulching with gravel around the base of this and other Mediterranean herbs.
