How to grow Oregano

Origanum vulgare

🌿 Herb 🔁 Perennial

Oregano, also known as Wild Marjoram, is a perennial herb with sweet aromatic oval leaves. It's a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, perfect for pizzas, tomato sauces, lamb, and omelettes. It grows to 45cm tall and wide, producing beautiful mauve flowers that attract bees and butterflies. While flowering can reduce leaf flavour, it's worth letting some go to flower for pollinators. Oregano is hardy, surviving winter with autumn mulching, and regrowing in spring.

At a glance: Sow mid February to mid May, harvest from late May.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sow outdoors

Harvest

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Oregano: what it needs

Light: Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering: When top inch of soil is dry
Soil: Well-drained, alkaline · pH 7.0–8.0
Spacing: 45cm apart
In pots: Grows well in containers
Feeding: Light feeding in spring for established plants.
Harvest: About 90 days from sowing
Hardiness: USDA zones 4–9
Difficulty: Easy

Step by step

Mid February – mid May · 8 weeks before the last spring frost
Sow Oregano Seeds Outdoors (Spring) (optional)
Mix fine seeds with horticultural sand for easier handling. Sprinkle thinly directly into prepared, sunny, well-drained soil. Do not cover the seeds.
Or: Sow Oregano Seeds Outdoors (Autumn) (On planting day)
7–14 days after “Sow Oregano Seeds Indoors” · Late February – early March
Check for Germination
Seedlings should emerge in 7-14 days. Keep the soil consistently moist.
90–120 days after “Transplant Outdoors” · Late May – late June
First Harvest (Light)
Once plants are established (approx. 90 days from sowing/transplant), you can begin to lightly harvest leaves. Pinch off outer leaves as needed.
Prepare for First Winter
As temperatures drop, apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant to protect roots from frost during its first winter.

Every year

March
Spring Cleanup
Remove any dead or damaged foliage from the previous year to encourage new growth.
April
Spring Fertilizing
Apply a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer or a liquid feed to established plants to support vigorous spring growth.
May
Regular Harvesting
Harvest oregano leaves regularly throughout the growing season (May to October). Pinch off outer leaves or cut stems, leaving some foliage for regrowth.
June
Cut Back for Second Harvest
Cut back plants in June to prevent flowering and encourage a flush of new, flavourful growth for a second harvest. You can let some plants flower for pollinators.
October
Autumn Mulching
Apply a layer of organic mulch (e.g., straw, compost) around the base of the plant in late autumn to protect roots from winter frosts.