Oregano, Organic (Common)

Botanical Interests Organic Heirloom Common Oregano Seeds

Often confused with the more pungent, white-flowered True Greek variety, common oregano, also called wild oregano or wild marjoram has a milder flavor and is the traditional variety for medicinal use. Leaves can be used as a fresh or dried herb. The pretty pink to lavender flowers appear from midsummer to fall.

Sowing Information:

• Light: Full sun
• When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. The optimal soil temperature for germination is 70°–78°F.
• When to Sow Outside: 2 to 4 weeks after your average last frost date, when temperatures are warm and settled, and as late as 2 months before your first fall frost date.
• Seed Depth: ⅛–¼ inch
• Seed Spacing: A pinch of seeds every 20 inches in rows 24 inches apart
• Thinning: When 2–3 inches tall, thin to 1 every 20 inches
• Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Growing Notes:

• Harvesting: Cut stems when needed after the plant is at least 6 inches tall. Some oregano aficionados claim the best flavor comes just before the plant flowers. Pruning the stems also encourages fullness and fresh, new growth on the plant.
• Hardiness: Frost-tolerant perennial in USDA zones 5 and warmer
• Variety Information: ½–¾ inch oval, dark green, lightly fuzzy leaves. Pink to lavender flowers bloom from midsummer to fall. Stalks become woody with age.
• Attributes: Cut flower, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, good for containers