Like many other kitchen herbs, oregano can be cultivated in a pot on the balcony, terrace or windowsill. In a favorable location, the popular seasoning herb develops magnificently here and promises a rich harvest.
Contents
The oregano needs a lot of heat and light.
For oregano to thrive it needs the right location. A south-facing balcony or south-facing window is ideal. Give the plant a few weeks to get used to its new surroundings and during this time, protect the oregano from direct midday sun. Since many plants are grown in greenhouses, they are not accustomed to the powerful UV rays of the sun. Despite their love of heat, they react to the strong sunlight at midday with sunburn on the leaves.
Too small planters make oregano grow weakly
Commercially available herbs often sit in pots that are far too small. This means that the oregano has too little substrate available and cannot develop vigorously. It is therefore advisable to repot newly purchased plants directly and take this opportunity to transfer them to a larger pot. Alternatively, you can carefully divide the oregano and plant it in several pots.
Commercially available herbal or vegetable soil is suitable as a substrate, to which you add a little sand to loosen it up. Since the oregano reacts to waterlogging with root rot, it is recommended to add a drainage layer of expanded clay to the planter.
The best time for watering is early morning.
Oregano in a pot you need to water more often than outdoor herbs. Water whenever the surface of the soil feels dry. In the warm summer months, oregano needs daily watering. The optimal watering time is early morning, as this allows the plant to immediately reabsorb the moisture that has evaporated through the leaves during the day. On very hot days, you may need to water again in the evening. If cool and damp weather conditions prevail, water the oregano very sparingly.
Harvest with care
In order for oregano to thrive, it is important to be prudent when harvesting:
- Always use a sharp and clean cutting tool.
- Regularly harvest the shoot tips; this also serves to rejuvenate the plant.
- Once oregano begins to flower, cut the plant about a hand’s width above the ground.
- You can preserve the leaves and flowers from this pruning by drying or freezing them.
Tips & Tricks
Herbs from the supermarket are grown in a very short time and are meant to be eaten soon. If you want to cultivate oregano permanently in a pot, it is therefore better to use plants from the gardening trade. These plants are hardened and may also stand outdoors during the summer months.
