Wondering if oregano is a perennial plant that can survive your winters?
Here’s what to know.
Bob Stefko
You purchased a pot or two oforeganofrom the nursery this spring and enjoyed them all summer.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Now you’re wondering, is oregano a perennial?
Or will winter do this herb in, forcing you to buy fresh plants in spring?
Here’s what to know to get the most out of your oregano plants.
What Is a Perennial?
Roses,coneflower, andbee balmare good examples of perennial plants.
They grow each year, flower, set seed, and repeat the process.
Many oregano varieties arehardy in USDA Zones 510, and some tolerate Zone 4 temperatures.
Because its root system is well established, oregano grows rapidly.
It can be a buy-it-once kind of plant.
Oregano is a star later in the summer when allowed to bloom.
Sunlight and Soil
This herb does best infull sunandwell-drained soil.
Oregano is native to the hot, dry Mediterranean region, so it prefers drier, less fertile soil.
Mixing in a little compost at planting time and topdressing with more compost each spring usually is sufficient.
Water and Fertilizer
Oregano is a tough herb, especially when planted in the ground.
After the first few weeks, you wont need to water it unless your weather turns extremely dry.
Oregano in the herb garden wont need fertilizing besides alight app of compostin early spring.
If you grow oregano in containers, a once or twice-per-summer feeding is sufficient.
An early summer harvest cutting just before flowers appear is rewarded with even more bushy growth.
Fortunately, spreading is not overly aggressive and can be easily controlled.
Trim off dead frost-killed vegetation in the fall andmulch with strawor dried leaves.
Remove the mulch in early spring to prevent the ground from staying excessively damp around the roots.
