Oregano Herb

Mexican, Spanish and Italian culinary delights include oregano. Oregano is used in its dried form and is available in many varieties. The botanical name for oregano herb is Origanum vulgare. It is a perennial plant that grows about 2 feet tall. It has an 18 inch rounded, sprawling spread on the ground. The flowers are white or pinkish-purple in color. The flower spikelets bloom in mid to late summer. "Aureum" is the cultivar of the plant. It has golden-yellow leaves and 8 - 10 inch mound. This is an ornamental plant and is not used as a flavoring herb.

How to Grow it
This plant is basically a culinary herb. It is a popular gardening plant too, as it makes a nice edging and ground cover plant. It requires very little maintenance and is great for small rock gardens and alpine gardens. If you are planning to plant it, then the best time to do so is in full sun in a well-drained soil. The soil can be average to low fertility in quality.

Dig the plant bed thoroughly and add organic matter like leaf mold or homemade compost. This helps in breaking up heavy soil and improving drainage. Sow the seeds 2 meters deep and about 15 centimeters apart in the prepared plant bed. You can begin sowing the seeds from late April. You will find seedlings appear after 2 - 3 weeks. You should divide the thin seedlings about 30 centimeter apart, as it will help provide ample room to the full-grown plants.

Care
In the first few months, the plant needs to be watered regularly to prevent them from drying. But ensure you do not make the soil waterlogged, as it will not survive in wet conditions. Make sure it is grown in a well-drained soil. In case of container gardening, the container should have plenty of grit that facilitates drainage.

You should keep the flowers pinched, as it will help keep the plant bushy. It also prevents the flowers from bolting to seeds. You should divide the plants, when the centers begin to dry out. You can also divide it when the stems look too woody. If you are living in Zone 5 or lower, you will need to provide some protection to the plant. To protect plants from wind damage, cover the plants with an evergreen bough after the freezing of the ground.

Uses
Oregano has a strong flavor and pleasant aroma. The plant leaves are used as flavoring agents for many food recipes. They are mostly added towards the end of cooking, as it helps in retaining their flavor. It's used in many Greek and Mexican recipes and most commonly in pizza toppings and spaghetti sauces.

Health Benefits
Oregano is known to have many health benefits. Health benefits include strong antibacterial properties. It contains many volatile oils that are antibacterial in nature like thymol and carvacrol. These oregano oils are known to inhibit growth of many bacteria that cause food spoilage. Mexican researchers have found Oregano to be an effective treatment against an amoebic disease 'giardia'.

The health benefits also includes powerful antioxidant properties. These antioxidants help in fighting the free radicals and preventing many forms of cancer. It is also known to slow down aging process to some extent. You will be surprised to know that it has 42 times the antioxidant properties as that of apples and 12 times higher than oranges. This makes them one of the most powerful antioxidant foods.

You can grow delightful edgings in your garden by planting the oregano plant and create culinary wonders in your kitchen using the herb.