Oregano Plant Care

In its native place, the oregano plant can be found growing by the roadside. It also favors dry and sloping grounds, where it can bask in the Sun, under the blue canopy of the sky. The oregano plant grows about 24 inches tall. It's small leaves are slightly furry to touch and displays shades of gray and green colors. The oregano flowers that arrives in July to September are pink, light purple or white in color. It's creeping stems form a matting on the ground. The flowers are easy to dry and are used in the dried flower arrangements. Oregano falls in the category of small perennial herbs that come under class magnoliopsida and order lamiales. It is included in the family lamiaceae and genus origanum. The herb or plant belongs to species, vulgare. It's scientific name is origanum vulgare. There are 44 oregano plant varieties, which are subdivided in 6 subspecies. Following are the oregano plant uses:

• It is used as an ingredient of chilly powder.
• Because of its flavor, it is used in the Italian culinary dishes; pizzas and spaghetti and in those, which are made with the English and French recipes.
• It aids in digestion by stimulating the appetite.
• The oil extracted from oregano has medicinal properties. Oregano oil effective against acne and the infections such as candidiasis.
• Oregano plant is a deterrent against certain types of pests and can be used to prevent them from attacking your garden.
• In landscaping or gardening, it can be used as the border plant and as a ground cover.
• In a rock garden, properly pruned and maintained oregano plants, creates a breathtaking effect.

How to Care for Oregano Plant?

The oregano plant is a useful mint plant and is used in many herbal medicines. The common oregano is also known as wild marjoram or pot marjoram. The oregano plant that has found a place for itself. In the kitchen, it is referred to as Greek oregano, winter sweet marjoram and Italian oregano. It is advisable not to confuse it with the marjoram, a sweeter and milder flavor mint plant. If you are interested in growing the Greek oregano in your garden, then you are looking for Origanum valgare. Correct oregano plant identification is necessary, before you buy them from a reliable source.

Growing Oregano Plant
You can grow the oregano plant from the seeds or you can buy them at the nursery and plant them in your herb garden. Take a careful look at the oregano plant, before buying them. Discard the plants with aged or yellowed and insect or pest-eaten leaves. If you are starting with the seeds, plant them at least, 12 inches apart and ¼ inch deep in the flower garden. These plants favors a well-drained soil. In case of the nursery plants, maintain a distance of, at least 18 inches, between the adjacent oregano plants. You may choose to plant them in the sun. If you are going to plant the oregano plants, in a place, where the summers are very hot, prepare flower beds for them, in part shade. This is proper way of taking care of oregano. The plants are a hardy species and can resist the cold temperatures of the temperature zone 4 and 5. This evergreen plant, in very cold climates, can be grown as an annual. The mid-spring is the time when the flowers appears. Just before, this, harvest the oregano plant. Mid-summer is the best time to dived the oregano plant, If you want to spread it.

Treating Oregano for Pests and Fungus
There are a few pests and oregano plant diseases, which may make it necessary for you to take its care. Puccinia menthae is a fungus, which affects oregano plant. This fungus causes rust disease, in the mint plants. During this disease small, brown colored, circular leaf spots appears on the leaves of the oregano plants. This plant may also get affected by the root-rot disease. You may have to protect them from the pests such as spider mite, aphids and leaf miners. Caring for oregano plant can be provided, in winter, by laying a protective covering or mulch of the grass or straw around the plant. When spring arrives, it is best to remove this mulch.

Since, the oregano plant is perennial, you must plan and select its location with proper care. After it grows into a healthy plant, you would not be able to move it elsewhere. Before using its leaves in eatables, wash them with care. You can also preserve the leaves of the oregano plant, for there future use, in different recipes.