From my perspective as a Greek Oregano plant, my most fundamental need is a home with excellent drainage. I despise having my roots constantly wet, as this will lead to them rotting and my eventual demise. Please choose a spot in your garden that receives full, glorious sunlight for at least 6-8 hours a day; this intense sun is what helps me produce the potent, aromatic oils I am known for. While I can tolerate some shade, my flavor will be significantly weaker. The soil itself should be lean and mean—sandy or loamy is perfect. Rich, heavy clay soils that hold too much moisture are my nemesis. In fact, if the soil is too fertile, I will grow leggy and lack flavor. A slightly alkaline pH is my preference.
The best time to plant me is in the spring, after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and welcoming. If you start me from a seed, be patient, as I can be slow to germinate. Most gardeners find it easier to begin with a small seedling from a nursery. Dig a hole that is just as deep as the container I currently live in but about twice as wide. This gives my roots room to spread out comfortably into their new environment. Gently remove me from my pot, teasing apart any roots that have become circular and bound. Place me in the hole so that the top of my root ball is level with the surrounding soil surface. Backfill the hole, pressing the soil down firmly to eliminate any large air pockets that could dry out my roots.
Immediately after planting, give me a thorough, deep drink of water to help settle the soil around my roots and reduce transplant shock. However, once I am established, I am incredibly drought-tolerant. My native Mediterranean habitat has taught me to thrive on neglect. You should only water me when the top inch of soil feels completely dry to the touch. Overwatering is the single greatest threat to my well-being. Please refrain from using fertilizer; it will do more harm than good, encouraging excessive leafy growth at the expense of my signature intense flavor and aroma.
To help me grow into a dense, bushy clump rather than a leggy sprawl, you can practice a simple form of pruning. Once I reach about six inches in height, you can lightly trim the top few inches of my stems. This action, called pinching, encourages me to branch out from lower nodes, creating a fuller, more productive plant. The parts you pinch off are your first, tiny harvest! Regularly harvesting my leaves throughout the growing season will have the same effect, promoting new, tender growth from my base.
