From my perspective, the most important thing you can provide is a home that reminds me of my native Mediterranean hillsides. I crave sunshine – at least six to eight hours of direct, unfiltered light each day. Without it, I become leggy, my leaves lose their potent aromatic oils, and my flavor weakens. Just as crucial is my foundation: the soil. I despise having "wet feet." My roots are prone to rot if left in soggy, waterlogged soil. Please plant me in a spot with exceptionally well-draining soil. A rocky, sandy, or even slightly gritty mix is perfect. If you're keeping me in a pot, ensure it has generous drainage holes and use a cactus or succulent potting mix amended with some perlite.
My relationship with water is simple: I am drought-tolerant and prefer to be on the dry side. Think of the infrequent but heavy rains of my homeland. The best way to care for me is to wait until the top inch or two of soil is completely dry before giving me a thorough, deep watering. Then, let all the excess water drain away completely. I would much rather you forget to water me for a few days than water me too often. Overwatering is the fastest way to make me unhappy and can lead to a quick demise from root rot. In the winter, when my growth slows, I need even less water.
I am not a heavy feeder. In fact, I thrive in relatively poor, lean soils. Too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen-rich formulas, will encourage an explosion of weak, leafy growth at the expense of the essential oils that give me my wonderful flavor and aroma. My leaves may become large but taste bland. If you feel you must feed me, a single, light application of a balanced, organic fertilizer at the start of the growing season is more than sufficient. Most of the time, I am perfectly content without any extra feeding.
When you come to harvest my leaves, you are not just taking from me; you are helping me grow stronger and bushier. Please do not just pluck a few leaves from the top. Instead, use sharp, clean scissors to snip a stem just above a set of leaf nodes (the point where a pair of leaves grows from the stem). This signals to me to send out two new branches from that point, creating a denser, more robust plant. The most important harvest of the year comes just as I begin to flower. If you cut me back by about one-third at this stage, it prevents me from putting all my energy into flowering and seeding, which encourages a fresh flush of flavorful leaves.
I am a perennial plant, meaning I can live for several years. However, in colder climates, my top growth will die back after the first hard frost. Do not be alarmed! My energy has retreated to my roots underground to survive the winter. A light layer of mulch, like straw or leaves, can help protect my roots from severe freezing and thawing cycles. Come spring, as the soil warms, you will see new green shoots emerging from the base. This is the time to gently clear away the old, dead growth and watch me come back to life, ready for another season.
