Oregano

This herb flowers very beautifully and is completely undemanding. It loves sun. Unlike basil, oregano usually survives the winter on the balcony and will delight you again in spring. Grown in a large pot — 5 to 10 litres — oregano develops wonderfully. It does not freeze and tolerates partial drought. It prefers full sun. The whole stalks are used: when the plant begins to flower, the flowers with their stems are cut off and dried.

Location: Sunny.

Substrate: Clay-sandy, slightly calcareous garden soil; optimal soil.

Cultivation: Sown in February indoors and moved outdoors from the beginning of May, or in April directly in the container. The seeds are not covered with soil — it germinates in light.

Watering, feeding: During the growing period it is watered a little; it is not fertilized.

Other care: The flowering stems are sometimes cut off so that new ones with leaves form and the plant stays more compact.

Overwintering: Possible outdoors in wind-free regions of Europe. In late autumn it is cut back almost to the ground and given winter protection. Variant: frost-free and very bright.