How To Grow Oregano Indoors

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Oregano is fun to grow indoors but if you’ve been trying to grow an indoor herb garden and just keep having problems you may not realize that each herb has slightly different growing needs.

If you want to have success then it’s important to learn how to grow oregano indoors the right way so you can enjoy healthy plants that produce lots of fresh herbs for you.

Oregano is a perennial herb that is very easy to grow. If you are a new gardener and want to start growing your own herbs, oregano is perfect to start with!

Oregano has always been one of my favourite herbs to grow. It’s perfect to use in the many Italian tomato-based dishes we enjoy but also adds a great flavor to soups.

If you have only had store-bought dried oregano leaves then you are in for a real treat. Fresh oregano has an amazing flavor compared to anything you can buy in the store.

How To Grow Oregano Indoors

Container Size

If you’re wondering what the best container size to grow oregano indoors is, 6-inch pots are perfect. This size doesn’t take up too much room on your windowsill herb garden but still gives the plant lots of room for root growth.

If you want to grow oregano and other herbs together in one container then you will, of course, need a large pot size.

Also, make sure that the container has good drainage holes.

Oregano like many other herbs native to the Mediterranean likes to grow in dryer conditions. Choosing the right container for growing along with the right soil mix will really help your plant to thrive.

Watering

Oregano is a naturally drought-resistant herb that really doesn’t like to sit in wet soil all the time.

Water your plants regularly but don’t over water. Make sure to let the soil dry out a little in between waterings.

Lighting

When growing oregano indoors it’s important to make sure it has enough light. A bright, south-facing window that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day is perfect.

If you don’t have enough light inside to keep your plant healthy then you can use fluorescent artificial lighting as a supplement or for growing oregano under full time.

Keep the light 5 to 6 inches away from the tops of the plants for the best growing results.

Mindful Design LED Indoor Herb Garden – at Home Mini Window Planter Kit for Herbs, Succulents, and Vegetables (White)

 

If you are low on space this indoor grow light set is perfect!

It’s narrow so doesn’t take up a lot of space, uses LED lights instead of fluorescent and they can be stacked on top of each other if you want to expand your indoor garden.

Soil

Since oregano prefers to grow in dryer conditions make sure that you use a well-drained soil to prevent the roots from rotting.

You can use cactus potting mix or make your own soil mix. The simplest mix is to simply combine 1 part of all-purpose potting mix with 1 part of sharp sand.

But you can also make a mix based on potting soil instead of potting mix. For this use equal parts of potting soil, sharp sand, perlite, and peat moss and mix it well.

Temperature

Oregano is a hearty plant that naturally likes to grow in the temperatures most homes are kept at.

Ideal growing temperatures are 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 C) during the day and 55 to 60 F (13 to 16 C) at night.

But temperatures higher then this will also work well as long as you keep up on the watering.

Fertilizing

All plants grown in containers will need regular fertilizing. As you water the plants the nutrients in the soil will slowly be leached out by the extra water draining away.

Make sure to fertilize your oregano plants once a month with a good quality organic fertilizer.

My favourite ones to use on indoor herbs are compost tea, liquid seaweed, and fish emulsion. The fish emulsion can smell quite strong but you can get an odorless version too!

Harvesting Oregano Indoors

Once your oregano plants reach about 6 inches (15.24 cm) tall you can start to harvest from them.

Simply cut off a stem as needed about 2 inches above the soil level. Make sure to make the cut just above a set of leaves, this will let the plant to branch out from where you cut.

Also, don’t let your oregano plant start to flower. If you see flower buds starting to form prune the plant back. You want the plant’s energy to go into leaf growth not producing flowers and seed.

Harvest your oregano plant often to help it stay bushy and productive. If you can’t use that much fresh oregano then try drying some to use later.

Propagating Oregano

Oregano plants grow quickly in good growing conditions. Every 2 to 3 years you’ll need to divide the plants to keep them from getting too crowded in their container.

To do this simply remove the oregano plant from its container and divide it into sections, then repot these pieces separately.

Companion Planting For Oregano

If you are growing a mixed herb planter then make sure that you pick out other herbs that have similar growing needs as oregano. Look for herbs that have medium watering needs, like dry well-draining soil and bright light.

Herbs such as sage, thyme, and marjoram make good companion plants for oregano.

Oregano really is a fuss-free herb you can grow in your kitchen. Just make sure they have the right lighting, don’t overwater them and keep harvesting often and you’ll be enjoying freshly picked oregano for a long time.

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