Harvesting Oregano

Spring is heavy growth season for most herbs and oregano is no different.  Normally, oregano can be ignored for the most part, but I usually like to fertilize them during this growth period to get more clippings.  I use my normal recipe of 1 tablespoon of fish emulsion, 1 tablespoon of liquid kelp, to 1 gallon of rain water.

When your oregano reaches about 8″ – 10″ in height, I usually trim it back half way.  Remember that pruning herbs causes healthy growth and prevents it blooming too soon.  I’ve always found that herbs lose a bit of their “zing” after they bloom.

If you do not plan to use your trimmings right away, you can hang them to dry.  I generally bundle about 10 or so sprigs together at the base of where they were trimmed, then tie them together with a piece of culinary string.  Then, I hang it with the stem bases up in my garage and just leave it there until I need some dried oregano after season is over and the main plants have died down or gone dormant.

Down here in central Texas, I can usually trim, use and/or dry until well into November or December and I have plenty left in the garage by the time spring time rolls around again.  I won’t ever run out!

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