Mediterranean
How to grow oregano and marjoram
Origanum vulgare and Origanum majorana (sweet) / O. onites (pot)
Oregano and marjoram both want full sun and poor, free-draining soil, and both taste best when they are not fed. Plant hardy oregano and pot marjoram in April or May, 30 to 45 cm apart. Sow sweet marjoram indoors in March or April and plant it out after the last frost in late May, because it is tender. Cut stems just as the flower buds show, when the flavour is strongest.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Full sun
- Soil
- Free-draining, poor to average
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 8.0
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting oregano and marjoram
WhenPlant Apr to May; harvest Jun to Sep (best just before flowering); cut back Oct
This page covers oregano and marjoram together. The planting detail below is for oregano; where the other differs, it is noted.
Starting off
Plant pot-grown stock Apr to May. Surface-sow seed indoors in Mar at 18 to 21°C without covering, as it needs light; emergence takes 10 to 14 days. Divide clumps in Mar or Sep, or take basal cuttings in May to Jun. Greek oregano (subspecies hirtum) is the most pungent and comes true from cuttings, not seed.
Spacing and planting
Plant 30 to 45 cm apart (eventual spread 45 to 60 cm, height 45 cm), with the crown at soil level and grit in the backfill. Fine in a 20 to 25 cm pot of gritty compost.
Varieties worth growing
Oregano and marjoram: what is the difference?
All are species of Origanum, and the names overlap: wild marjoram is simply the British name for oregano (Origanum vulgare). Oregano is a fully hardy perennial with a pungent, peppery flavour that is strongest dried. Sweet marjoram (O. majorana) is milder, sweeter and more floral, but half-hardy, so in the UK it is grown as an annual from seed each spring. Pot marjoram (O. onites) sits between the two: perennial, but hardy only to about minus 5 °C, with a flavour closer to oregano. Grow oregano for pizza, tomato sauces and drying, and sweet marjoram for using fresh with eggs, chicken and vegetables.
- Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum)Oregano
- The most pungent form, with white flowers and hairy grey-green leaves. The one to grow for drying. Buy it as a plant, since seed is variable.
- Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare)Oregano
- The native species, with pink flowers that are covered in bees and butterflies in July and August. Milder in flavour, completely hardy and happy on chalk.
- Golden oregano (O. vulgare 'Aureum')Oregano
- Yellow-green leaves that make good ground cover at the front of a herb bed. Mild flavour; the leaves can scorch in hot afternoon sun.
- Compact oregano (O. vulgare 'Compactum')Oregano
- A dense cushion about 15 cm high that suits pots, troughs and path edges, with good flavour for its size.
- 'Hot and Spicy'Oregano
- A strongly flavoured selection with a peppery heat, for those who find garden centre oregano bland.
- Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana)Marjoram
- The classic marjoram of the kitchen: soft grey-green leaves, knotted flower buds and the sweetest flavour. Raise it from seed each spring.
- Pot marjoram (Origanum onites)Marjoram
- A perennial marjoram that survives mild winters in a sunny, sheltered, well-drained spot; bring pots under cover in cold districts. Less sweet than sweet marjoram but there year after year.
Oregano and marjoram month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Nothing to do. Check pots are not waterlogged.
- February
Nothing to do. Order sweet marjoram seed.
- March
Sow sweet marjoram and oregano on the surface of compost indoors. Divide established clumps of oregano and pot marjoram.
- April
Plant pot-grown oregano and pot marjoram. Sow sweet marjoram if not done. Tidy any dead stems.
- May
Finish planting perennials. Harden off sweet marjoram and plant out in the last week. Take basal cuttings.
- June
Start picking. Take softwood cuttings of pot marjoram. Cut for drying as the buds form late in the month.
- July
Main cut for drying, just before the flowers open. Leave some oregano to flower for the bees.
- August
Pick as needed from the regrowth. Give sweet marjoram in pots its one seaweed drench if it looks tired.
- September
Second cut. Divide clumps. Pot up a sweet marjoram plant for the windowsill.
- October
Cut back the flowered stems of oregano and pot marjoram. Clear frosted sweet marjoram. Raise pots on feet and move pot marjoram under cover in cold districts.
- November
Nothing to do.
- December
Nothing to do.
Feeding oregano and marjoram
Neither oregano nor marjoram should be fed in the ground: poor, dry soil concentrates the oils and rich soil gives soft, bland, short-lived plants. The only feeding worth doing is a little seaweed for plants in pots.
Minimal, the leaner and sunnier the spot, the more aromatic the leaf.
Feeding plan
In the ground, every year
No feed
Nothing, and no manure or rich compost at planting. Add grit on heavy soil instead.
Potting or repotting, April
5 ml per litre of compost, the low end of the label, mixed through: about 35 ml (2 tablespoons) for a 25 cm pot holding about 7 litres.
Pots, once in midsummer after the main cut
1 g per litre of water as a single drench. Sweet marjoram in a small pot benefits most; established oregano can go without.
Signs to watch
Pale leaves with weak scent → too much nitrogen or shade → stop feeding and move to full sun. Yellowing lower leaves and dieback in winter → waterlogging → grit and a raised position. Bare, dying centre after three or four years → congestion → divide in Mar. Purple-tinted foliage in cold weather → harmless cold stress.
Pests, diseases and problems
Plant fails to reappear in spring, or the crown is brown and soft
Winter wet rotting the roots, on heavy soil or in a pot standing in water
Plant on a slope, a raised bed or with grit in the planting hole; raise pots on feet from October. Replace with a new plant or a division in April.
Sweet marjoram blackened and dead after a cold night
Frost; sweet marjoram is half-hardy
Do not plant out until late May, and pot a plant up in September to bring indoors. Treat it as an annual and sow again in March.
Orange, then dark brown, pustules on the undersides of leaves; shoots pale and distorted in spring
Mint rust, which also infects marjoram and oregano
Cut affected stems to the ground and bin them. If it returns each year, dig the plant out and start with clean stock in a different place.
Fine pale speckling on the upper leaf surface
Leafhoppers feeding under the leaves
Cosmetic only. Cut back after flowering and the new growth is clean; no treatment is needed.
Seedlings of sweet marjoram collapse in the seed tray
Damping off, from overwatering tiny, slow seedlings
Sow thinly on the surface of gritty seed compost, water from below and sparingly, and give good light and ventilation.
Golden-leaved plants brown at the leaf edges in midsummer
Sun scorch on yellow foliage
Give golden forms a spot with shade in the hottest part of the afternoon, and cut back scorched growth after flowering.
Harvest and rotation
Harvest and storage
Cut whole stems to 5 cm above the base just as the flower buds show in Jun to Jul, when the oils peak; a second cut follows in Sep. Expect 100 to 200 g per plant a season. Oregano is stronger dried than fresh: hang bunches in a dark, airy room for 1 to 2 weeks, crumble and jar for 12 months. Leaves also freeze.
Rotation and companions
No rotation needed. Keep it out of the shade of tall crops and away from moisture-loving mint.
Good to knowCut back after flowering; it thrives in a pot of gritty compost.
Growing oregano and marjoram in pots
Both are well suited to pots, and on heavy clay a pot is the more reliable way to grow them. Use a 20 to 25 cm pot for oregano or pot marjoram and a 15 to 20 cm pot for sweet marjoram, filled with loam-based or peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with a quarter grit. Stand it in the sunniest place you have and water only when the top few centimetres are dry. Raise the pot on feet over winter so it drains. Divide and repot oregano every two or three years in spring. Sweet marjoram can be brought onto a bright windowsill in September for leaves into winter.
Oregano and marjoram: common questions
What is the difference between oregano and marjoram?
They are closely related species of Origanum; oregano is hardy and pungent, sweet marjoram is tender and sweeter. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) comes back every year and is best dried. Sweet marjoram (O. majorana) is grown as an annual in the UK and is best used fresh. Pot marjoram is a hardier perennial marjoram with a flavour nearer to oregano.
Does oregano come back every year?
Yes, oregano is a fully hardy perennial that dies back in winter and reshoots from the base in spring. Pot marjoram returns after milder winters in a sheltered, well-drained spot. Sweet marjoram does not survive frost and has to be sown again each March or April.
When should I harvest oregano for drying?
Cut it in late June or July, just as the flower buds form and before they open, when the oil content of the leaves is highest. Cut whole stems to about 5 cm above the base on a dry morning and hang them in small bunches somewhere dark and airy for one to two weeks.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.