Ever wondered what gives your spaghetti sauce its strong sharp flavor? Let me introduce you to oregano. With its potent flavor, it can make any dish come alive. It is a very popular spice and used in cuisines all around the world. Not only is it an excellent culinary herb, but it also has many medical uses. It has a high concentration of antioxidants and vitamin K and is also an antimicrobial. Due to these properties, oregano is very popular among gardeners all around the world.
Oregano is a perennial herb and so it grows back each year. Owing to its softer woody stems, it can become dense and woody if not properly pruned. This makes it difficult for the new growth to appear in the growing season. So it is of paramount importance to prepare the plant for the growing season by pruning it properly during the dormant season. We have tried to answer the popular question ‘how to prune oregano’ in a comprehensive way to address all the issues that may arise when pruning oregano.
Essential Tips for Pruning
When to Prune?
Oregano is a fast grower and it is beneficial to prune the plant right after the harvest season. However, don’t prune near the time of the first frost. What’s the point of encouraging new growth only to be hit by the frost?
In colder climates, it is better to wait until spring–when the danger of freeze passes.
Steps To Pruning:
For oregano, pruning is a simple 4 step process. The following steps will help you to reap maximum benefits from the pruning of oregano.
1) Cut Back The Stems:
When the plant has grown to about 4 inches after plantation, cut back the stems to 2-3 inches. This may sound drastic but in the early stages of the growth, the plant needs to concentrate more on growing its roots so cutting it back in the early stages encourages root formation. It shouldn’t take more than 6-8 weeks for the plant to grow 4 inches.
For one-year-old regrowing plants, wait 6 -8 weeks after the start of growth.
For old, woody oregano, prune back the plant to about 6 inches instead.
2) Deadheading Oregano Flowers:
As our oregano is perennial, we are not looking to plant new oregano. We are only interested in maintaining our oregano. Deadheading will help us to achieve just that. It is the practice of cutting the dying oregano flowers to prevent the plant from producing seeds. This helps to direct the plant’s nutrients towards new growth.
3) Prune Frequently: How To Harvest Oregano?
It is recommended to harvest your oregano at least twice in the growing season. In optimum conditions, oregano can be harvested after 6 to 8 weeks
Oregano is most flavorful right before the flowering. This is a perfect time for mass harvest.
You can freeze your oregano or even dry it (more on this later) and then use it whenever needed. However, nothing beats freshly pruned oregano. If you can’t wait for 6 weeks to get your hands on some fresh oregano, well don’! Oregano can be cut in small quantities any time during the growing season, so you can use fresh oregano anytime you like.
Now the question arises: how to harvest oregano without damaging the plant?
When mass harvesting, cut 1/3rd of the stem from the top. Place the scissors in between leaves to avoid damaging them. Don’t cut more than 1/3 at a time.
When collecting a few leaves for use in the kitchen, gently full the oregano leaf from its base for a clean separation.
4) HARD PRUNING: HOW TO PRUNE OVERGROWN OREGANO?
Hard pruning of oregano is done after the first frost. Cut the old stems down to the ground. Old stems of oregano turn woody over time and make the plant dense. Cutting this way helps to protect the plant against severe weather and encourages new growth in the coming season. The stems which are brown and dry should be cut back to the ground as they won’t produce new growth.
CAUTION!
Don’t prune your oregano in late summer or early fall. Stop pruning 2 before frost forecast. Pruning encourages new growth which is vulnerable to cold. This will make your plant more likely to be hit with a cold injury which can reduce the yield of oregano drastically!
How to Dry Oregano For Use?
Oregano can be dried easily. Dried oregano is resistant to rotting and can be used when required.
Although there are many methods to dry oregano, we will discuss two of them.
Common Steps:
1) First, remove any dried or browned leaves from your stalks
2) Rinse under a stream of cool water
3) Shake your oregano dry.
Tray Drying:
4) Get dehydrating trays
5) Set oregano out evenly in between the trays. There shouldn’t be any overlap.
6) Leave the trays out in a warm and ventilated area.
7) Wait at least 1 week for the herb to dry out.
Quick Fix: Heating Oregano in the Oven
4) Preheat oven to 77 °C
5) Spread oregano out on a dry sheet pan
6) Bake for 1 hour in the center rack of the oven.
7) Remove the tray and let oregano cool for 10-20 minutes.
Now that you know how to dry oregano, you have unlocked the secret to using oregano throughout the year.
CONCLUSIONS
While regular harvesting is essential for the plant, oregano can turn woody quickly if not pruned properly. Proper pruning not only facilitates new growth, but it also helps the new growth to thrive by providing free space to grow and increasing sunlight penetration.
How to prune oregano has never been explained in such simple terms before: cut back early in the season; deadhead the flowers before seeding; harvest at least twice and hard prune once–after the first frost. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be enjoying fresh oregano for a long time.
