How to Grow Oregano
Oregano At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -18°C
Plant Family
Lamiaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Oregano handles light frost, so sow it about 2 weeks before your last spring frost. The seeds are tiny and need light to sprout, so scatter them on fine, damp soil, press them in and barely cover them. They come up in 7 to 14 days: thin them (pull the extras) so the plants end up about 20 cm apart.
Oregano is a hardy herb that comes back every year and gets bigger each spring. Plants grown from seed vary a little in flavour, so taste your plants and make more of the best one from cuttings or by dividing it. The leaves taste strongest on plants grown in sun and lean soil.
When To Start
First chance to plant
14 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
60 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Oregano?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Oregano Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Oregano Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow oregano outdoors, pressing the tiny seeds onto the soil
2 weeks before your last frost· every year
Optional: plant oregano seedlings out in full sun
1 week after your last frost· every year· optional
Cut oregano sprigs often, just above a pair of leaves
60 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your oregano seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the oregano seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 24 days after you plant it
Your oregano is coming along! Give it full sun and let the soil dry a little between waterings.
About 42 days after you plant it
Looking good! Pick leaves before the plant flowers, that is when they taste best.
About 71 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your oregano.
About 85 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Oregano's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give oregano full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for the strongest flavour.
- 2Plant it in light, well-drained soil with just a little compost, since rich soil makes the leaves mild and the stems floppy.
- 3Water only when the top few cm of soil is dry, because soggy roots rot.
- 4Spread a thin layer of compost around it each spring, and that is all the food it needs.
- 5Trim it often through summer and cut it back by half after it flowers, to keep it full of fresh leaves.
- 6In cold areas, cover the roots with a layer of mulch after the ground freezes to help it through winter.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~85
Days to Maturity
50 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Harvest leaves before flowering
How to Harvest
- 1Start cutting once the plant is about 10 to 15 cm tall.
- 2Snip stems just above a pair of leaves, and new shoots will grow from there.
- 3Never take more than a third of the plant at once.
- 4The flavour is strongest just before the flowers open, so that is the best time to cut a big bunch for drying.
- 5Hang small bunches upside down in a dark, airy spot for 1 to 2 weeks, then strip the dry leaves into a jar.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Oregano flowers are visited by bees and can cross with other oregano and with marjoram, so let only one kind flower if you want seed true to type. Let a few stems flower and wait until the flower heads turn brown and dry. Cut them into a paper bag, shake or rub them to free the dust-fine seeds, and sift out the bits of leaf. Store the seeds labelled in a cool, dark, dry place for 2 to 4 years. Seed-grown plants vary a little, so keep seed from the plant with the flavour you like best.
Seed Production
Still have a question?
Ask your coach about your oregano.
This page covers what we thought to write down. Your oregano will do something it never mentions, and that is the day a coach beats a guide. Ask Coach Lumen one question right now, free, no account.
