500+Italian Oregano Seeds(Origanum vulgare) Heirloom Healthy
Tasty Pizza Herb USA
Vulgare Oregano is the very
popular "pizza herb" that is widely used in Italian, Greek and
Mexican cooking. The leaves can be used fresh or dried and will add warm spicy
flavor to your favorite recipes. This herb has bright blue-green leaves that
should be harvested before the flowers appear.
Sowing
Start Italian Oregano Herb seeds
indoors about 2 months before the last spring frost, sowing them just below the
surface of the soil and keeping the temperature at 65-70 degrees F. Provide at
least six hours of sunlight, and keep the soil moist when the seedlings appear.
Transplant them as soon as they grow big enough to handle or after the last
chance of frost, spacing them 12-15" apart. Oregano thrives in fairly dry
soil and full sun. To direct sow, plant Origanum Vulgare seeds and thin the
seedlings to 12-15" apart. As a companion plant, Oregano repels the
harmful cabbage butterfly. This herb also grows well as a container plant.
Growing
Oregano actually has the most
flavorful taste if left alone, with minimal watering and no fertilization. For
the best tasting leaves, keep the tops pruned to prevent flowering and to keep
the leaves tender.
Harvesting
Fresh leaves can be harvested as
soon as the plant reaches a height of 6". The best time for harvesting
leaves is in the morning after the dew has dried. Harvest entire stalks by
cutting them at least 1" above the ground to allow for new growth. Fresh
leaves will keep in the refrigerator for about five days, but can also be
frozen or dried. Because heat tends to destroy the flavor of oregano, it should
be added to hot food immediately before serving. Unlike most herbs, dried
oregano leaves tend to have a much stronger flavor than fresh ones.