I planted greek oregano in one of my flower beds. Big mistake, it spreads like mint. It is taking over the whole bed. I haven't tried to remove it yet. Got sick, everything got negelected last year. Trying to catch up this year. Also fighting off bindweed and quack grass in perennial flower beds. I think I lost already.
Jeannie

Hi Shani,

Oregano isn't one of those plants that have an ideal companion -- at least not according to my source book on combining flowers, herbs & vegetables. The book states that "like other strongly aromatic herbs, oregano has gained a reputation as a general pest repellent." It also notes that the flowers oregano produces attracts butterflys and mud dauber wasps (which feed on catapillars of all kinds). Hope this helps!

MacThayer

Oregano is a generally great plant for any location but especially with cabbage, you aren't growing cabbage so feel free to tuck it in anywhere.

Shani -- Jeannie is right, oregano does spread like mint, but if you have room to give it room to roam, you can use it liberally around the garden. Individual branches re-root quickly and can be planted for a season among anything that benefits from some flea beetle protection (just be sure to pull it out completely at the end of the season). We "weed" it out when we're planting the eggplant and use it as mulch. But be careful if you don't have room -- in a couple of years it will be all oregano all the time!
Good luck
Janice

MYPProvo - Oregano and mint work well in a sunken pot. I have seen recommendations for using 5-gallon buckets or large flower pots. I am doing this with catnip and a couple of others related to mint. I'm using a 5-gallon bucket since they are pretty deep and will prevent even tenacious wanderers. If you are concerned about the ugly bucket rim sticking up, you could decorate it with some paint and little river rocks affixed with outdoor-safe silicon sealant.

Here's a diagram of a sunken pot:

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You can also cut the bottom off the pot instead of drilling holes.

The only drawback I've found to sinking containers with spreadables in the garden is that I have to keep the edge of the pot trimmed. Otherwise, it grows over the edge & roots itself into the garden, which defeats the whole purpose of sinking a container in the first place. That's just one more thing I have to keep up with & I'm trying to simply things.

I've planted my mints in hanging baskets this year. That way I dont have to worry about them taking root IN the garden.

I find that Creeping Thyme and Oregano co-exist quite nicely. The Thyme keeps the oregano stems from touching the dirt and spreading and it also creates a nice fuzzy little capet with tiny purple flowers.

L

Our side yard is 70% oregano. It was like that when we bought it 5 yrs ago. It creeped in from the neighbors herb garden(she still apologises every time she is over-I try to always ask her if she needs any oregano). We actually love it in our yard. We try not to mow too low as the stems get a bit pokey on the bare feet. It smells wonderful. It is getting nearer our regular garden and am having to battle it. I love the flower, though.

Also, we planted pennyroyal between our rocks in our front yard and it has gone out into our regular yard quite a bit. Doesn't really bother me. It will if I ever try to make any new garden around there!!

I love the idea of creeping thyme next to the oregano!!

joanne

Hola Shani,

I have Greek Oregano planted in a not too large (maybe 12" high, 9" in diameter) metal pail in which I punched drainage holes with an awl. It's an attractive little pail that is gaining in character as it ages.

The oregano does pretty well, it's been in the same pail for abt. 3 years, and I can move it around if the mood strikes. Plus it doesn't spread to other places. I don't sink it, I like its mobility. I trim it back quite a bit, and thought I would re-pot it this year. Same pot, just different soil with a root trim.

Happy Gardening!

Yes oregano spreads like mint, but not exactly. It goes to seed readily and it that that causes the prolific nature of the plant. It's roots are fairly tame. If a single plant does spread, it is slowly and an every third year division take care of that

Keep in mind it likes lots of hot sun all day long, if that gives you any clues.

try the lawn! I filled in all the bare patches in mine with creeping thyme, mint, and oregano- I don't know if the oregano will reseed, or survive- but even in the first year, mowing's become a pleasure, not a pain (trading in the John Deere for a reel mower's also helped- it's a small lawn, and the exercise is better for me than the exhaust fumes)

I'm curios if it would do well under a grow-light.

My husband and I bought some Greek Oregano last year. We tried to grow them in pots twice, but both batches died. We may have overwatered the first batch and underwatered the second batch. The first batch was outside in a pot next to our other herbs in a very sunny spot on our deck. After we lost that batch we put our second batch inside our little bay window in our kitchen (also lots of sun) to control water intake, but it died also.

We just bought another plant and we will give it another try this season. Any advice on keeping this one alive? HELP!

I have oregano in my herb garden and for some reason it has not taken over the area. Probably because it is right next to the mint and they are both fighting for space. I intended to take the oregano out completely so I took a piece of it last year before winter and planted it in a 20 gallon tub on my back porch. It grew really well this year in the tub. Chinacat Sunflower, love your idea about planting it in the bare spots in the yard where grass will not grow. Going to try that. Goldenvocals, I am curious if the size of your pot will make a difference in the Greek Oregano surviving.

I plant mine between rose bushes and between pepper plants. When planted between established larger (taller) plants it does spread like a carper and it acts like living mulch. Roses and peppers are perennial, and so is Oregano, so it seems to work out so far. I also have thyme between peppers and eggplants, and a middle eastern type oregano called zaatar. This works great to retain moisture and keep the weeds down.

Just in case anyone here didn't realize it, oregano IS a mint.

That's why it acts like one.

And yes, oregano is brilliant as ground cover around nightshade plants like peppers and tomatoes.

It's actually good to let it just spread out among them in general...remember, bare earth gardening isn't actually good for plants, it's just an unfortunate trend started and spread a couple of generations ago.

I have hot n spicy. Its been in ground 2 or 3 years.
I just was out there weeding the patch. The oregano has come back brilliantly & its spread a bit.
Come to notice that within the oregano patch there are no weeds. It seems to repel weeds from inside its area.
I'd rather have oregano than crabgrass n prickly thistle

I love its taste & I will be planting some marjoham
also in the mint family.

Basil, oregano & marjorham are the best herbs to enhance my meals!

In colorado, I have a 5 year old oregano planting that is suddenly going wild. It is in a space that has been used as a vegetable garden for decades, with a full 9-12 hours of direct sun a day. I am not planting it this year and instead planting everything in containers, hoping to do a major overhaul of the garden.
I have a spot on the north side of my house that is largely ignored and would love for it to be put to use. If I transplant some of this oregano to this area will it survive?

I adore my rampant oregano- I actually bought more and planted it ! ( Dumb ). I love the flowers- it doesn't spread as crazy as mint- the clump just keeps getting LARGER. Love the idea of just moving it around- I have some growing in shade & it isn't as robust- but still lovely. I like a shaggy, cottage look so I'm going to move it over where the grass won't grow. Great idea !