Content
Oregano is an aromatic spice that is also valued for its medicinal properties. Therefore, many gardeners prefer to plant this plant in the country and in personal plots. But not everyone knows that if you want, you can grow oregano in a pot at home on the windowsill. To do this, you only need to provide favorable conditions of detention, taking into account the requirements of the culture. And then fresh fragrant greens will always be at hand.
Oregano as a spice goes well with meat, vegetable dishes and desserts
Oregano varieties for growing at home
For home cultivation, you should choose low-growing oregano varieties with compact bushes. In this case, the plants will look organic on the windowsill. After all, oregano is characterized by long flowering, therefore, when grown on a windowsill, you can get not only a spice, but also a highly decorative flowerpot.
Popular varieties of oregano for home conditions:
- Aurea (Aureum). Plant height reaches 30-40 cm. A characteristic feature of the variety is the golden hue of the leaves. The color of this homemade oregano varies from light pink to lilac, depending on the intensity of the light.
- Compactum. This variety is characterized by low bushes, the height of which is 20 cm when grown at home. This is achieved through short internodes and densely spaced small leaves. Oregano Compactum is undemanding to care. Blooms from June to mid-September, forming pink paniculate inflorescences.
- Golden Shine. The height of the bushes of this variety of homemade oregano reaches 30 cm.The leaves are half golden in color. The variety is characterized by pale pink flowers. Reacts poorly to sudden temperature changes.
- Acorn Bank. English grade of oregano. The height of its bushes reaches 45 cm when grown at home. It is characterized by large leaves about 2.5 cm long. The color of the plates is yellow-green without sharp transitions. The edges of the leaves are slightly wavy, curling inward. The petals are white and the stamens are pink.
- Country Cream (Country Cream). The height of the bushes of this variety of home oregano varies from 10 to 45 cm. A distinctive feature of the perennial is the light beige frame of the leaves. Flowering lasts 3 months, the color of the petals is pink-lilac.
How to grow oregano (oregano) at home on a windowsill
The successful cultivation of homemade oregano from seeds on the windowsill depends on the correct planting. This procedure implies compliance with certain rules that should not be ignored.
Soil preparation
Oregano belongs to the category of undemanding plants to the composition of the soil. However, in order for this perennial to grow lush bushes on the windowsill, a nutritious soil with good air and moisture permeability is needed. You can buy a suitable substrate in the store, choosing with the note "Universal" or prepare it yourself.
To do this, you need to mix turf, peat, leafy soil, sand, humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1. Additionally, 100 g of wood ash must be added to the resulting soil mixture for every 10 liters.After that, the substrate must be mixed well.
A few days before planting homemade oregano, the soil must be disinfected. To do this, you should use any of the proposed methods:
- Ferry. The substrate must be kept in a water bath for 10-15 minutes, stirring gradually throughout the entire time.
- In the oven. Pour the soil on a baking sheet in a layer of 2-3 cm. Put in the oven for 30 minutes and turn on the temperature to 60 degrees.
- Potassium permanganate. Pour a bright pink solution over the substrate. Before planting, it must be slightly dried until flowability appears.
Seed preparation
Oregano seeds do not need special preparation before planting. But in order to accelerate germination and strengthen the immunity of future sprouts, it is necessary to soak them in a solution of "Epin" or "Zircon" for a day. After that, the seeds should be slightly dried and sowed immediately.
Oregano planting material is very small. Therefore, for sowing convenience, it can be mixed with sand. This will distribute the seeds evenly over the soil surface.
Prepared oregano seeds cannot be stored
Choosing a container for planting
For sowing, wide containers with a height of 10-12 cm should be chosen. They should have drainage holes to remove excess water. You can also use plastic cups or peat tablets.
Seat selection
The seed pot should be kept in a dark place until sprouts appear. And in the future, oregano seedlings must be grown on the eastern or southern windowsill. This plant tolerates direct sunlight well, so there is no need to shade additional seedlings.
With a lack of light, the sprouts of home oregano stretch out, turn pale. Therefore, the northern windowsill is not suitable for growing.
Landing rules
Sowing oregano seeds is carried out according to the standard scheme. Therefore, anyone, even a novice florist, can cope with this procedure.
Algorithm of actions:
- Lay drainage on the bottom of the container with a layer of 1 cm.
- Fill the remaining volume with nutritious soil mixture, not filling it up to the top edge of 1 cm.
- It is good to water the soil and wait for the moisture to be completely absorbed.
- Smooth and slightly compact the substrate surface.
- Sow oregano seeds mixed with sand evenly.
- Sprinkle them on top with a layer of earth 0.5 cm thick.
- Moisten the soil from above with a spray bottle.
After planting homemade oregano, the container must be covered with glass or foil to create favorable conditions for seed germination. Then you should transfer the container to a dark place with a temperature of + 22-24 degrees. This mode of keeping should be until the emergence of friendly shoots, and only then rearranged on the windowsill. Throughout the waiting period, the pot must be ventilated daily and condensation collected on the glass must be removed.
Oregano seeds germinate 7-10 days after planting
Required conditions for growing oregano
The sprouts of homemade oregano at the initial stage of development are very delicate and fragile. And any, even minor errors in the care and maintenance of the grower, can cause their death. To prevent this, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for their development.
After the emergence of friendly shoots, the pot with sprouts must be transferred to a light windowsill and the maintenance regime must be reduced to +20 degrees. This is necessary to prevent stretching of the aerial part of the sprouts of home oregano and stimulate the development of the root system.
A week later, the temperature must be increased to +22 degrees and daylight hours must be provided for at least 14 hours. Watering the seedlings of homemade oregano should be done only from a spray bottle until they are strong. For irrigation, use settled water at room temperature. It is necessary to moisten the oregano on the windowsill as the top layer of the soil dries up, preventing moisture stagnation.
When the seedlings grow up, they must be adapted to external conditions, and then completely remove the film or glass. At the stage of four true leaves, the plants need to be dived into separate cups. This should be done with a lump of earth to minimize stress.
Early on, oregano seedlings develop slowly.
Home care for oregano (oregano)
To successfully grow oregano at home in a pot on a windowsill, you need to adhere to standard care rules. This plant is considered unpretentious, but in order for the bushes to grow greens well, the basic requirements of the culture should be taken into account.
Watering
As the seedlings of home oregano grow on the windowsill, their root system grows and deepens significantly. Therefore, you need to take this into account when watering. It is rarely necessary to moisten the plants on the windowsill, but abundantly. After watering, it is necessary that the water remains in the pan for half an hour. And after this time, the leftovers must be poured out.
In hot periods, humidification of homemade oregano on the windowsill should be carried out 2-3 times a week, and at other times - once every 7 days.
Fertilizers and feeding
In the first season after planting, there is no need to fertilize oregano, since the plant will use the nutrients that are in the substrate. It is recommended to start feeding only next spring. During this period, organic matter can be used, namely mullein 1:10 or chicken droppings 1:15. This feeding is recommended to be carried out one-time in April.
The second time to apply fertilizers should be before the flowering of homemade oregano on the windowsill. During this period, superphosphate (15 g) and potassium sulfide (10 g) should be used per 5 liters of water. At least 0.5 liters of nutrient solution must be added under each bush.
The third time to apply fertilizers for homemade oregano is in the fall, namely, in mid-September. During this period, wood ash should be used. To do this, pour 100 g of the component with 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 24 hours. After the time has elapsed, bring the total volume of liquid to 5 liters, mix and strain. With the resulting solution, you need to feed the oregano bushes on the windowsill at the rate of 0.5 liters for each bush.
Fertilizers with a high nitrogen content cannot be used for homemade oregano
Protection against diseases and pests
Any mistakes in caring for oregano on the windowsill negatively affect its immunity. As a result, the plant becomes susceptible to diseases and pests. To prevent this, it is necessary to regularly inspect the bushes of home oregano and, if alarming signs appear, remove the affected seedlings.
You should also periodically loosen the potted soil to prevent root rot development.
To prevent damage, it is necessary in the spring to spray the bushes of home oregano with a Bordeaux mixture at the rate of 20 g per bucket of water.
Conclusion
You can grow oregano in a pot at home without much difficulty. After all, this culture requires increased attention of the grower only at the initial stage of development, and in the future it needs only minimal care. This makes it possible to have fresh herb on the windowsill, which is ideal for main courses and salads, as well as desserts.
