Stinky Herb

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by SueCT

Well it is really easy to determine. pick a leaf and taste it. Or bring one to garden center and let them smell it. I can tell oregano by the smell. They should be able to also, if you don't know what it smells like.

Sue, this is confusing as it looks like oregano but tastes weird. Now I remember planting oregano in that spot. The taste was soapy to me, not something to shake on a slice of pizza.

When purchasing an oregano plant , this is a good technique. I bought oregano thinking it could be used for tomato sauce, but this was a very weak variety.

Greek oregano is what I grow or buy now. It smells like Ray's Pizza in New York.

I also have a perennial varigated oregano that I use as a border plant. Not a tasty leaf either.

- Lisa

[bower]

I've grown peppers near oregano (but not in the same bed) and I thought it was a happy combo. The oregano is just the right height to create a little windbreak for the peppers, and it hosts beneficials too.
But oregano is not what I'd call a light feeding companion... it doesn't spread by runners but the roots will fan out and dig deep, and will end up exploiting the ferts you put for peppers. What I did was to dig out a part of the oregano roots, leaving a trench which I then filled with bigger rocks, and made my bed and pepper row on the other side of the rocks. That worked fine for me, and maybe 3? I think, years later, the oregano is still nicely contained as a hedge and is not invading the vegetable beds. So if I were you I 'd use something to wall it off from your veggies below ground.

[greenthumbomaha]

[QUOTE=bower;698290]I've grown peppers near oregano (but not in the same bed) and I thought it was a happy combo. The oregano is just the right height to create a little windbreak for the peppers, and it hosts beneficials too.
But oregano is not what I'd call a light feeding companion... it doesn't spread by runners but the roots will fan out and dig deep, and will end up exploiting the ferts you put for peppers. What I did was to dig out a part of the oregano roots, leaving a trench which I then filled with bigger rocks, and made my bed and pepper row on the other side of the rocks. That worked fine for me, and maybe 3? I think, years later, the oregano is still nicely contained as a hedge and is not invading the vegetable beds. So if I were you I 'd use something to wall it off from your veggies below ground.[/QUOTE

Good to know! It's hard to see in the photo, but that landscape timber area is no more than 4X4. Maybe a cucumber instead with lots of 10-10-10, or park a pot there.

- Lisa