How to Grow Marjoram
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Marjoram is delicate, citrusy, and mild. It’s easy to learn how to grow marjoram and it has great health benefits and culinary uses. It’s a great herb to grow when learning how to start an herb garden.
What is marjoram
Marjoram is a popular her to grow. It’s in the mint family as is oregano. It’s aromatic and sweet. It has green fuzzy oval-shaped leaves that grow opposite one another on the stem of the plant in little knots or clusters. Many times it’s called sweet marjoram to distinguish it from oregano. There are around 40 species of marjoram.
It has a slightly woody, floral, slightly sharp, and citrusy flavor, most similar to thyme but stronger scented and sweeter in flavor.
What Are the Culinary Uses for Marjoram?
Marjoram can be used fresh or dried. You can wrap in into a sachet for stews or braises. You can sprinkle it fresh into dishes. Dried marjoram is a great addition to dressings and meats. It’s more subtle than oregano so it can be used in more delicate ways.
If you have to substitute oregano for marjoram, use about half the amount as it’s much stronger.
Marjoram benefits
Marjoram is medicinal with anti-inflammatory benefits as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. It can be brewed as a medicinal tea. Marjoram essential oils can be used to treat colds, asthma coughs, aid in digestion, regulate menstrual cycles and increase breastmilk supply, and decrease blood pressure. Of course, consult a doctor before using marjoram medicinally.
Marjoram has so many health benefits, here are some more:
- Digestive health-it stimulates the digestive tract and even the scent promotes digestion to begin. Gas, bloating and indigestion can be relieved with marjoram tea.
- Antioxidants like those found in marjoram protect from heart disease as well as protecting many other organs. It is also known to relax the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure when the scent is inhaled.
- Marjoram can inhibit certain enzymes that exacerbate diabetes so, in turn, it helps to control the condition.
- Marjoram is useful in helping restore hormone balance in women. This helps during menstruation as well as menopause. It has been used to encourage lactation and help mothers produce more milk as well.
- Marjoram essential oil can help remedy stress and anxiety. It can be diffused around the home so you can inhale the vapors or diluted in a carrier oil to make a massage oil.
- Marjoram is useful in pain relief from muscle pain and spasm. This includes tension headaches. a few drops of marjoram essential oil can be added to a carrier old and massaged into the affected area.
- It can also treat a range of respiratory issues as an essential oil. It helps with the common cold, flu, and bronchitis.
Planting marjoram
- Marjoram is a low-growing herb, so it can be planted in a container or window box. It would make a great garden edging as well.
- Sow your seeds indoors in early spring (or buy plants at the garden store)
- When you are ready to plant them, soak them in water overnight beforehand for better germination.
- Cover them with a light layer of soil and water lightly.
- Transplant the seedlings into bigger pots when they outgrow your seed starting pods.
- Keep them indoors until all danger of frost has passed. (See your last average frost date here)
- Plant the plants 12 inches apart in full sun with well-drained soil and some shelter from the wind.
Growing marjoram
- Water once per week an inch deep.
- Cut leaves throughout the growing season and make sure the plant is not allowed to flower. This will stimulate the plant to grow more leaves.
- In warm climates, it will overwinter and grow as a perennial. Or if you live in a cooler climate, you can pot them up and bring them indoors in winter and grow in a sunny windowsill.
- Marjoram does not require fertilizer. Most herbs grow better in poor quality soil and marjoram is no different.
Marjoram can be susceptible to aphids as well as rabbit damage. In addition, it can fall to root rot if the soil does not drain well. The best varieties to grow are sweet marjoram which has a sweeter flavor and variegated marjoram which has gorgeous yellow and green foliage.
Pick your herbs throughout the season. They can be used fresh, frozen for later use, or dried like is shown here. Then stored in an airtight container.
I hope you will try this delicious and lovely herb in your herb garden. It makes wonderful meals as well as a beautiful plant to look at. And if you grow too much, there are many things you can do with excess herbs.
Check out this month-by-month vegetable garden guide for when to plant in your garden. For more herb gardening basics, check this out.
For more herb growing tips, check these out:
For more herb gardening basics, check this out.
