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March 2010

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Growing guide

Site:
Sweet marjoram needs a well-drained to dry, neutral to alkaline soil, and a sunny, sheltered position. It does well in a container; use a soil-based compost with plenty of added grit or sand.

Propagation:
Sow indoors in mid-spring, leaving the seed uncovered. The seedlings are prone to the fungal disease 'damping off', so do not overwater. Transplant them outdoors in early summer. Take basal cuttings from established plants in summer and overwinter them under cover.

Crop care:
Cut back after flowering and apply a liquid feed to encourage new growth. Plants are unlikely to survive the winter, but applying a thick mulch around the roots in autumn is said to improve the odds. Container plants should be moved under cover.

Harvesting:
Pick leaves to use fresh as needed through the growing season. Pick leaves for drying just before the plants flower.

Uses:
All origanum species retain their flavour well when dried, but sweet marjoram, which has a more delicate flavour than oregano, is particularly good used fresh, added towards the end of cooking. A staple of Mediterranean cuisine, it is good in tomato sauces, with pasta and on pizzas, with summer vegetables, in meat dishes and in stuffings.
Raw leaves can be used to flavour oil and vinegar, or added to salads. A tea can be made from the fresh or dried leaves, and the flowering tops have been used as a flavouring for ale. The seeds are also edible (though the plant rarely sets seed in this country) and are added to condiments and meat products, and used to flavour drinks.

Herbs to know & grow... Sweet marjoram

Apples

The origanum genus is a close-knit and somewhat incestuous clan comprising 20 species, a number of hybrids, and some complicated nomenclature. Its members are known in English as oreganos and marjorams – often interchangeably. For a start, oregano O. vulgare is also known as wild marjoram.
The species most commonly referred to as ‘marjoram’ is properly called sweet marjoram; it also goes by the name knotted marjoram, and botanically it’s Origanum majorana. Its native range stretches from North Africa to Turkey, where it grows on dry, rocky slopes – so it is hardly surprising that it is classed as half-hardy. Though a perennial, it is generally grown as an annual in this country because it does not normally survive the winter outdoors in cool or wet climates.

Sweet marjoram has a height and spread of 30cm (12in), downy, oval, pale green leaves and tiny white flowers in ‘knotted’ clusters, almost hidden by green bracts. The leaves have a ‘floral’ aroma, like a sweeter version of thyme. Other ‘marjorams’ are pot marjoram (or Greek or Turkish oregano) O. onites, French marjoram (or French oregano) O. x onites, and hardy marjoram (or Italian oregano) O. x majoricum. All are somewhat hardier and can substitute for sweet marjoram in cooking – but none are reckoned to have as good a flavour.

Apples

All origanum species attract pollinating insects and so make good companion plants. They are said to deter aphids and improve the flavour of nearby vegetables.

Did you know… ?

A tea made from sweet marjoram will ease headaches and colds; 16th-century herbalist Gerard records its use against ‘cold diseases of the braine’. It has a calming effect and may relieve insomnia – as may a pillow stuffed with the dried herb. Perhaps not unrelatedly, sweet marjoram is also said to reduce sexual libido.

An infusion of the herb can settle the stomach, and is used to treat digestive upsets, respiratory conditions and menstrual problems. Macerated in oil, it makes a rub for rheumatic pains, sprains, bruises and headaches, and chewing the leaves will dull toothache. The plant also has antiseptic properties.

Origanum species should not be used medicinally during pregnancy.

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