A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Oregano Question

I apologize if this post comes up twice, it says that it didn't go through so I am doing it again:

This may sound like a rediculous question, but here goes:

How do I know when I can start eating or drying my oregano plant? and also, is the whole plant edible?!!??!

Thanks for your patience everyone!!!!!!!

ninni

ninniwinky,
How "old" is your plant? i believe you can use the whole plant.leaves & stems can be used in sauces and stews and soups.

I snip mine for drying just when the flower buds are getting ready to pop. I watch and in the morning before the warm gets to it, I snip off and start to dry.
I don't know about the whole thing as I just use the leaves.

Ninniwinky...The more you pinch your plant back the bushier it will get and the prettier it will be. I don't let mine bloom...I keep it pinched back most of the time. You can dry the leaves on the stems and then when it is good & dry remove the leaves. Sometimes after the clippings have dried I put leaves, stem & all in the food processor and make a "powder". If you need some oregano in a recipe..you can just pinch some off and use it fresh from the plant and throw it in....but remember...the dried herbs are stronger so you don't need to use as much.

My plant is quite young, It is two months old, started from seed. It is very little right now, no signs of flowers for a while yet, so I think anyway. I am such a beginner that when I started my oregano seeds, I put them too deep and I put half the package in the pot, a little 6" pot. a few weeks went by and they STILL were not growing!! My fiance told me I probably buried them to deep. So i took a spoon and started flipping over the soil in the pot and sure enough, there were 10 - 20 little plants not able to make it up through, So i turned the dirt over two or three times and the next day I had about 20 little plants starting. Now they are getting tall and gangly, I have no idea if Oregano is suppose to look like that. Quite honestly I don't even know how to pinch those plants back....The Tallest little sprig is about 4" tall I think it is ready to droop over, is it ok for oregano to do that?

Thanks!!!!

ninni