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October 22, 2024

This Week's Garden Gab:
​OREGANO | Nature's Antibiotic?

Disclaimer: I'm starting this edition of the newsletter with a disclaimer. I am not any kind of medical or academic doctor. I am merely one who loves reading about medical and health 'stuff' in addition to gardening, which, leads me to say again... I am not a doctor.

Any information in this edition is simply curated from credible online sources. If you decide to try anything read here, do so knowing that the information here is just that, information. Do with it what you wish. I'm making no claims. I'm just sharing what I do and my experience. Did I cover myself enough? 😜 OK, let's go.

Hi Reader!

One of the first rules of having a vegetable garden is to grow what you like to eat. I have a close second rule of gardening which is, grow what can benefit your health.

For the most part, just about anything that you grow in your vegetable gardening is going to be good for your health, especially if organically grown.

Oregano is one of those plants I grow for my health in addition to its tasty spicing affect when cooking.

In this edition:

• What is Oregano
• Natural Properties of Oregano
• Growing Oregano
• Why and How to Make Oil of Oregano
• Fun Facts About Oregano

Education:

What is Oregano?

Oregano is a woody stemmed perennial flowering plant in the mint family. It will have purple, pink or white flowers during it's growing season; and the flowers are edible. It does well in cool weather but will not survive long days of cold (sub-freezing) temperatures.

Properties of Oregano

It has been said that oregano has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

Read more below.

Benefits of Oregano by By Shize Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist: Read here >> 10 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Oregano​

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More Benefits and Uses by By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.,F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T.: Read here >> Outstanding Oregano Benefits Uses

How to Cook with Oregano by MasterClass: Read Here >> A Culinary Guide to Oregano: Benefits and 11 Uses for Oregano​

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Application:

Growing Oregano

I find it easy to grow oregano here in Zone 8a. I started a container of it from seed last summer. It survived winter; surprisingly even a couple of below freezing nights, being on the full sun south side of my property probably helped. Come Spring it started to grow quickly and soon outgrew the container I had it in. I neglected it to the point where it was a woody, root bound mess.

So, I took the whole mess from the pot, sawed through it with a garden knife, then placed the a chunk into a large pot with fresh soil. It looked pitiful for 2-3 weeks but then I started to see fresh little baby leaves.

The picture at the top is that plant. It is beautiful still as we head into winter. I will harvest and dry most of the leaves on it soon.

Read here about how to grow and maintain oregano.

Another good article by Better Homes and Garden: How to Plant and Grow Oregano​

Selection:

After reading about the benefits of oregano a couple of years ago, I decided to make oregano oil.

Why make this oregano oil? I'm not against pharmaceuticals at all. They have a significant place in the care of serious health issues and injuries, but for me, if I can make and take something that is a natural product early enough to mitigate a cold, or some bug and its symptoms then why spend money, time, and the unnecessary drugging of my body for a simple cold.

I figure if the oregano oil works, then I can make it and take care of the situation myself. For me, it has worked!

🪴Here is a recipe and also how to make and use infused oregano oil written by pharmacist turned herbalist. How to make Oregano Oil at home.

I make a batch in September for the winter season, then again around February for the Spring allergy season. You can see above that I don't stress about 'fancy labels'. :) However, I did buy these cute little 2 oz. blue glass dropper bottles for all my concoctions.

I usually place a few drops in my morning glass of water, and I place a few drops under my tongue at night before bed. If I feel something coming on in my throat, chest or head, I'll take a few drops throughout the day.

By the way, you can use oregano leaves from your own plant after drying them, or you can purchase dried oregano leaves, preferably organic.

Edification:

🪴25 Fun Facts about Oregano!🪴

Fact #2 made me smile.

That's all I have for this edition. Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

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I'll see you in the next edition!

Jan🤗

If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jan@gardenease.org