 However you pronounce it, oregano, or oregano mate, it's all the same plant to me. G'day, I'm Mark from Self-Sufficient Me and in this video I'm going to give you guys my five top tips on how to grow a ton of oregano in a good sized container such as this. So let's just get into it. Have a look at this plant cascading over this part. It really does look beautiful but to keep it in top shape like this there's a certain routine that I do go through every few years or so to keep this plant healthy. And I'll show you what I'm talking about in the last tip, tip number five. It doesn't take much to do but it really does make a big difference to the health of the plant. And a healthy herb plant means plenty of healthy food for us. Speaking of health, oregano is known for its high levels of antioxidants. That's those cancer-fighting qualities and is currently still being studied by medical experts on ways to extract and use these ingredients contained in oregano to make medicines for an array of ailments. But more often than not, I think the best way to get the benefits of these types of foods is to grow them yourself. Tip number one, where to grow. Oregano is a member of the Mint family and I've done a how to grow a ton of Mint video if you want to catch that later. The word oregano is derived from the Greek. Aros, meaning mountain and Gannos, meaning joy. Mountain because you do see it growing naturally on the rocky outcrops of mountains and cliffs in the Mediterranean. And I guess the joy part is how wonderful it is at flavoring foods. So since oregano does grow in harsh conditions naturally, that's good news. That means it does grow quite easy at home in containers such as this or in rocky garden beds where other plants might find it more difficult to grow. Oregano does do best in full sun and you want the soil to be free draining. If anything, oregano will tolerate horrible dry and dusty soils, but it will not do well in wet boggy ground or mediums. To first start growing oregano, I would sow it or plant seedlings in the springtime. A nice sunny garden bed or in a container like this, just make sure the container has a good premium potting mix. Tip number two, grow it for the long term. Here I am down here. You don't have to buy plants constantly all the time from the nursery or sow more seed year after year, especially for something like oregano to keep it fresh and plump. That's a bit of a myth. Oregano is fine to keep growing for years and years. You don't need to grow it as an annual at all to keep it growing well. Yes, you will find that oregano will go through certain seasonal stages where it won't grow as well as it should. Oregano slows down growth in winter, looking shabby and straggly. And in hot climates, such as here in the subtropics, it hates the middle of summer too. So we do get good growth for about six months of the year, and for the other six months we still use it, but it isn't as plentiful and lush. Regardless, don't get downhearted if your oregano dies back a little or doesn't grow as strong as you think it should because it will bounce back. And like I said, think about growing it for the long term. Tip number three, use it or prune it. A great way to keep your oregano leaves fresh and plump is to harvest them often. It's just what would happen in the wild anyway. Animals would come along and they'd graze on these plants, and that would make them grow back even more and more bushy. That's what they're adapt to. And as you know, with most herbs and food plants, the new growth and shoots are often the best. You'd be surprised at how much you can prune oregano without doing any permanent damage. So don't be afraid to give it a good haircut, and it'll grow back nice and lush, just like my hair used to in my 20s. Tip number four, water regularly in hot weather. One thing I have noticed about growing oregano here in a hot climate, sub-tropyl climate, is that it does suffer tremendously in the middle of summer or in a really hot day. And because it does prefer lighter-free draining soils, rather than heavier soils that might hold water better, it does put it at a bit of a disadvantage in a warm climate such as this. Therefore, during summer, do keep an eye on your oregano plant. And if you see it suffering a little, like the leaves are wilting, then give it a good drink, and that should stop any issues with dye off or permanent dye back due to overheating in the hot weather. Tip number five, fork it! When growing oregano in a container such as this, over time the soil can become compacted and depleted of nutrients. When this happens, the plant finds it difficult to get the water and the nutrients or food that it needs to grow well. So what I do to fix this problem is during winter, when the plant slows down growth, or may hardly be growing at all, I firstly give the plant a good cutback, like I mean a real cutback, almost back to soil level. Then I fork through the top of the plant and soil all over the place. And what this does is not only loosen the soil, but it airs it out, and also allows water, compost and nutrients to penetrate the surface, thereby improving the container medium overall. I then add compost, either our own homemade stuff, or a good quality commercial mix, and give it a thorough watering to ensure it gets in. You might find it necessary to apply more than just one layer of compost, because it will get absorbed into the pot. After that, you'll find that your oregano plant will slowly recover. In this case, it grew from the outside in, and it will eventually take over the pot again and grow back very happy indeed. If you feel like the plant needs a boost, then you can apply a little fertilizer, but be careful not to over fertilize as it can do more harm than good. Oregano is well adapted to getting the most out of the soil as it is, so too much love is not good. And that's it. Those were my five top tips on how to grow a ton of oregano. And I think it's appropriate for such a sun-loving plant that the sun has come out finally for the end of this video. Remember the five top tips where to grow. Grow it for the long term, use it or prune it, water regularly in hot weather, and fork it. Do all those things right, and you'll grow a ton of oregano just like I can. Don't forget to give this video a big green thumbs up. Also, share it around because that does help peaks when you share my videos around on social media, etc. Thanks a lot for watching. Bye for now. Oregano. Oregano. Oregano, mate.