Marjoram (Origanum majorana) belongs to the herbaceous perennials that belong to the Lamiaceae family. In the natural environment, the plant is found in the countries of Central America and North Africa.
In ancient times, the Romans and Egyptians valued marjoram for its medicinal and decorative properties and was often used as a spice in cooking. In Greece, it was believed that the herb has magical powers that can restore lost love. According to legend, marjoram received its pronounced aroma thanks to the goddess of love Aphrodite. There is even a kind of ritual when the heads of young people to be married are decorated with wreaths woven from this fragrant marjoram herb. In ancient Rome, the plant was used as an aphrodisiac.
Today the spice is widely popular all over the world. It is used as an additive in the preparation of various fish and vegetable dishes or in preservation. The leaves of the plant can be eaten fresh or dried. Many desserts, liqueurs, liqueurs are made on the basis of marjoram, which gives a special smell and taste.
Marjoram description
The height of the branched gray stems reaches 20-50 cm. Closer to the surface of the substrate, the shoots become lignified. Oblong leaves have blunt ends and petiole base. Both the inner and outer sides of the plate are covered with a felt coating. The inflorescences consist of gray shaggy bunches of a rounded shape, which are woven into sessile spikelets. Most marjoram varieties start blooming in the middle of summer, then small buds with red or white or pink corollas appear on the stems. Marjoram bears fruit in egg-shaped nuts, smooth to the touch. For cultivation, they use mostly annual marjoram, called garden marjoram.
Growing marjoram from seeds
Sowing seeds
Growing marjoram is carried out using seedlings, so you will first have to do sowing. Seeds do not germinate well in open field conditions. Growing marjoram seedlings and caring for them do not cause difficulties for gardeners. Grass seeds are mixed with sand at a ratio of 1: 5. The optimal time to start sowing marjoram seeds is in April. Boxes for future seedlings are filled with a mixture of humus and turf at a rate of 1: 2, adding crushed chalk.
After the soil has been leveled and thoroughly moistened, grooves are dug out with a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. The seeds are deepened by only a few millimeters and are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. From above, the seedling boxes are covered with foil or glass and transferred to a room where room temperature prevails. The sprouts take at least 2-3 weeks to show up. Then the boxes are moved to a room with a lower temperature (about 15 ºC).
Marjoram at home
After the sprouts begin to grow in mass, they are watered as needed.The substrate should be moistened, but not overflowed with water. Wet ground will not do any good. In addition to watering, the soil is periodically loosened. In May, the first leaves of the seedlings are already formed. This is an excuse to transplant plants into a greenhouse or greenhouse. Here they will quickly get stronger and grow up. The picking stage is allowed to be skipped if the distance between the seedlings is taken into account in advance when planting.
The thermophilic marjoram plant does not tolerate even small frosts. Therefore, before sending it to the open ground, the grass is hardened. The film is regularly removed from the boxes, then the seedlings can quickly get used to the environment. The hardening process is extended from day to day so that the marjoram bushes get used to the fresh air. Moistening the soil during the hardening period is done a little less often than in the usual mode.
Planting marjoram outdoors
When to plant
Planting marjoram in open ground is carried out on condition that dangerous spring frosts are not returned. We are talking about the end of May or the beginning of June, when the weather has definitely stabilized. From 15 to 20 medium-sized seedlings are planted on the garden bed, since the culture shows a tendency to bushiness. From such a bed, you can collect a sufficient amount of the crop necessary for home use. The location of the site is chosen in the light, away from drafts.
For growing marjoram, sandy loam and loamy soil is suitable, fully warmed up by the sun's rays. Crop beds are best done on the site of previous potato plantings. They are prepared in advance of transplanting seedlings. The depth of the furrows should be about 20 cm. The site is also pre-fertilized with humus or compost, while adding mineral granules of superphosphate or potassium sulfate. The dug up bed is watered abundantly.
Landing scheme
Marjoram seedlings are transplanted into open ground in accordance with agrotechnical rules. The gap between the seedlings is kept from 15 to 20 cm.The rows themselves are placed at a distance of 40 cm from each other. The soil is moistened first. Handfuls of compost are poured into the holes, then seedlings are placed in them along with an earthen clod. The surface is tamped and watered. The rooting process takes about 2-3 weeks.
For successful adaptation, young marjoram bushes need protection from the scorching sun at midday and regular watering. When the seedlings take root properly, they are fed with saltpeter dissolved in water. Each square meter of the ridge takes about a bucket of water.
Marjoram care
Caring for marjoram is exactly the same as for other crops. The area with sowing of grass is moistened, loosened and weeds are removed from it, fertilizing is applied and the plants are protected from pests. Weeding is of great importance, since the heat-loving plant reacts sharply to the lack of free space and the lack of drainage. It is recommended that you take care of your marjoram regularly and thoroughly.
Watering
The spice is drought tolerant, but still requires constant moisture. Without water, the leaves become faded and lose their attractiveness. Watering the plant is best done in the morning or in the evening with warm, settled water. In July, the volume of water applied under the bushes is halved and watering is organized only if a crust forms on the upper layer of the soil. Moistened soil must be loosened.
Feeding
Three weeks after planting seedlings on the site, the marjoram is fed with complex fertilizers. To do this, mix potassium salt, urea and superphosphate and dilute in a bucket of water. For the plant to grow and develop normally, such feeding is quite enough.
Diseases and pests
Young plantings of marjoram are susceptible to Alternaria disease, when the leaves are covered with spots. The consequences of the disease are the cessation of grass growth. Alternaria is aggravated by wet weather and thickened crops.You can stop the spread of the disease by treating the foliage with fungicidal preparations.
Often there is an infection of the culture with moth larvae, which eats the ground green mass. Only spraying with insecticides destroys pests.
Collection and storage of marjoram
It is allowed to collect marjoram herbs several times during the season. For example, in July and September. The leaves of the plant are carefully cut with a sharp knife and washed under running clean water to get rid of the dust that has accumulated over the entire time. Leaves are dried on paper, spreading them in a thin layer, or tied to the ceiling in attics or shelves. When the marjoram bunches are completely dry, the raw materials are sorted out and foreign debris or yellow leaves are separated. Then it is manually crushed and poured into glass jars, tightly closed with a lid. It is advisable to store the spice in a dark, dry place.
In the beds where marjoram was grown, vegetables such as turnips, carrots, beets or radishes take root well.
Types and varieties of marjoram with photos
Gardeners prefer to grow only 2 types of marjoram: leaf and flower. The first type of grass has a strong, spreading stem and extensive vegetation, but it gives few inflorescences, the other is valued for its decorative and medicinal properties. The best varieties of marjoram include:
- Baikal - bushes of medium length, characterized by white lush spikelets, exuding a fragrant aroma, and attractive green foliage;
- Gourmet gives a high yield and ripens in about three months. The height of the stems reaches about 60 cm. The leaves of the plant are no less fragrant than those of the previous species, but the color of the leaves looks a tone lighter;
- Tushinsky Semko is a variety belonging to Russian breeders. The ripening period is 130-140 days. The bushes branch little, and the leaves are covered with a felt bloom. The lower part of the plant stiffens over time. The foliage is oblong with pointed ends. The flowers are made up of tiny buds that stretch out into long spikelets. The stems and leaves will be edible until flowering begins, then they can be consumed fresh;
- Thermos - has erect silvery stems that can grow up to 40 cm in length. The foliage is small, green in color. Inflorescences in white tones.
- Scandi is a medium-sized, fragrant variety with small ovoid leaves with a smooth surface. The variety blooms with white inflorescences.
Properties and uses of marjoram
Beneficial features
The beneficial components of marjoram accumulate mainly in the flowering spikelets of the plant. Trace elements, pectins, flavonoids, phytoncides, vitamins, essential oils and other active biological substances were found in the tissues of the grass.
In folk medicine, marjoram is valued for a number of useful properties, for example, an herb:
- is an excellent remedy for toothache, relieves inflammation, strengthens the enamel and heals the gums;
- acts as an effective expectorant for lung diseases;
- used in the treatment of reproductive disorders, menstrual irregularities and other gynecological diseases;
- improves blood circulation and affects the formation of new blood cells;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and digestive processes, eliminates foci of inflammation in the intestines and helps to get rid of flatulence;
- has a diuretic effect and relieves swelling of the bladder;
- fights insomnia and has a calming effect on the body.
Recipes
Herbal extracts of marjoram are recommended to be taken as a tea. To prepare it, you need to take 2 tsp. dried herb powder and pour 2.5 tbsp. boiling water, then let it brew. Marjoram tea helps with headaches. Herbal ointments from the leaves are used for rheumatism, treatment of bruises, healing of abrasions and other wounds, as well as for colds in babies. To prepare a medicinal ointment at home, 1 tsp. dried herbs are mixed with 1 tsp. alcohol and 1 tsp. melted butter.The mixture is thoroughly warmed up in a water bath, squeezed through a sieve or cheesecloth and cooled. If a baby starts having a runny nose, doctors advise mothers to lubricate the wings of the nose with this ointment inside.
Essential oil based on marjoram, which looks like a liquid tart and fragrant medicine, is of particular value in folk and official medicine. It is often used in aromatherapy to relieve tension, anxiety and feel refreshed and energized. Essential oil helps with warts and calluses. Just a few drops of marjoram oil, dissolved in olive oil, are enough to lubricate problem areas on the skin. The oil can also be added to conventional hand and foot creams. As a result, the skin becomes softer and more velvety.
Contraindications
An overdose of the herb causes severe migraine attacks. Due to the content of the hormone phytoestrogen, the marjoram plant is not recommended for pregnant women with thrombosis and thrombophlebitis. In large quantities, marjoram is dangerous for this category of people, so the seasoning should be used with caution so as not to provoke health problems. Small children under the age of five are not allowed to add marjoram flowers or leaves to their food.
