Sweet Marjoram

Marjoram is a delicate herb with soft, gray-green leaves and small, delicate white or pink flowers. This cold-sensitive perennial herb has essences of citrus and pine, adding beauty and soothing aromatics to your garden. Known for its mild, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor, marjoram is a perfect addition to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. It's incredibly versatile, from seasoning meats and stews to elevating the flavors of vegetables and soups. Beyond its culinary uses, marjoram is also packed with health benefits, including its soothing properties for digestion and its potential to support the immune system. This hardy herb thrives in both containers and garden beds, making it ideal for small spaces and urban gardens. Easy to grow and maintain, marjoram requires minimal care while rewarding you with abundant, flavorful leaves throughout the growing season. While similar to oregano, it has a milder flavor and is often used to garnish salads, soups, and meat dishes.

Also Known As: Sweet Marjoram, Knotted Marjoram, Pot Marjoram, Winter Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Joy Of The Mountains, Wild Marjoram, Garden Marjoram, Majorana Herb, Sausage Herb.

Plant Name:	Sweet Marjoram
Latin Name:	Origanum majorana
Days to Germinate:	7-14
Days to Harvest:	90
Plant Height:	1 - 2 Feet
Spread:	12 - 18 Inches
Growth Habit:	Bush
USDA Zones:	3-11
Lifespan:	Perennial
Brand:	TomorrowSeeds
Sunlight:	Full Sun, Partial Shade
Pollination:	Heirloom, Open-Pollinated
GMO:	No
Fungicide-Treated Seeds*:	No
Seeds Packed For**:	2025

*Fungicide-treated seeds protect the seedlings from diseases until they are up and growing. Do not eat treated seeds.
**Seeds are freshly packed for the growing season of the year listed. Seeds are still viable beyond pack date. Store in a cool and dry location such as the refrigerator or basement to best preserve germination rates.

Planting Instructions:

Soil Preparation:

Choose an area with heavy, well-draining soil that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Remove weeds, large rocks, and litter from the planting area. Leave small weeds and dead grass, they will enrich the soil when turned under. Spade or till the soil 8-12 inches deep. Loosening the soil will help the plant establish strong roots.

Plants grow best in soil with lots of organic matter. You may optionally add fertilizer or organic material such as compost, leaves, or rotted hay to mix into the soil at this point. For small gardens, scatter 2-3 tablespoons of fertilizer evenly and work into the top 2-3 inches of soil for each hill or 2 foot by 2 foot planting area. For larger gardens, scatter 2-3 pounds of a complete fertilizer for each 100 square feet of planting area. Work fertilizer or organic material into the soil and leave the surface smooth.

Form rows of soil beds 4-6 inches high and at least 18 inches apart. This formation of ridges will help with drainage.

Planting:

Starting Indoors: For an earlier harvest, you may optionally start planting indoors in containers 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date in Spring, keeping seedlings at least 70F. Harden off then transplant seedlings outdoors in a sunny location when temperatures are consistently above 60F. To transplant seedlings, prepare a transplant hole outdoors in a sunny location. Remove the plants carefully from the pots or flats and set them in the transplant holes, burying some of the stem in the ground. Pack the soil loosely around the plant and leave a slightly sunken area around each plant to hold water. Water the plants after transplanting.

Directly Sowing: If directly sowing outdoors, plant in late spring when the soil warms to at least 60F. For fall crops, directly sow outdoors or start seeding indoors and transplant seedlings outdoors at least 8 weeks before the first expected frost. If fall planting, plant in containers to prepare to store plants indoors over winter.

To plant, make holes 1/4 inch deep and spaced 12-18 inches apart down the rows of raised beds. Plant 2-3 seeds per hole. If choosing to thin to the strongest plant, determine the strongest and healthiest plant, then remove all other plants, narrowing to a single plant per hole. Cover seeds thinly with soil and water after planting.

Planting Depth:	1/4 inch
Within-Row Spacing:	12-18 inches
Between-Row Spacing:	18-24 inches

Care During the Season:

Watering: Water the plants deeply, soaking the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches, once a week. If there is no rainfall, water 2-3 times a week. Sandy soils may need to be watered more often than heavy clay soils.

Weeding: Keeping plants weed-free improves production. If plowing or hoeing, do not dig deeper than 1 inch to prevent from cutting the feeder roots.

Fertilizing: Once seedlings are established, 2-4 weeks after planting, you may optionally apply 2 tablespoons of a complete fertilizer around each hole, or 1-2 pounds per 100 square feet, without letting the fertilizer touch the plants. Water plants after fertilizing.

Insecticides: Insecticides may be used to protect plants. Bt-based insecticides and sulfur are organic options that can be used for prevention. Sulfur also has fungicidal properties and helps in controlling many diseases. Before using a pesticide, read the label and follow cautions, warnings and directions.

Diseases: If spots or mold appear, treat plants with an approved fungicide. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides may be used. When using fungicides always follow label directions.

Harvesting:

Harvest Marjoram when the plant has reached a height of about 6-8 inches and has a good amount of foliage. The best time to harvest is just before the plant starts to flower, typically in late spring or early summer, when the leaves are at their most flavorful. Use sharp scissors or pruning shears to cut sprigs from the top of the plant, leaving at least two-thirds of the plant intact to encourage regrowth. You can harvest marjoram throughout the growing season, but the flavor is most potent when the plant is young and in full leaf. For dried marjoram, harvest on a dry day, bundle several stems together, and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place for a few weeks until the leaves are fully dry. If you prefer fresh marjoram, use the leaves right after harvesting, as they are most fragrant and flavorful when fresh.