For those who pursue gardening as a passion, it’s impossible only to have one type of plant in the garden. Growing various plants with different shapes and colors can make your garden livelier. Not just pleasing to the eyes, combining certain plants next to each other can also bring some advantages.
Growing different types of plants together for mutual benefit is called companion planting. One of the herbs that are easy to combine is oregano. And now, we will help you choose the best companion plants for oregano!
A popular combination in companion planting is having crops and herbs side by side. This combo is suitable for a small garden that isn’t large enough to grow various crops. Organo would just fit right in!
Oregano can thrive in poor soil conditions and intense sun exposure. This herb is also suitable for cooking materials and gives a peppery and spicy flavor. You can use it as sauce, stews, pizza, and some suitable vegetable dishes.
There is a wide variety of plants that you can combine with your oregano garden, from other herbs that attract pollinators to the ones that repel and trap pests. Planting herbs that attract beneficial insects next to fruit or vegetable that grow from flowers will help pollination.
In the garden, oregano plants can live well with most vegetables. Oregano leaves emit scents that repel pests from their companion plants.
However, there are many things to consider, whether certain types of plants go well with oregano or are less recommended. So, here is some insight for you on choosing what best companion plants for oregano.
Best Companion Plants for Oregano
Before choosing the best companion plants for oregano, be sure that you prune your oregano stems regularly and water the plants frequently. This practice will stimulate the growth of your oregano plants and their companion.
Some vegetables benefit from being oregano’s companion plant, especially plants that are susceptible to pests. Oregano also conserves moisture for its companion plants when they grow in the same ground.
It seems that this oregano plant has no flaws, but why choose companion plants for oregano when oregano itself is the best companion to any plant?
The best companion plants for oregano are the ones that can harness the full potential of oregano. You do not want your oregano to inhibit the growth of its companions!
Thanks to this herb’s versatile characteristics, the list of the best companion plants for oregano is very long. But here are some essential plants that are best for companying oreganos.
#1 Cabbage
Placing oregano next to cabbage for vegetable companion plants will help eliminate cabbage moths and butterflies. This effect also applies to other vegetables in the family of brassica that are susceptible to moths, worms, and butterflies.
Read Also : Companion Planting For Cabbage To Be Healthier
#2 Circubits
Oregano is also the best companion to the cucurbits plants family that are affected by beetles and squash bugs. These pests hate oregano scents and will stay away from oreganos and plants near them.
#3 Strawberry
Oregano is also the best companion plant for fruits. Pest loves fruit like strawberries, just like us. Cultivating oregano with strawberries can drive the pest away from the plants.
Oregano also won’t steal nutrients from soils, so it’s safe to plant oregano alongside strawberries. Besides protecting the fruit from pests, oregano can also help attract pollinators to help plants like watermelon well-pollinated.
#4 Peppers and Herbs
Spices and herbs are also best for oregano’s companion plants. Pepper plants that blend with oregano will not just keep pests away. Oregano plants also improve the spiciness flavor of pepper.
The same goes for herbs like basil, thyme, and marjoram. Apart from enhancing their flavors and scents, herbs that are planted together can also protect each other.
Herbs To Plant with Oregano
As we have mentioned above, the best plant to company oregano is herbs.
Herbs are easy to grow. They don’t require a lot of space and are useful for a lot of purposes. Moreover, most herbs are growing in similar soil conditions.
Planting herbs together will also make gardening easier. By planting various herbs in one container, you can water two or more plants in just one go.
The best herbs to plant with oregano are the ones that have strong scents. They would go well with oregano because they can protect each other. Other plants around them will be safe from pests.
These herbs that will be perfect for companions are lavender, mints, and rosemary. Growing oregano and these herbs in one container will make a powerful pest repellent for your garden.
Oregano can also improve the flavor of herbs that have intense flavors like basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, chives, sage, and parsley.
These herbs can also be beneficial to oregano because not only does oregano enhances its flavors, but these companion plants can also improve oregano flavors too. The intense flavors from improved herbs can also make good quality essential oils.
What Not to Plant with Oregano?
Plants with similar needs may compete and end up inhibiting the growth of others if planted next to each other with insufficient space. With oregano that doesn’t require complicated parameters, its companion plants don’t need to compete to keep growing well.
Plants that require high levels of humidity can be bothered by oregano. These plants can be planted with oregano only if they share the same medium or soil. If you put them in different containers, then there is no problem. It will be mutually beneficial.
Oregano has roots called rhizomes, the type of roots that spread far and has the potential to take over your garden if not taken care of properly. To prevent companion plants from getting inhibited when planted with oregano, you can give them extra space or plant them in different containers.
You can always try new plants to find out what companion planting combination benefits your garden by experimenting and going through trial and error, including oregano. Oregano is beneficial to many of the plants cultivated with it.
The small white flowers that oregano blooms will complement other plants in your garden. With the many benefits of oregano as a companion plant and visually appealing as a decorative plant, oregano is a must-have plant in your garden!