🌿 Sweet marjoram

Sweet marjoram is a more delicate, sweeter and less peppery cousin of oregano, with small velvety grey-green leaves and knotted flower buds that give it its other name, knotted marjoram. It is a tender plant in the UK, grown as an annual.

It needs warmth and sun, and does well in pots on a patio or windowsill. It is a classic for sausages, poultry, stuffings and tomato dishes.

Varieties to try

Sweet marjoram (the standard)Golden marjoram (yellow-leaved oregano)Pot marjoram (Origanum onites, hardier)Zaatar (Syrian oregano)

Sow in March to May on the surface of seed compost, pressing in lightly, at 18–20°C. Seed is tiny, so mix with sand to sow thinly. Germination takes 1–3 weeks. Prick out into modules and pot on.

Plant outside in late May or June in a warm, sheltered, sunny spot, 20 cm apart, in free-draining soil. In pots, use a gritty compost. Harden off carefully.

Top tips

• Sow thinly, mixed with sand.
• Plant out after frost.
• Use gritty compost.
• Choose a warm, sunny spot.

Water sparingly, since it prefers drier conditions, and avoid feeding. Pinch out the tips to encourage bushiness. Remove flower buds to extend leaf production, unless you want the knots for drying.

In a mild area, plants may survive winter in a sheltered site with mulch, or bring pots indoors. Aphids and spider mite may occur under glass. Cut back in autumn.

Top tips

• Pinch out tips.
• Don't overwater.
• Bring pots inside for winter.
• Harden off well.

Watch out for

AphidsRed spider miteRoot rot in wet soilCold damage

Pick sprigs from about 10 weeks after sowing, snipping the top 5 cm. Flavour is strongest just before flowering in midsummer. Cut regularly to promote bushy growth.

For drying, cut stems before flowering and hang in bunches in a warm, airy place.

Marjoram flavour peaks as the knotted flower buds form in July, so cut stems at this stage if you intend to dry them. Strip the leaves and buds from the stems when dry, and store whole to preserve the flavour, crumbling just before use.

Top tips

• Cut before flowering.
• Snip the tips.
• Dry in bunches.
• Pick regularly.

Use fresh or dried in stuffings, sausages, roast chicken, pork, soups, tomato sauces, beans and egg dishes. The flavour is sweet and floral. Add at the end of cooking for the best flavour, or early for slow cooked dishes.

Dried marjoram keeps a year in an airtight jar. Fresh sprigs keep a week in the fridge.

Top tips

• Add to stuffing.
• Pair with tomatoes.
• Dry for winter.
• Use fresh at the end of cooking.