How to grow Marjoram in Australia

Where to plant

Plant marjoram in full sun in light, free-draining soil. It grows well in fairly poor soil and does not need rich ground or much fertiliser, which can dull the flavour. Wet, heavy soil causes root rot, so use a raised bed or a pot if your soil is clay.

Sweet marjoram is not fully frost hardy, and winter wet can be as damaging as cold. In frosty areas grow it in a pot that can be moved to shelter in winter, or treat it as an annual.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth: grows well for most of the year; plant from autumn to spring.
• Melbourne and Hobart: plant in spring after frosts finish. Give it the sunniest spot, and grow it in a pot in frosty suburbs so it can be sheltered over winter.
• Canberra: sow under cover in October and plant out after the last frost. Hard frost kills it, so grow it as an annual or overwinter a pot under cover.
• North Queensland and Darwin: sow and plant in the dry season. It sulks and rots in wet season humidity.

How to plant

1. Sow the tiny seed on the surface of moist seed raising mix in a pot or tray and press it in lightly, without covering it deeply.
2. Keep it warm, about 20°C, and just moist. Seedlings appear in one to three weeks. Do not overwater, as seedlings are prone to damping off.
3. When seedlings have several leaves, move them into their own small pots.
4. Plant out about 25 to 30 cm apart in a sunny, well-drained spot, or into a pot. Bought seedlings are planted the same way.

Watering and feeding

Water new plants in dry spells until they are settled. Established marjoram in the ground is drought tolerant and needs little watering. Let the soil dry between waterings and never leave it waterlogged. Pots dry out faster in hot, sunny weather, so check them more often.

Plants in the ground do not need feeding. Marjoram that has been in the same pot for more than a year benefits from a light sprinkle of general fertiliser in late spring.

Pruning and care through the year

• Trim established plants in spring to keep them compact and to remove dead or straggly stems. This brings on a flush of new leaves.
• Cut off flower stems once the flowers fade.
• Older plants get woody. Replace them every few years from cuttings or seed.

Harvesting

Snip shoots as needed once the plant is bushy, cutting above a pair of leaves so it branches and regrows. The flavour is best just before the flowers open. New growth from spring to autumn gives the most leaves.

Marjoram dries very well: hang small bunches upside down somewhere airy and out of the sun, then strip the leaves and store them in a sealed jar.

Growing in pots

Marjoram is an ideal pot herb. Use a pot at least 20 cm wide with free-draining potting mix, keep it in full sun, and let the mix dry a little between waterings. A pot is the easiest way to move it out of frost and winter rain in cold areas.

Using it

Marjoram is widely used in Greek and Italian cooking. Add fresh leaves near the end of cooking to keep their delicate flavour, or use them in salads, dressings, herb oils and vinegars. The small flowers are edible too and can be scattered over salads. Fresh sprigs keep about a week loosely wrapped in the fridge.

Propagation

Besides seed, marjoram is easy to grow from softwood cuttings of new growth in summer, by layering low stems into the soil in spring or autumn, or by dividing established clumps in spring.