Hello. I’ve planted a few herbs in a single pot. Greek oregano, italian oregano and sage. (The italian oregano was a gift from my mother in law after I had already purchased the greek and I didn’t have the heart to give it away or else I would have just stuck with the two plants). The pot is a 14″ wide square pot that is 16″ deep. It was my understanding that because herbs are so hardy it would be fine altogether like this but I am reading that this isnt the case. Could you shed some light on if these plants will work together in this environment if I plan on pruning them regularly? Also. I was planning on putting them in a 12″ deep pot and use the 16″ deep one for a tomato plant I had instead. I have attached a picture. Thanks!
Thanks for getting in touch with the Toronto Master Gardeners. What a thoughtful gift from your mother-in-law! Fresh herbs are a wonderful addition to foods during the summer months; growing them in a container is an easy way to have them on hand to use.
Both the Greek (Origanum vulgare var. hirtum) and Italian (Origanum x majoricum) oreganos as well as the sage (Salvia officinalis) are perennial evergreen sub-shrubs in the Mediterranean area–they’ve been used as culinary seasonings for centuries. Each oregano has a distinctive flavour so you’ll find different uses for them. The growing conditions are similar–full sun and well-drained soil–the soil should not remain moist. [For containers, it’s best to use a good commercial potting soil–they are formulated to provide good drainage and basic nutrients. Keep in mind that plants grown in containers may require additional fertilizer during the growing season].
While the Greek oregano and the sage are hardy in our climate–i.e. they will generally survive our winters if planted in the ground or an insulated container–the Italian oregano is not as hardy. However, since they require the same conditions, there should be no problem with growing them together in the same container during the summer months. There will be ample room in the smaller container that you describe–they won’t require a depth of more than 12″. You will be able to keep them clipped as you use them, so they will not grow too large.
We hope that you will enjoy your herbs this summer. If you have success with these herbs, you may want to try to grow other herbs such as basil (annual), chives (perennial) and rosemary (perennial).
For more information about these herbs and others, see: Greek oregano
Richter’s https://www.richters.com/
https://savvygardening.com/best-herbs-for-container-gardening/
ITALIAN OREGANO or hardy marjoram (Origanum x majoricum), Zones 6-9,
has a strong spicy flavour, similar to sweet marjoram.
It is actually a hybrid of sweet marjoram and oregano and the mixed parentage makes it a wonderfully versatile herb in the kitchen. Use it like you would
oregano.