Use It or Lose It
Unlike its hardy Origanum cousin oregano, marjoram is a tender perennial typically grown as an annual, so anything left past a few hard frosts will be unusable. Harvest throughout the growing season, dry, and store for winter use.
Growing for Leaves
Harvest marjoram from the top down, pinching off the most tender new growth. This will encourage the plant to bush out, creating new shoots from the hardier lower branches; it will also discourage flowering. Once plants begin to flower, the leaves will lose much of their flavor.
Growing for Flowers
The sweet scent of the foliage alone is often enough to attract friendly pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees, but letting marjoram 'go to seed' (grow flowers) essentially guarantees pollinator attraction. To encourage more flowers, pinch the plant back from the top down during early stages of growth, then let the plant bush out and grow from there. Each branch will grow a plume of flowers. A hot, sunny spot in the garden will encourage flower production.
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Read up on how to care for marjoram here. For information on preserving marjoram, please check out our complete Preserving Herbs guide.
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Read up on how to care for marjoram here. For information on preserving marjoram, please check out our complete Preserving Herbs guide.
