You can harvest marjoram continuously whenever you need a few leaves in the kitchen. If you plan to dry the herb, you should cut it just before the flowers open. Then marjoram contains the most essential oils.

Harvest from summer to autumn

  • Harvest from summer
  • Particularly aromatic shortly before flowering
  • Cut only the top third
  • Consume marjoram quickly
  • If necessary, preserve by drying

If you have sown marjoram outdoors, it takes about two months before the plants are big enough to harvest.

You can continue harvesting until autumn as long as the plant produces enough new shoots.

Harvest only the top third of the stalks

Harvest marjoram by cutting off the top third of the stalks with scissors or a sharp knife. You should not go deeper when harvesting so that the marjoram can recover.

Don't just pluck the leaves from the marjoram, but cut the whole stalk, as this will help the plant to branch out better.

Particularly aromatic shortly before flowering

If you want to preserve marjoram from your own garden for the winter, you should cut the branches before the flowers open.

At this time the leaves contain a lot of essential oils. Since some aromatic substances are lost through preservation, it makes sense if the herb is particularly aromatic when it is harvested.

Consume marjoram as soon as possible

If possible, only harvest as much marjoram as you actually need. The herb will keep for a while, but flavors are lost with every touch. The fresher you add marjoram to the soup or stew, the stronger the flavoring effect.

Unused herbs can be hung up to dry or placed in oil. Marjoram is only suitable to a limited extent for freezing.

tips and tricks

It is often read that marjoram may only be harvested until flowering. That's not true. All parts of the plant can be eaten without any problems, as they do not contain any toxic substances, even after flowering. In industrial cultivation, marjoram is even harvested and processed with the flowers and stalks.

Category:

Herbs