Parsley and oregano in winter

[R.R.]

I had a big pot with parsley, oregano, and basil outside. It froze every night last week, and I forgot to put it inside. The basil is gone, but the parsley and the oregano are fine.

Are these two herbs OK in the wintertime, or was I just lucky?

 

[marlingardener]

Parsley is a cool-weather herb, and should do well outside until there is a hard freeze for several nights. Oregano is a bit more tender, although it will withstand below freezing temperatures for short periods.
If you can, move the pot to a place where it will be protected from hard freezes (in the 20's for more than 12 hours), and keep the soil damp in the pot. That, for some reason, seems to help a plant survive cold temperatures.

 

[Chuck]

Marlingardener is correct. If there is to be a prolonged period of time of sub-freezing temps move them inside to be safe

 

[R.R.]

Awesome. They're my favorite herbs!

 

[marlingardener]

R.R., when you order seeds, get some parsley seeds (preferably Italian flat-leaf parsley because it has a better flavor) and plant them in seed trays or a pot in late January. Then you can transplant into other pots, or into the ground --I even have had parsley in flower beds--for spring and early summer parsley. It freezes well when cut fine and added to just enough water to make a paste consistency, and frozen in ice cube trays or in small mounds on waxed paper. The cubes can be transferred to freezer bags, and the mounds into freezer containers. It is almost like fresh, tastes great, and keeps its green color.

 

[R.R.]

I agree, Italian flat-leave parsley is the best! I've been freezing it since I helped my mom in the kitchen. It's always handy this way

 

[MiniGardens]

Around here, the winters get awfully cold. I love my herbs and spices so I usually bring many indoors. Sometimes indoor gardening can be quite the challenge. Plants I have grown indoors includes rosemary, chives, basil, tomatoes (cherry), thyme and oregano. So far so good.

 

[DancingLady]

I would bring them in just to be safe. Parsley will probably be fine, but I wouldn't want to take a chance with the oregano. They may grow better indoors anyway because it is warmer.

 

[Kansas Terri]

I covered my oregano a week ago, and it is still alive. It is not in a pot, though, it is growing in the ground. It does eventually freeze and go dormant, but then it is colder here in Kansas than you are!

I raised parsley when I lived in Iowa. It eventually died above the ground, but then the next spring it started growing VERY early and it went to seed! While it was going to seed I used it as I always had, as a garnish.

 

[headfullofbees]

Oregano is NOT winter hardy, and should definitely be brought in.

 

[R.R.]

I did bring them in. The oregano will be transplanted outside in the spring. It's just seedlings now, so I was really surprised it survived the freezing temperatures.

 

[JessiFox]

I'm glad you asked this question though, I never would have guessed...but definitely good to know. Who doesn't love parsley and oregano?

 

[Kansas Terri]

My favorite way of eating oregano is to sprinkle the leaves across a home made pizza. It is milder than the dry herb: it is just savory and good!

 

[claudine]

I'm not a big fan of oregano But I love parsley! I always grow lots and lots of it and then freeze it. Parsley tastes great with hard-boiled eggs.