Zataar of the Oregano Family
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Filed in: Herbs | Greenhouse
There seems to be no exactly correct spelling of the word “Zataar”. Sometimes spelled za'atar or zahtar, Its origin is in the Mediterranean, and its original language is spelled with other than these “latin” style letters you are looking at here. I was first introduced to the plant growing wild on hillsides and thought it was like marjoram. It is indeed. And like oregano.
The leaves are a bit thicker, broader and stronger. One little plant survived years of bad potting to come to thrive in the greenhouse, even through the winter.
Here it is in its fullness, next to the spinach in the shallow bed.
The zataar plant was growing too boisterous and thick and needed to be repotted. Someone else might like a taste of Zataar, so I decided to tame it into eighteen 2.5 inch pots. It however, decided that it would not like to be limited to that. We did cooperate.
A careful harvest was accomplished into a half-bushel basket. Just a day after Garden Club. Two days earlier, these rootable cuttings would have made lovely gifts. Sorry.
The leaves are a bit thicker, broader and stronger. One little plant survived years of bad potting to come to thrive in the greenhouse, even through the winter.
Here it is in its fullness, next to the spinach in the shallow bed.
The zataar plant was growing too boisterous and thick and needed to be repotted. Someone else might like a taste of Zataar, so I decided to tame it into eighteen 2.5 inch pots. It however, decided that it would not like to be limited to that. We did cooperate.
A careful harvest was accomplished into a half-bushel basket. Just a day after Garden Club. Two days earlier, these rootable cuttings would have made lovely gifts. Sorry.
And the plant is still entrenched in the bed, ready to expand again, with fresh worm castings to feed it.
Next posting will be on how the zataar was hung to dry.
There are nineteen 2.5 inch pots of Zataar with roots getting ready to be shared when Spring comes. After they grow a bit and fill out I’ll show you a picture. Right now, they are a bit ragged looking.
