We are cleaning up the raised vegetable beds. I waited to see what plants would survive frost. Most haven’t. Tomato plants are looking pretty ragged and I’ve removed most of them.
The Oregano plant is looking quite happy. It has gone to seed and putting out new foliage. Are the new leaves usable? Are the seeds usable for anything? My brother-in-law said he was waiting for his to go to seed and I don’t know why.
How well do Tomato plants perform a second year? Not planning on keeping any of the current ones but would change the layout if they actually are productive a second year.
Oregano is a Perennial. It will survive for several years. Maybe up to 10?
I’ve seen tomatoes in Honduras that were 3 years old, and producing.
In the US, I’ve never seen tomatoes past a growing season… 6 or 8 months.
If you are in US Hardiness zone 9 or 10, tomato plants might survive? Make that zone 10.
Or in a greenhouse.
My oregano is currently about 15 years old and shows no signs of slowing down or problems. I do nothing other than trim it to keep it from overtaking other stuff. I’m outside of Washington, DC and our coldest temperatures are 10-20 degrees in a normal winter. Coldest I think I’ve experienced here was about 5.
Other perennial herbs that do well outside here are chives, sage, and lavender. Mint comes back every year and is invasive. If you plant it in the ground, be prepared for a lifelong battle.
I am a big fan of completely non-effort gardening, so things that I planted years ago and just have to pick are perfect. We also have volunteer tomatoes every year (and I do plant some from seed) and a really amazing mix of volunteer winter squash/pumpkins. We get new shapes, sizes, and flavors every time.
The garden my parents had is close to the total size of our lot. It helped that they had farm equipment to prepare it. Winters were cold enough that everything in the garden was treated as an annual.
<The Oregano plant is looking quite happy. It has gone to seed and putting out new foliage. Are the new leaves usable?>
It’s better not to cut perennials in winter, even if a temporary warm period causes them to put out fresh foliage. The cut would force them into new tender growth that would be killed in a subsequent cold snap.
< Are the seeds usable for anything?>
No, cut them off. Anything open-pollinated is unlikely to be exactly the same as the parent plant. If you want more oregano plants, wait until March and then divide the root ball.
