Oregano is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 70 cm high, having a straight, soft-horny stem, branched to the top. Leaves petiolate, oblong-ovate, opposite, dark green with translucent glands. Flowers small, fragrant, mauve or reddish purple? are collected at the ends of the branches in a bundle.
Oregano is not a capricious plant, but it likes open sunny places and fertile soils. Plant the seeds to a depth of 0.5 cm, between rows of 20 - 30 cm. You can grow and seedlings or dividing the bush. Care consists of watering, weeding, loosening, for many years growing in one place. In the first year, there are few flowers, but later the oregano grows and the inflorescence becomes plentiful, the whole plantation is covered with a beautiful softly lilac carpet that exudes a spicy aroma.
Due to the unique chemical composition, useful properties of the plant are used in folk medicine. It contains essential oil, the main component of essential oil of oregano is thymol, in the oregano contains tannins, pigments, ascorbic acid, bitterness. During the flowering period from mid-summer to August, the tops of up to 20-25 cm are cut, tied in bundles and dried in ventilated areas in the shade. After the rough stems are removed, and mainly the plant leaves and flowers are used.
From dried leaves and flowers at home, broths are prepared and taken with general weakness, for raising the tone of the body, for insomnia, disorders of the nervous system, as an expectorant, in hypertensive disease, atherosclerosis, is a fortifying agent. Dry raw materials have a fragrant smell, slightly astringent bitter-spicy taste.
Infusion of oregano, the properties of which allow it to be applied externally, are used in the form of baths, compresses and lotions. Lovers of steam in a bath in a broom from a birch can add a branch of oregano.
Infusion of oregano: 2 teaspoons of the crushed dry raw materials of a grass fill in a glass of boiled water, tightly cover and insist within 20 minutes, then filter, slightly pressing. Drink warmly a few minutes before eating 0.5 cups to 4 times a day.
With a cold and a headache, powder and flower heads of oregano should be powdered and sniffed.
Oregano is used as a spice in cooking when cooking dishes. Basically, the leaves are used, they are added to the broth of soups, meat dishes, salads, kvass, compotes, with the addition of oregano in sauces, they acquire an exquisite delicate taste. Suitable oregano and for canning tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, mushrooms - this spice will give a special flavor and aroma, increases the shelf life of canned products.
Useful properties of oregano are enhanced in collection with various herbs (St. John's Wort, Melissa), a fragrant tea drink is obtained.
In everyday life the fragrant properties of oregano are used to protect clothes from moths.
Here such in the oregano is laid multifaceted miracle force.
Contraindications
In large quantities and for a long time men are not recommended to drink broths oregano, it can affect the potency. It is not recommended to eat products with the content of oregano for bleeding and for diseases of the cardiovascular system, which are burdened with complications.