The Fresh-Smelling Solution That Can Keep Nasty Ticks Out Of The Garden

If you've been seeing a lot of ticks around the yard and want to try to reduce their numbers, consider an easy-to-grow herb that may help keep the pests away and boost recipes in your kitchen at the same time. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a fresh, versatile herb that ticks tend to hate. And then you can toss it in your pasta dishes to celebrate your victory over them.

Count oregano among plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.  You no doubt know this herb from its revered spot in your spice rack since it's popular in a number of recipes. Oregano doesn't just taste delicious, though. Research shows that a 5% concentration of oregano oil applied to clothing can repel ticks almost as effectively as DEET. It's because oregano oil contains two chemicals ticks really hate: carvacrol and thymol. Carvacrol affects the saliva glands in ticks, which they don't like very much. Thymol is a chemical that's been proven to adversely affect tick larvae. These two chemicals also help fight bacterial and fungal infections, too. 

There's not much data on the effectiveness of oregano plants themselves as tick repellent, but since concentrated forms of oregano are proven to be effective, you can grow your own supply of the herb to make your own essential oil. Doing this is easy. You just need to soak oregano in olive oil. This no-fuss herbaceous perennial, hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 8, also happens to be easy to grow. So let's talk about how to grow oregano from cuttings or seed to add this useful herb to the garden.

If you're growing oregano from cuttings, just place a stem of it in a glass of water and set it in sunlight. Change the water whenever it gets cloudy or dirty to prevent disease. When the roots of the stem reach an inch or two long, they'll be ready to plant. Just be sure to do so well after the threat of any frost has passed, and wait until the soil has warmed to about 70 degrees. 

Know that oregano hates to be waterlogged, so make sure you plant it in well-drained soil, preferably in a sunny spot. Sandy or gritty soil will be perfect for this fragrant herb that might repel ticks. To give them room to grow, plant each one 8 to 10 inches apart, and add some compost to help jump-start growth and improve drainage. Trim a young plant if you want it to grow bushy and not get leggy. 

If you want to make your own oregano oil, it's best to cut leaves before the plant begins to flower. This will give you leaves with the most concentrated flavor and scent. While you're using oregano to discourage ticks, you might want to do a yard check to ensure you don't have plants that welcome them in. You could be attracting ticks to your yard with this sweet flowering shrub, staghorn sumac. Any plant that draws in deer can also draw in ticks since ticks love to hitchhike on them.