Here are my notes for growing thyme successfully. I hope these notes cover any questions you may have on growing this delicious versatile herb in your gardens 😄
About Thyme
Thyme is a versatile aromatic herb popularly grown in many kitchen and herb gardens, as well as in ornamental gardens, planters and hanging baskets.
Thyme is woody perennial native to the temperate climate of the Mediterranean, and many stay evergreen through the winter. In colder climates, thyme will lose some of its leaves over the winter. Thyme tends to be a shorter-lived perennial herb (about 5 years).
Most thymes are hardy between zones 5 – 9. Hardiness varies somewhat based on the thyme variety, so it’s always good to check before purchasing. Of note, Purple Carpet Lemon thyme is especially winter hardy, claimed to survive zone 2 winters ❄️
Thyme is a wonderful herb to grow in edible landscapes. Thyme is found in a variety of shapes, sizes and scents. You can find thymes with a creeping, mounding, or upright growth habit, growing anywhere from 2″ high to 12″ high. And most thymes will bloom in the summer with masses of tiny white, pink or pale purple flowers.
Thyme is generally an easy herb to grow outdoors, and can be challenging to grow indoors.
Planting Thyme:
Thyme is generally purchased as young plants in small pots, or started from cuttings or divisions of existing plants.
Many thyme varieties are available only as young nursery plants. Although some thyme varieties can be grown from seed, thyme grows very slowly and seedlings take a long time to get to transplant size.
Starting thyme from seed:
Thyme seeds are really tiny, and are generally best started indoors. The exception is creeping thymes being planted between small gaps in walkways and between stones, where transplanting into the space may not be feasible.
Expect germination of thyme seeds to be slow and uneven, generally taking 2 – 4 weeks for thyme seeds to sprout.
Indoors: Carefully scatter thyme seeds on top of damp sterilized seed starting mix. Thyme seeds do not need to be covered with more soil mix. Place the seed trays in a sunny window, or under a grow light. Place in a warm room (about 70 degrees F – 21 degrees C). A heating mat may be beneficial to help the thyme seeds sprout, especially if you are seed starting in a cooler room.
Keep the soil moist until your seeds have sprouted.
Once your seeds have germinated, make sure there is good air flow around your seedlings, and the soil doesn’t get soggy. Thyme seedlings can be prone to damping off. If you water in the morning and there is still water in the drip tray/saucer in the evening, pour off the excess water.
Place your thyme seedlings in a sunny window and under a grow light.
Transplant outdoors when your thyme plants have at least 2 inches of growth, and the soil has warmed up to about 60 – 70 degrees F / 16 – 21 degrees C
Outdoors: To sow thyme seed directly outdoors, scatter the seed on moist well-draining soil once the soil temperature is consistently near 70 degrees F / 21 degrees C. Keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout. Water carefully – i.e. on mist setting – and and let the water absorb into the ground before running over the area with more water, so as not to wash away the seeds.
Starting thyme from cuttings:
Cuttings should be at least 3 inches long. Strip the leaves off the bottom of the cutting, dip in rooting hormone, and plant in a sterilized seed starting mix. Once roots have been established, transplant to your desired location.
Starting thyme from plant divisions:
Plant divisions can be planted directly to your desired location. Remove a section from an existing thyme plant, making sure there are some roots. Bury the woody stems when transplanting to its new location..
Buying thyme plants:
Most garden centers will carry thyme plants. For a wider variety of plants, check out a specialized herb nursery such as Richters Herbs.
Choose thyme plants with healthy leaves, and that are not woody in the centre. Also turn the plant upside down. There should be little to no roots growing out of the drainage holes. If there is a mass of roots growing out of the bottom, the plant is likely root-bound and will not transplant well.
Transplanting Thyme Outdoors:
Plant your thyme about 12 inches (30 cm) apart. More upright thymes may be grown closer together at 9 inches (22 cm) apart, and sprawling ground-cover thymes may be planted 18 inches (46 cm) apart and allowed to fill in.
Plant your thyme in a sunny area of your garden, although some creeping thymes will tolerate partial shade. In colder climates, choose a location where your thyme plants will have some protection from cold winter winds.
Plant your thyme in soil that drains well; loose sandy or rocky soil with good drainage is ideal. Thyme tolerates poor soils and generally does not need to be fertilized.
If your garden soil retains a lot of moisture – clay or loamy soils – mix in sand or gravel to improve drainage. Alternately grow thyme in raised garden beds, where excess water will drain away. Thyme grown in moist to wet soils will tend to rot.
Growing Thyme In Containers
When growing thyme in containers, use containers with drainage holes so that the roots don’t sit in water. If using drip trays under your planters, empty any excess water that collects in the saucer.
For best success in mixed herb containers, plant thyme with herbs that thrive in similar growing conditions — rosemary, sage, oregano, lavender grow well together.
Caring For Your Thyme Plants:
Thyme plants will grow in the garden without much care. Pruning after flowering will help thyme keep its shape. And remember, this is one plant that doesn’t like to sit in water.
In colder climates, thyme is susceptible to winter damage. I find cold windy winters with very little snow cover, and winters with large temperature fluctuations above and below freezing to cause the most damage and thyme plant loss in my garden.
Protect your thyme plants over the winter with a covering of leaves, once the ground freezes.
If your thyme plants are not surviving the winter outdoors, try planting in a more sheltered area or growing a variety with better cold tolerance. Check out Purple Carpet Lemon thyme which can be hardy to zone 2.
Alternately, if you want to overwinter a more tender thyme herb plant, you can bring the plant indoors for the winter.
If you live in a tropical climate, you can bring your thyme herb plant indoors during the wet season.
Pruning thyme:
Thyme is typically low maintenance, but will need to be pruned to encourage bushy growth.
Cut back stems as necessary to maintain plant appearance, to control spread and to limit unsightly woody stem growth.
Use your prunings for cooking, or preserve them for later use.
Harvesting Thyme:
Thyme can be harvested whenever you want to use it, without much change in quality.
If you want to capture the best flavour and aroma, harvest your thyme just before the flowers open up, and in the morning once the dew has dried as concentrations of aromatic oils are highest at this time.
If you are harvesting a large portion of your thyme plant, harvest no more than 1/3 of your plant’s growth.
By strategically clipping your thyme stems when harvesting, you can be pruning as you harvest, keeping your plants neat and bushy.
Growing Thyme Indoors:
Thyme can be quite challenging to grow indoors. Place your thyme near a sunny window, and use a grow light to supplement the natural light during winter. Through the winter months, the days are shorter, with more cloudy days, and that’s just not enough light to keep thyme alive without added light.
Water your thyme plant thoroughly when the top of the soil is dry, but don’t let your plant sit in water. A few hours after watering, pour out any excess water from the drip saucer.
Keep close watch for aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, whiteflies around your indoor thyme plants. These insects can multiply quickly indoors.
Pests and Disease on Thyme Herb Plants:
Thyme is susceptible to root rot, particularly in wet, poorly-drained soils.
Thyme is not susceptible to serious insect problems when grown outdoors.
Indoors, thyme is susceptible to the common culprits: aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, whitefly.
To help manage indoor pests on your thyme plants:
Inspect your thyme plants when you water
wash your thyme plant before bringing them indoors or home from a nursery. Place yellow sticky traps amongst your plants to capture insects, and also alert you to which insects are around your plants. Occasionally washing your plants also helps minimize indoor pest numbers. Inspect when you water.
Renewing Thyme Plantings:
Thyme can get woody and scraggly looking over time. To keep your thyme plantings looking neat, it’s a good idea to renew or replant thyme every 3 – 4 years.
You can either purchase new thyme plants, or propagate from your existing thyme plant by cuttings, layering, or division. If dividing your existing thyme plant, bury the woody stems when transplanting your division).
Every year, I bend over a couple of thyme branches, cover the lower part of the branch with soil, and weigh it down with a rock (layering), thus continually renewing my thyme plants.
If there’s anything I haven’t covered that you’d like to know more about, please leave me a comment, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions. And check out my list of resources below 🙂
Happy Gardening 🙂
Barb
Resources:
* Richters Herbs sells the hardy Purple Carpet Lemon Thyme … Click Here…
* If you are looking for groundcover thymes, check out my post Groundcover Thyme Herbs That WIthstand Foot Traffic
*If you plan to start your thyme from seed, also check out my Growing Herbs From Seed Tips
* If you like the botanical image at the top of the post, you can get the entire set of 6 herb prints from Amazon..click here
The Need To Grow: Watch this inspiring and award winning film for free...click here
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How to grow thyme successfully! It’s not difficult, but it does require a little bit of work. You need some potting soil and compost – this is important because the herbs can’t get their nutrients from just dirt alone. The next thing you’ll want to do is plant your seeds in either pots or directly into the ground if they’re small enough at about 2-4 inches deep with space between them so that each one has plenty of room for growth. Add water daily until your plants are established and once again before winter sets in which will help maintain moisture levels throughout their dormant stage too!
HerbGardenGal Note: please see my reply below on starting thyme from seed
Hi ShunCy. Thank you for your comment on growing thyme. Adding a little compost to the potting mix may be beneficial if using a seed starting mix, or to top dress plants when they’ve been growing in the same container for quite some time. Thyme isn’t a heavy feeder, and most potting mixes work just fine without amendments at the outset.
What I do want to be clear to my readers is that thyme seeds are planted shallow, on the surface of the soil, or covered with a light dusting of potting mix. If planted too deep, thyme seed will not germinate and 2-4 inches is way too deep for thyme seed. Keep the soil moist until the plants germinate, and be careful not to overwater afterwards as thyme is susceptible to root rot.
Thyme growing outdoors in a sunny spot and shallow container may be OK watered daily, but it’s likely too often for larger containers or thyme planted in the ground — if you stick your finger into the dirt and it feels moist, please don’t water your thyme. I rarely water thyme that is established in my garden, relying on mother nature’s schedule, and the plants produce for years.