How to Grow Thyme

The plant known as thyme is a perennial shrub that is part of the mint family. It is originally from southern Europe, specifically the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. This plant does well in sunny, dry conditions.

Thyme has a a dry and subtle aroma with a slightly minty flavor. It pairs well with meat, summer soups, and vegetable recipes. Its native region blends well with other flavors, such as garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes.

Common Types of Thyme

There are a huge number of different types of thyme, more than 300 in fact. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small evergreen perennials to larger plants. Some of them are ornamental only, while others can be eaten as well as being used as decoration. So whatever you need thyme for, there will be a plant that’s perfect for your garden.

The most well-known culinary varieties of thyme are French, English, and German. Each variety has leaves of slightly different shapes, colors, and flavor.

• English thyme is a low-growing plant with flat, pointy, green, fragrant foliage. English thyme is also referred to as garden thyme or common thyme.
• French thyme has upright stems with small, narrow gray-green leaves. French thyme is also called summer thyme and it offers a flavor that is slightly subtler than that of English thyme.
• German thyme has smaller, slightly rounded leaves than the other varieties, but the foliage is packed with lots of flavors. German thyme is also called winter thyme because it is very cold hardy thyme.

Other thyme varieties you may discover at your local garden nursery include:

• Archer’s Gold forms a dense, low-growing mat of yellowish-green leaves. The leaves have a light lemon fragrance and flavor, making this thyme variety ideal for fish or chicken recipes.
• Variegata is a low-growing plant that has variegated leaves and lemon fragrance. This thyme variety also produces pink leaves and is grown for appearance instead of culinary uses.
• Bertram Anderson will create small mounds of yellow-leafed herb plants that have a mild flavor. It is an ideal plant for edging or garden borders.
• Silver Queen creates a large evergreen shrub with silvery leaves that are edible. The leaves have a mild lemon flavor and are used for soups and stews.

Gathering Thyme

If you want to dry the herb for future use, or save it in case you need it, go ahead and collect it.

Use only the flowering plants. Cut the stem at an angle and use a sharp knife. If you break off the branches, it will damage the entire bush.

Harvesting thyme during flowering

To dry thyme, follow general drying regulations, spreading the herb on a sack or gauze. Alternatively, hang bunches of thyme in the sun in the attic.

How To Grow Thyme?

You don’t need to be an expert or put in a lot of effort to grow thyme in your garden.

Thyme can withstand hot summers and cold winters. For fast growth and development, thyme needs a lot of water, which makes the climate of the Moscow region ideal.

Thyme can be bred from wild varieties and it grows well on any type of soil except acidic clay. Strong frosts will not damage this plant either.

If you plant thyme in a warm, sunny spot in your garden, it will grow healthy and quickly. To prevent the stem from rotting when it is over-watered during the off-season, cover the soil next to the stem with small pebbles or gravel for drainage.

Thyme looks great when planted at the edge of a pathway, adding a cultivated look to the garden.

This plant can be used to decorate rose gardens, alpine landscapes, and ponds.

If you plant thyme near your house, you can not only appreciate its pretty flowers, but also enjoy the fragrance in the morning and evening. Planting different varieties of thyme in your garden can enhance the visual effect.

How Is This Plant Propagated?

Thyme can be grown in three ways.

• Thyme seeds are planted in early spring. You can plant this plant in the late fall. In this case, sow the seeds before the onset of frost to prevent them from freezing. First make sure that the soil is prepared: dig it, loosen it, and remove weeds and other plant roots. Then apply compost. Instead, you can add well-rotted manure and mineral fertilizer, and urea, all mixed with the soil.
• Now the seeds can be sown. After sowing, cover the seeds with soil, water them and additionally cover the bed with coarse sand. This will prevent water from being trapped in the area where the seedlings are growing.
• When the plants have grown a little, the seedlings should be thinned slightly to make them stronger, healthier, and more viable.

Planting Seedlings

A seedling of thyme can be planted by sowing the seeds in a special container and covering them with film. Wait until they germinate and sprout.

After the plants have been growing for around a month, gradually introduce them to being outside so they can get used to the change and become stronger.

After 14 days, if the plants are still growing well and looking healthy, they can be transplanted to a permanent spot outdoors. The ground should be dug up and have fertilizer and trace elements added before the transplant.

How To Choose A Planting Location?

The best location for planting thyme is in a sunny, southern part of the garden.

If you plant it in the shade, it will have a loose bush arrangement, small leaves, and stretchy stems.

It will be difficult to get the right mix of substances and essential oils that he needs. The plant can’t produce a strong enough smell.

Thyme grows best on the warm, sunny side in the form of a small, dense shrub. If you regularly trim the leaves and branches, it will grow wider.

Thyme grass can be made to grow into a bulbous shape with proper care. This makes it a great plant to have in a flower bed as it can act as a decoration for the garden.

Collection And Storage

The thyme herbs that are edible and medicinal are harvested twice during the growing season. The most flavorful and medicinal substances are in the flowers and herbs in June. The second cutting of the green mass is planned for the end of August.

Herbs are especially commemorated on Church feasts, such as Pentecost and Assumption, as they are thought to have multiplied positive effects.

The only way to harvest thyme correctly is by cutting it as it has a weak root system with shallow roots that can’t be harvested by hand.

Dry the raw material by baling it and hanging it in a dry, sheltered place away from direct sunlight. A small amount of thyme can be dried either at home or in a protected area where it won’t be exposed to sun or rain. Drying is very important.

To store thyme, grind or mill the thyme and remove the stem. The powder is ready to use and can be poured into an airtight container such as a coffee can.

It is best to store dried herbs in a dark place, such as a kitchen cupboard, in order to preserve the plant’s properties for up to two years.

Thyme can be grown for several reasons: cooking, decoration, flavoring the garden, and medicinal purposes. It is a hardy plant that can grow in harsh conditions.

Thyme is easy to grow because it can tolerate changes in weather and adapt to different conditions. With proper care, it will grow quickly and produce a lot of flowers over a long period of time.

Care Of Thyme

The care of thyme is not at all tedious.

Watering

A plant can go for a long time without water, but it should still be watered during the dry summer months.

Replanting

To make the shrub look better, clear away the soil from its shoots. The shoots are then placed in a pit and covered with newly fertilized soil. To further improve its appearance, you can press the shoots down with special staples. Over time, new roots will form, and the sprouted plants can be transplanted to other areas.

Pruning

Pruning thyme is best done during the flowering period when the plant’s essential oil concentration is highest. After pruning, cover the plant with loose soil and water it. The cut stems, flowers, and leaves can be dried in a cool place and then packed in canvas bags.

Gardeners have long loved this low-growing plant that produces a carpet of flowers and has a distinct scent.

Although it is often used for garden design, thyme has many other purposes. Its medicinal value and ability to flavor various dishes has long been noted. In ancient Egypt, it was often used in rituals.

How To Grow In The Garden

It’s easy to grow thyme in your own garden. To do this, you can prepare seeds, cuttings, or divide the shrub. You should also keep in mind that the plant will propagate itself actively through self-seeding, so you may need to deal with space constraints over time.

Thyme seeds

Seeds can be sown in places that have been cleared of weeds. Since small seeds germinate within a month and develop slowly, weeds can interfere with this process. Therefore, it is best to plant thyme by the seedling method.

For this purpose, a mixture of sand and peat is prepared in early spring and poured into a box, tray, or container. After sowing, the seeds are kept under polyethylene or glass until the sprouts appear. This method is used to start seeds indoors in early spring. A mixture of sand and peat is placed in a box, tray, or container. The seeds are then sown and kept under polyethylene or glass until they sprout.

To ensure your sprouts thrive, water them regularly and provide them with plenty of light. After 3 to 4 weeks, gradually introduce them to the outdoors so they can acclimate to their new permanent growing place.

Thyme from cuttings

To propagate thyme in summer, cut the top part of the stem to a height of 10 cm (3.93inch), place it in river sand, and cover it with a piece of polyethylene. The rooted specimens can be planted in the open ground after a month.

To divide the shrub, pull the base apart and carefully remove the roots.

We recommend covering the slot with a glass jar for one week to prevent the soil from drying out.

How To Grow Thyme At Home?

There are a few ways you can go about growing thyme. The most common methods are by taking cuttings or planting seeds. To figure out which method will work best for you, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each option.

Starting from seeds

Sow the seeds thinly, covering them with a thin layer of soil, and water lightly. The most common way to grow spices is from seeds, which is relatively easy. To do this, mix soil with vermiculite, which improves the moisture retention of the soil, and pour it into a pre-prepared container. Sow the seeds thinly, cover them with a thin layer of soil, and water lightly.

Place the container on a windowsill and water the soil with warm water. Make 2-3 holes in the ground and put seeds in each hole. Cover the holes with soil and water the plants regularly. When the first buds appear, thin them out for better growth.

Cuttings

Some people like to grow new thyme bushes from cuttings. First, you need to prepare the cuttings for planting. After the thyme has finished flowering, cut off the shoots from the bush and strip the leaves completely. Cut off the frequent shoots and take the cuttings and plant them in pots.

To plant thyme cuttings, fill a pot with soil and make a depression that is 1-2cm deep. Put the sprouts in the depression and cover with soil. Water within 1-2 days until the first leaves appear.

Time for harvesting cuttings

Cut the leaves and shoots several times during the growing season. Cut the shoots at 5cm from the ground. Then, feed the plants.

The best time to harvest thyme for use as a spice in cooking is the end of June and July. The flowering shoots are used for medicinal purposes. Thyme seeds are harvested from two to three-year-old plants when they turn brown. To dry thyme, place it in a cool place, spread on a clean cloth or paper.

Siting of indoor thyme

The location you choose to plant thyme can have a big impact on how well it grows. Inexperienced housewives may not pay attention to this because they think the spice will grow anywhere. However, that’s not always the case. It’s important to choose a spot that gets enough sunlight and has well-drained soil.

Lighting

Thyme grows best with a lot of sunlight, so it is best to place the pot with the plant on a sunny windowsill. If you are growing spices in winter, make sure to increase lighting and install special lamps.

Temperature and air humidity

You should grow thyme in a cool room with air temperatures no higher than 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In autumn, you can take the pots of thyme to the glazed balcony during the day and bring them into the apartment only in the evening, after the sun has set. However, in wintertime, you can’t take the spices to the balcony because the low temperature will kill them.