Planting and Growing Thyme

Planting and Growing Thyme

Thyme (Genus Thymus) is a cold hardy perennial herb with usage dating back to ancient Egypt. This herb is so cold hardy that many varieties can be found growing wild on high mountain hillsides. Even more than it is cold hardy, thyme is a very "user hardy" herb, making it a great starting herb for beginner gardeners!

Why Grow Thyme?

·         Thyme is well known in the culinary world. This herb is perfect for seasoning meats, soups and stews. Lamb and thyme are a great pairing. While using it in cooking, you'll be receiving a great source of Iron.

·         Thyme has many medicinal qualities. Teas made from thyme are used to treat inflamed throat, cough and bronchitis. Steam inhalation or vaporization of leaves can be used to treat respiratory infection. The essential oils can also be harvested in the form of a syrup or tincture and used in a variety of ways.

·         Thyme makes a great incense and candle scent. Extra leaves from the season will keep your house smelling great all winter long. Many online incense recipes and methods can be found online!

·         If you've never had a green thumb or just simply don't have luck growing herbs, try thyme! Beginners and experienced gardeners alike will or have already found a strong affinity to this easy to grow herb!

·         Thyme will grow in just about any condition. This allows the gardener to plant directly into the garden, in flower beds around the house, in containers, and the ability to grow indoors on window seals and under artificial lighting.

·         Thyme will grow in any container 4" in diameter or larger. Note that the size of your thyme will get larger as the container size is increased.

How to Grow Thyme:

1.    Research the variety of thyme you would like to grow. There are many to choose from including lemon, orange, citrus and garden thyme to name a few.

2.    There are three main ways to propagate thyme: seed, root division and cuttings. I'll cover seed and root division as cuttings are often unreliable. Root division of thyme is achieved by digging up the soil around a 3-4 year old thyme plant and cutting the root into 3-4 sections, each containing foliage and roots. The sections can then be buried and grown as individual plants. Root division is perfect if you know a reliable nursery or family member/neighbor with established thyme. Thyme grown from root divisions can be harvested the same year they are planted.

3.    If established root divisions cannot be located, growing from seed is a great option, but will not yield herb the first year. Sow 2-3 seeds in small plastic cups 1/4" deep in seedling compost. A well-lit window seal will be warm enough for seeds to propagate. Keep the soil moist until seedlings appear (10-14 days). I like to place Ziploc bags over the cups to create a micro-environment for the germinating seeds and the young seedlings. After the seedlings reach 2-3 inches tall, thin to the strongest seedling per cup. After more two weeks, the thyme plants can be moved to the destination of your choosing. Although the seedlings will reach 12" in height, do not harvest from the thyme plants their first year. Doing so could damage the future potential of your thyme.

4.    Keep in mind that thyme will do best in a soil with a medium-low amount of nutrients. If too many nutrients are in the soil, thyme will grow very leggy and tends to produce more stems than leaves. The soil should be well draining and allowed to dry slightly between watering. Water when the top 2" of soil are dry. Thyme is a low water herb and will tolerate drought.

5.    Thyme prefers hot areas with at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Anyplace around the house meeting the light requirement can be adapted to grow thyme. East, South and West facing window seals can all support healthy thyme if you are in an apartment.

Keep it Simple. Keep it Fresh. Try some Thyme in your garden.