Cultivation of Thyme
The information that follows is excerpted from a longer post: The Ultimate Guide to Thyme. For additional information about Thyme such as its description, or medicinal and culinary uses, please click HERE to access the complete original post. Other individual sections are listed below:
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| Thyme for Planting |
Growing thyme is fairly simple. To start it from seed, use a "cluster" sowing method. Place about 20 seeds in a 4 inch clay pot filled with a mixture of sand, peat moss, loam, and perlite, topped with a covering of fine sand. Mist the plants daily until the seeds germinate, which usually takes about a week. After germination, water at the base of the plants when the soil is dry to the touch. Watering at the base makes sure no water gets on the leaves, which can slow or stop essential oil production. About two weeks after germination, you can feed the new plants with fish emulsion or skim milk, and then move them to a sheltered, sunny outdoor spot when they are 3 or 4 inches tall. A week later, they can be moved out to their permanent homes in either larger pots or in the garden.
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| Thyme in an Aluminum Pot |
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| Thyme Sprouts |
Thyme can also be propagated by division, cuttings, or layering. For a complete description of layering, click HERE. Division is simply uprooting the plant, being careful not to harm the roots. The original plant is then separated into two or three sections (divided), and then the new pieces are transplanted into their new locations. They should continue to grow and behave much in the same way the parent plant did, since they are actual portions of that original plant. The plants should be divided in the spring for best results.
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| One of My Thymes--The center section of this one died and I clipped it back. The smaller, bright green stems in the center are all new growth since mid-September (photo taken in November 2016). The plant is an excellent candidate for division in the spring |
Propagation from cuttings is my favorite method for obtaining new plants. I prefer to start them in a small vase of water, with no soil at all, but you may use soil if you prefer. To do this, take 3-inch pieces from established plants. You should only use the new green growth, not woody older growth. Place the cuttings in wet sand and keep it moist for two weeks until new roots appear. You will know they have rooted because they will resist a gentle tug and should show new top growth, too. Don't go tugging on them for at least two weeks, though, so as not to disturb them and so you don't break any of the tiny nodules where the new roots will form. Once the roots have grown, they can be transplanted to new pots or into the garden.
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| Thyme Seedlings |
Basically, thyme grows best in hardiness zones 5 - 9. It can, however, be grown as an annual in areas with colder winters. Thyme prefers a soil pH of around 6.3, but will do its best in relatively poor soil that contains few nutrients. As long as the soil is light, dry and well-drained, thyme requires very little care and maintenance. Just avoid wetting the leaves when you water it, as mentioned above. By reducing essential oil production, wetting the leaves significantly reduces the fragrance of the plant.
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| Frozen in Thyme |
Thyme prefers full sun, but will tolerate a little shade. I live in the desert region of west Texas, where I grow both upright and creeping thyme varieties. Both types grow in full blazing sun where ground surface temperatures can reach well over 120 searing degrees on a daily basis for about three months each year. They don't get a lot of water, but seem to be absolutely blissful in my little herb garden!
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| One of My Thymes |
Just make sure you don't over water thyme and that the soil it grows in is well-drained. Thyme is susceptible to root rot if left standing in water. The leaves of the plants especially can be damaged by winter wetness, and will benefit from a layer of gravel and mulch to protect the foliage from contact with wet soil. They can also become infested with spider mites, so keep a look-out for indications of this pest. Aside from these two issues, thyme is essentially maintenance free and pretty much takes care of itself. This makes it one of the easiest herbs to grow.
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| Spider Mite Damage on a Holly Bush |
Once your thyme is growing, what do you do with it? Harvesting it would be the next step. To do this, you simply snip off the tips as needed. You can harvest the entire plant in the spring by cutting it back to about 2 inches above the ground. The plant will grow back by the end of the growing season, but it will be less hardy over the winter because it is now a weaker plant. You can harvest thyme year-round, as it is an evergreen herb. Even if you grow it outside in your garden, thyme can be harvested from under the snow. It continues to produce oil and maintains its flavor, even in the middle of winter.
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| Harvesting Thyme |
Once you have harvested the sprigs you need, use them fresh, or hang them up to dry. You can also strip the fresh leaves off the stems and dry them on thin screens or freeze the fresh sprigs to use later.
Please leave any questions or comments you may have in the space below! I look forward to hearing from you!
Peace and Love Always,
Sources:
Photo Credits:
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| Thyme Seedling on Scoop |
Sources:
Bremness, Leslie. RD Home Handbook: Herbs. Pleasantville: Reader's Digest Association, 1990. Print.
Brown, Deni. The Herb Society of America Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. Print.
Clevely, Andi, and Katherine Richmond. The Complete Book of Herbs. New York: Smithmark, 1994. Print.
Cunnningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. Print.
Gips, Kathleen. Flora's Dictionary: The Victorian Language of Herbs and Flowers . Chagrin Falls: TM Publications, 1995. Print.
"Health Benefits Of Thyme: Medicinal Uses Of A Favorite Herb". Natural Society. N. p., 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Kowalchik, Claire, and William H. Hylton, eds. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs . Emmaus: Rodale, 1987. Print.
Kruger, Anna. An Illustrated Guide to Herbs. Stamford: Longmeadow, 1993. Print.
"Medicinal Thyme - History And Modern Uses". NaturalNews Blogs. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
"Medicinal Uses Of Thyme | Off The Grid News". Offthegridnews.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Shaudys, Phyllis. The Pleasure of Herbs. Pownal: Storey Communications, 1986. Print.
Shaudys, Phyllis V. Herbal Treasures. Pownal: Storey Communications, 1990. Print.
"Thyme Leaf Benefits ". Anniesremedy.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
"What Are The Health Benefits Of Thyme?". Medical News Today. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016
Photo Credits:
Cultivation of Thyme Background: Photo Credit: Thyme Background by rukxstockphoto
Thyme for Planting: Photo Credit: Sprouts fresh thyme by zia_shusha
Thyme in Aluminum Pot: Photo Credit: Golden thyme herb in an aluminum pot with household secateurs and leaf sprig isolated over white background. by Marilyn Barbone
Thyme in Aluminum Pot: Photo Credit: Golden thyme herb in an aluminum pot with household secateurs and leaf sprig isolated over white background. by Marilyn Barbone
Thyme Sprouts: Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shinyredtype/4528997880
One of My Thymes: Photo Credit: Angela Fox-Thompson
Thyme Seedlings: Photo Credit: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/megz/tags/growroom/
Frozen in Thyme: Photo Credit:
First day of fall and the first frost. Frozen thyme in a home garden, shadow corner. by Katarzyna Mazurowska
One of My Thymes: Photo Credit: Angela Fox-Thompson
Spider Mite Damage to Holly Bush: Photo Credit: http://www.heraldnews.com/article/20150618/NEWS/150616235
Harvesting Thyme: Photo Credit:
how to harvest thyme by Floki
Thyme Seedling on Scoop: Photo Credit: Seedlings of thyme. by geshas
Cultivation of Thyme Background: Photo Credit: Thyme Background by rukxstockphoto
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