Useful tips for growing thyme from seeds

This aromatic herb is known to many. Common thyme is widely used as an aromatic seasoning in the kitchen; the medicinal effect of this plant is also known, which is used in the treatment of many diseases. Not only its beneficial properties, but also the fact that it is an undemanding plant, make it popular for growing in the garden or in a pot at home. We will tell you how to grow thyme - planting and care in open ground and in pots, secrets of growing.

Varieties

Medicinal (Thymus vulgaris)

Perennial spreading herbaceous shrub, up to 40 cm high. The leaves are small, the flowers are white, collected in inflorescences - whorls.

@bernard BONIFASSI, Flickr

Creeping or thick-haired (Thymus serpyllum)

A perennial subshrub formed by creeping shoots with raised crowns. Height 12-15 cm. Flowers pink-lilac.

The Dun Valley variety with yellow-green leaves is interesting in appearance. Forms dense clumps, 8 cm high.

@Tatjana Stojanoska, Flickr

Lemon (lemon-scented, Thymus citriodorus)

Hybrid of common thyme and flea thyme. Obtained in France, therefore in cold climates it requires shelter for the winter. Varieties: Zambezi, Aureus, Silver King.

@Forest and Kim Starr, Flickr

Where to buy seeds

Varieties of varieties

Thyme has a huge variety of varieties. It's simply amazing. Let's focus on the main and most popular types that will best decorate your garden and will not cause any trouble in maintenance.

Common Thyme

Common thyme can be of different sizes and colors; in the photo, white thyme
does not reach a height of more than 15 cm. It is actively used in medicine. It has small leaves and blooms white or light purple.

There is an artificially bred hybrid based on common thyme - this is lemon thyme. It has a characteristic lemon aroma.

Bogorodsky flower or thyme can have not only a lemon aroma, but also taste

In winter, thyme plantings should be covered. And to maintain cultural shape and density, the bushes need to be pruned.

Thyme Dwarf

The height of thyme is very small - up to 5 cm. This variety grows in dense islands of small diameter. Dwarf subspecies are found in white, scarlet or red.

Thyme Creeping

A perennial shrub with creeping stems. Its flowers are pink, white and crimson. The leaves are quite large and reach 1 cm in length. The flowering period occurs at the end of summer.

Thyme Bogorodsky

Thyme will saturate both tea and the summer air with aroma. Vsadu.Ru
Shrubs grow in one planting for up to 4 years. Their stem is thin and creeping; they are often used to decorate fences, walls of houses and gazebos. This variety blooms in lilac-pink color, has a bright aroma and a bitter taste.

Thyme Rainbow

This variety is most often recommended for planting in areas, as it is very beautiful. Young leaves can be eaten and added as a seasoning to various dishes; they are very useful.

Rainbow thyme reaches 25-30 cm in height, and many gardeners plant it along the fence so that it will delight them with pink and purple flowers. With proper care it can grow up to five years.

Timing of sowing seeds

Thyme is sown in open ground when the threat of frost has passed. In different regions, it is recommended to sow at the following times:

in the Moscow region and the middle zone - from May 5 to May 15;
in the Leningrad region - the second half of May;
in the Urals - in early June ( in Siberia it is recommended to grow thyme as a potted crop);
in the south they are sown in April.

At home, thyme can be sown all year round. But when sowing in autumn and winter, additional lighting is installed, extending the day to 12 hours.

Advice. To get a small harvest of spicy herbs in the first year of cultivation, thyme is grown through seedlings. Sowing is carried out in February - March.

When to plant thyme according to the lunar calendar 2022

January: 10-12, 25-27, 29-31
February: 3, 4-9, 12-14, 21-23, 25-27
March: 3-17, 20-31
April: 3-10, 21, 22, 25-30
May: 2-7, 14, 15, 17-27
June: 1-3, 6-10, 19-21
July: 8-11, 16-18, 20-27, 30, 31
August: 4-6
September: -
October: -
November: 12-14, 19-23, 26-30
December: 1-6, 19-21

In 2022, unfavorable days fall on the following dates:

January – 2, 3, 17, 18
February – 1, 2, 16, 28
March – 1, 2, 18, 27, 28
April – 1, 2, 16, 23
May – 1, 16, 30
June -14, 18, 29
July – 13, 14, 28, 29
August – 11, 12, 27-28
September: 9-10, 26, 27
October: 9, 10, 25, 26
November: 1, 2, 7-9, 24, 25, 28, 29
December: 7-9, 23-25

Growing conditions

Loves open sunny spaces and does not tolerate excess moisture.

Loose, light soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.

During the first summer, it is necessary to water the plant regularly (about once a week).

In subsequent years this will not be necessary.

Thyme grows beautifully on alpine hills, being part of a decorative flower garden.

Main types of thyme

The plant has different aromas, depending on the species, some of which are quite rare and are listed in the Red Book.

The main types of thyme are as follows.

Common thyme

It looks like a compact, highly branched, small (up to 15 centimeters) bush with small white or lilac flowers. It has a slightly bitter aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of lemon, anise and caraway. The inflorescences are located on the tops of the branches, so the plant looks very beautiful and is often used to decorate the site.

creeping thyme

It has a second name - thick-haired thyme. The stem of the plant spreads along the ground, resulting in a dense decorative carpet. This species forms adventitious roots, is often used to decorate alpine hills, and is used as a border plant.

Lemon-scented thyme

The height of the bushes is up to 30 centimeters, the plant has a spicy lemon smell, this type of thyme is heat-loving, plantings should be covered for the winter. To keep the bushes beautiful and compact, they are trimmed periodically.

Vegetable thyme Medok

The fastest growing variety, a creeping species, used for preparing sauces and marinades; For tea with thyme, parts of the plant of this particular variety are usually used.

Soil preparation and site selection

Before sowing, the soil is dug up, removing all the roots of the weeds so that they do not choke out the thin shoots. Some gardeners lay dense geotextiles to a depth of 20 cm, pouring sterile soil on top of it. In the second year, thyme forms a dense turf and is not afraid of weeds.

Suitable for thyme is sandy loam containing:

humus (8-10 kg per 1 sq. m),
superphosphate (30 g),
potassium sulfate (20 g).

Healthy:

The clay soil is loosened by adding sand or perlite (1-2 buckets per meter of area).
Acidity is reduced by adding wood ash, chalk, and bone meal to the bed, from 250 to 400 g per 1 square meter. m.

To grow thyme at home, flower pots are filled with a substrate “for succulents”, to which granular complex mineral fertilizer (OMU, Fasco) has been added.

Prepare the soil for thyme yourself by mixing sand, turf humus, garden soil and mature plant compost in equal parts. To sterilize the mixture, it is poured with boiling water, Fitosporin solution or calcined in the oven.

@John and Anni Winings, Flickr
@Meighan, Flickr

Seed preparation

The seeds of spicy plants germinate slowly due to the presence of essential oils in the shell . Soaking them in hot and cold water alternately can speed up germination. How to do it:

First, the seeds in a gauze bag are immersed in water at a temperature of 50 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Then put it in cold water for 20 minutes, then again in hot water.

This procedure washes out the essential oils from the seeds and softens the shell.

You can simply place the seeds in a damp cloth and put them in a warm place for 2 days (on a radiator). Check the moisture content of the cloth to ensure it does not dry out.

Before sowing, the seeds are dried a little so that they do not stick to each other.

Sowing

Thyme is sown in pots in nests

In open ground, thyme is sown in furrows 1 cm deep, placing the seeds at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. As the plants grow, they are thinned out. The gaps between the rows should not be less than 40 cm - thyme loves space and free air movement.
Cover the rows with clean coarse sand.
The crops are irrigated abundantly with warm water and covered with film.

Thyme germinates at a temperature of +20..23 degrees, within 2 weeks.

Video recommendations from Igor Bilevich

Care

Thyme is sown by seeds or planted in divisions in sunny or slightly shady areas. It can be placed under the canopy of trees in the garden or included in flower beds. The perennial is not picky about soil, but loves loose soils with a high proportion of sand in the composition.

Watering	Regular for young plants obtained from seeds. Adult bushes are rarely watered, only during periods of severe drought.
Top dressing	Once every 3 years, in the spring, rotted compost is added to the garden bed, 5 kg per 1 sq. m. m. At the end of summer, complete mineral universal fertilizer.
Transfer	The division of the clump is carried out as it grows. Transfers easily.
Wintering	Due to its small size, thyme overwinters safely under snow. Heat-loving varieties are covered with sawdust, straw for the winter, or transplanted into a pot and brought into a basement or greenhouse for the winter.

How to grow thyme yourself?

Thyme, like many other flowers, propagates using ripened seeds, cuttings or division. With the latter method, you should carefully dig up the entire bush, avoiding injury to the root system, and divide it into several parts;
If you propagate thyme by cuttings, you should cut the stem into small pieces, up to five centimeters. Then slightly deepen it into the prepared soil and cover it with a jar, creating greenhouse conditions for it. It is important to monitor humidity. Excessive watering can lead to rotting of the cuttings. If the conditions for thyme are favorable, then after 2 weeks it will take root;
The most effective way to propagate thyme is by planting seeds. This method will produce much more sprouts than the method of division and cuttings. And thyme does not skimp on seeds.

Collection of herbs of the Virgin Mary

There is a custom to collect thyme on Trinity Day, because beliefs say that on this very day its healing properties are significantly enhanced.

The variety of thyme species is amazing and some of them are considered holy

Thyme begins to be harvested when it blooms intensively. Using a knife, cut off the branches with leaves, leaving the base intact. You should be careful, as the bushes are easily pulled out of the ground, and replanting them will be quite difficult.

After assembly, the thyme is dried by spreading it on a cloth in a thin layer. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. You can also dry it in bunches suspended from the ceiling.