If there is new growth, cut above it, or it will not regrow. Thyme is a prolific grower; it self-seeds and likes to spread. Dividing thyme and taking stem cuttings gives your older plant a new lease on life, encouraging new growth. You can propagate creeping thyme via three methods, division, stem cuttings, and seeds. The best time to do division or cuttings is in the late spring or early summer. To propagate via division :. To propagate via stem cutting :. You can start thyme from seed indoors in a small growing tray before the final frost using a quality seed starting soil.
Plant seeds on the surface of the soil with a light covering of soil. These seeds need light to germinate. Keep the water evenly moist in a warm, bright spot about 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. To moisten the top of the soil, use a spray bottle. The seeds should germinate within 14 to 21 days. Once the seedlings have 3 to 4 inches of growth, you can transplant them into a new container or plant them in the ground once the threat of frost has passed.
If you are transplanting thyme, give them room to spread with only one plant per pot. If you have containers that are several feet long, you can plant them about 1 foot apart. The best containers are porous—such as clay or terra cotta—but any container will do as long as its got ample drainage holes. Once the plant grows too big for the container, remove the root ball and divide it.
You can replant the smaller division back into the container it was in, giving it fresh soil. The division can go into a similar container with fresh soil, making way for fresh growth. In zones where winters are cold, thyme is semi-evergreen, which means it will remain mostly green and keep its leaves, but may die back some, and some branches may die. The best way to protect plants in lower USDA zones like 5 and under is by giving them a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch after the cold weather has set in.
Apply it on a day that has hit a freezing temperature. It will keep the soil at a consistent temperature and give the plant a better chance of surviving a rollercoaster of warming and cooling temperatures that can harm a plant. Flowering creeping thyme is very attractive to bees, and pollen from blooming thyme often flavors the resulting honey. The tiny leaves are aromatic, as are the flowers, which have a balsamic or citrus scent similar to the leaves.
Depending on the variety, flowers can be white, pink, or purple. You do not have to deadhead thyme flowers. And, unlike other flowering herbs, if this plant develops flowers, its leaves will not lose their flavor.
The flowers are edible too. It blooms in spring or summer for about 3 to 4 weeks. Most thyme plants do not flower in their first growing season.
If your plant is established and not flowering, you can try a diluted, half-strength liquid fertilizer. Thyme doesn't usually need enriched soil, but it may boost the plant needs to encourage flower production. To keep your thyme blooming year after year, pruning your oldest, woodiest stems at the end of the growing season will encourage new growth and flowers in the spring.
Creeping thyme is easy to grow, propagate, and has relatively little care needs. It's resilient against diseases and pests and is only susceptible to a few issues. As thyme ages and grows late in the season, it may start to get spindly and leggy. Pruning woody herbs at the end of the season is the best way to encourage new growth in the coming season. It simply requires some attention at the end of the fall season after the first frost or early spring.
Wait to prune after the plant's first growing season. Cutting is better than pulling out dead, woody stems since you run the risk of pulling out healthy new growth. A thyme plant that gets too much water has poorly draining soil, not enough drainage holes, or is exposed to too much humidity can get yellowing or browning leaves. Its light green foliage turns an attractive bronze color in fall. You can find plants available for purchase in quart-size containers at Nature Hills Nursery.
The miniature leaves make it look almost like moss, forming a dense ground cover. This cultivar does not bloom as prolifically as most other cultivars, but it forms dense mats of green. Expect a mature height of one to two inches with a spread of up to 16 inches.
If planted in an area with poor drainage or a section of the garden that is overwatered, T. The easiest way to avoid such a fate is to ensure that the designated planting area is fairly fast-draining and kept reasonably dry. Slugs may be an issue , but these can easily be treated with weekly applications of food-grade diatomaceous earth. Other than that, there are no serious insect or disease problem to speak of! The dense, creeping nature of this species makes it an excellent ground cover and living mulch.
As such, T. In a garden setting, this species looks best planted in a walkway, in between stepping stones or pavers, as creeping thyme is tolerant of moderate foot traffic and releases a pleasant aroma when its leaves are lightly crushed. It also works well in rock walls or as a dainty border planting.
Finally, as I mentioned previously, though this is not the traditional culinary variety T. With small aromatic silvery-green leaves and vibrant lavender-pink or white flower clusters, this festive ground cover may just creep right out of the nursery and into your heart! And for more information on growing other ground covers , check out these articles next:.
On most days you can find Eleanor basking in the sun, dirt streaked across her face, like the true sunflower she is. She loves spending time in the garden, backpacking, and surfing with friends. Eleanor moved west to attend Occidental College where she studied urban and environmental policy, and Spanish literature.
Since finishing school and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, she has dedicated her attention towards hands-on work with the earth. She focuses on native plant communities, soil health, herbal medicine, and resourceful farming practices. Is this natural? Do I need to do something so it will keep blooming?
This is completely natural! Plants will not rebloom in the same season, but they should come back again next year. Thymus praecox A sweet smell of earthy, herby goodness wafts through the air, welcoming you into the garden. Facebook 5 Twitter Pinterest More Posts 6. Notify of.
Those with long segments between leaves cover ground quickly but end up being much less dense. Types with short stems spend less energy spreading and more making leaves and roots. These types grow more slowly but result in dense carpets that can even withstand some foot traffic. The less space between leaves, the slower your thyme will spread. Longer segments mean faster growth. Generally, creeping thyme takes one year to get established, and then begins to spread in its second season.
Native to Mediterranean regions, creeping thymes prefer dry, well-drained locations with average soil and five or more hours of daily sun. Although they tolerate drought, rocky soils, air pollution and even deer, they don't handle humidity or overwatering well. Too much water or heavy, poorly draining soils lead to root rot, and failure to thrive and spread at normal rates.
Dryness actually improves this plant's vigor, and nonfertile soils increase aromatic oils. Regardless of variety, the shallow roots stay near the surface. To restrain them, pull them out, but select the proper type upfront instead so you can spend time enjoying its beauty instead of preventing it from spreading where you never intended it to go. Fast-spreading creepers will fill large areas by the end of their second season.
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