You can also propagate thyme by cutting stems and rooting them in water. Limit harvesting in the first year to allow the plants to grow healthy and become established.

Water new plants until they show signs of growth, and then water only when experiencing extremely dry conditions. Plant your thyme seedlings about 8 to 10 inches apart. Once the seedlings are about 4 inches tall, harden off the plants, and transplant them into their permanent home after all danger of frost has passed. When sprouts are visible, remove the humidity dome from the tray, water the seedlings, and adjust the lights to 3-inches above the plants. Tightly cover the entire container with a humidity dome and place the tray in a warm location under lights. Mist the soil surface thoroughly with warm water from a squirt bottle. Thyme needs light to germinate, so do not cover seeds. Soak the soil for several hours to hydrate, and then fill your seed starting containers. Seeds can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks to germinate. Start thyme seeds indoors 10 weeks before your average last frost date. The seeds will sprout at different times, so give them time. They are also tricky to germinate, so plant double the number of seeds you want to sprout. Thyme seeds are tiny, temperamental, and take a long time to sprout, so patience is needed when growing thyme from seeds. Thyme is not a heavy feeder, so amend with compost and a moderate amount of organic fertilizer at planting time to help the plant settle in. Select an area with sandy, dry soil that receives 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day.

While thyme can grow in partly shady locations, growth will be slow, and the stems will have less foliage. For the best results, grow thyme in an area that receives morning sun and an additional 4 to 6 hours of sunlight during the day. Thyme prefers growing in well-drained soil in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade. Here are tips for growing thyme: How to Select and Prepare Your Growing Area You can start thyme from seeds, cuttings, divisions, or purchased seedlings. Most varieties of thyme are hearty perennials that come back every year when grown in plant hardiness zones 4 to 9. Thyme is relatively drought-tolerant and trouble-free once established. The leaves have a mild lemon flavor and are used for soups and stews. Silver Queen creates a large evergreen shrub with silvery leaves that are edible.Lemon Thyme, also called citrus thyme is similar to English thyme, but the leaves have a citrusy, fruity aroma and flavor, making it an ideal herb to brighten the taste of a dish.It is an ideal plant for edging or garden borders. Bertram Anderson will create small mounds of yellow-leafed herb plants with a mild flavor.This thyme variety also produces pink leaves and is grown for appearance instead of culinary uses. Variegata is a low-growing plant that has variegated leaves and a lemon fragrance.The leaves have a light lemon fragrance and flavor, making this thyme variety ideal for fish or chicken recipes. Archer’s Gold forms a dense, low-growing mat of yellowish-green leaves.Other thyme varieties you may discover at your local garden nursery include: German thyme is also called winter thyme because it is very cold hardy. German thyme has smaller, slightly rounded leaves than the other varieties, but the foliage packs lots of flavor.

French thyme is also called summer thyme and offers a slightly subtler flavor than English thyme. French thyme has upright stems with small, narrow gray-green leaves.English thyme is also referred to as garden thyme or common thyme. English thyme is a low-growing plant with flat, pointy, green, fragrant foliage.Each type bears leaves of slightly different shapes, colors, and flavors. Whatever use you have for thyme, there is a variety suitable for your garden.įrench, English, and German thyme are the most well-known culinary varieties you will find at your local nursery. Some are ornamental plants only, and some serve double-duty as edible and ornamental plants. There are well over 300 varieties of thyme that range from small evergreen perennials, and all are easy to grow. It holds its flavor in cooking and blends well with other flavors of its native region, such as garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes. Thyme has a subtle, dry aroma and a slightly minty flavor that pairs well with meat, summer soups, and vegetable recipes. This highly aromatic Mediterranean herb performs exceptionally well in somewhat dry, sunny conditions. It is native to southern Europe, from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris) is a perennial shrub belonging to the Labiatae, or mint, family. Use these tips to grow thyme in your garden to enjoy this beautiful and versatile herb. Thyme is a low-growing, woody perennial herb grown for garden beauty and culinary uses.

Growing thyme shade