How to grow thyme from seeds outdoors (with photos)

Thyme is a fragrant flowering plant that is used as a seasoning for culinary dishes or as a fragrance in the manufacture of cosmetic products: soaps, shampoos, creams and gels. It's used in the production of wine and spirits. How to grow thyme? This easy-to-grow shrub is easy to grow in open ground in a summer cottage or garden plot. Gardeners who plant herbs and spices find a place for thyme in their beds or flower beds. The result is a wonderful seasoning for the table and a healing remedy for the family medicine cabinet.

Description

This herb is known by many names: thyme, Bogorodskaya grass, greedy thyme, borovaya pepper, and lemon scent. There are several hundred species of thyme, with over 170 varieties found in Russia, growing in a wide variety of environments: forests, sandy and clay steppes, rocky slopes, and even cliffs. Depending on its habitat, thyme has acquired several distinctive characteristics, reflected in its names: common thyme, creeping thyme, and lemon-scented thyme.

The basic, or general, characteristics are identical for all thyme species. It is a low (up to 35 cm tall) flowering shrub or subshrub with erect or creeping shoots (see photo):

• thyme root is taproot, woody;
• stems and shoots are woody at the base, spreading, covered with hairs;
• leaves - different types of thyme can have different shapes and sizes, hard, with smooth or serrated edges;
• flowers - collected in inflorescences at the ends of stems in the form of a ball or cone, each flower has 4 erect stamens, the petals are colored pink, white or purple;
• The fruit is a capsule with 4 almost spherical, slightly flattened nuts.

Thyme blooms from June to August, and the fruits ripen from late August to mid-September.

Main types

Several hundred varieties of thyme are divided into three main groups based on the arrangement of branches and shoots; within these groups, plants can differ in leaf shape and petal color.

Common thyme

This species is a perennial subshrub up to 40 cm tall with a branched taproot system. The stems are woody at the base, branched, and the branches are herbaceous, four-sided, and covered with hairs. The lateral shoots are shortened. Common thyme has dark green leaves with smooth margins, each leaflet no larger than 10 mm. The flowers are pale lilac, sometimes white. The inflorescences are borne in the leaf axils. The flowering period is June-July. The fruits (cinobia) are four rounded nuts that ripen in late August. They are very small, only up to 1 mm in diameter.

Creeping

Thyme, also known as Bogorodskaya grass, is the common name for creeping thyme. It grows in rocky steppe areas or in forested highlands. The plant grows to a height of no more than 15 cm, with prostrate shoots and straight or slightly raised flower stalks. In the wild, densely packed plants form turf-like glades. The leaf blades are straight, with edges that do not curl downward, and have specialized glands filled with essential oil. Leaf dimensions: up to 10 mm long and 2-4 mm wide. The fruits are small, elliptical nuts, only 0.6 mm long. Flowering begins in late May and continues until September, with the fruits appearing in July-August, depending on the climate of the region where the thyme grows.

Lemon-scented

The very name of this thyme variety suggests that the aroma of its leaves and flowers resembles the distinctive scent of lemon, but is more subtle, without the bitter note. It is a perennial subshrub, up to 30 cm tall. The plant's leaves are semi-oval, bright yellow-green, and feature glandular veins that produce aromatic oils. The scent can be detected by rubbing the leaves between your fingers. Lemon-scented thyme is often used in beverages, cosmetics, and as a fragrance for medicinal powders for colds. This plant is a hybrid derived from crossing two thyme varieties and, in turn, has several cultivars.

Growing conditions in open ground

Gardeners have only recently begun growing thyme in their summer cottages and garden plots. Previously, people were unable to use cultivated land for growing herbs and ornamentals due to a lack of available space. Today, gardeners propagate thyme for their own needs, as it is a versatile and useful plant. There are three main ways to grow thyme: by seed, cuttings, or division.

Growing from seeds

Germinating small thyme seeds requires soil completely free of weeds. Weeds will hinder the plant's already slow development, as seedlings germinate slowly at the beginning of the growing season, taking almost a month to establish and adapt. Young thyme sprouts may not be able to withstand competition from the excess weeds and will die. Gardeners and horticulturists only grow thyme from seed in special cases: to develop new varieties or to preserve and propagate existing unique cultivars.

Cuttings

In the summer, before flowering, thyme is propagated by rooting green cuttings. This method ensures faster plant survival and a higher guarantee of high-quality plants. Cuttings are taken 2-3 weeks before flowering. The tops of the shoots, up to 10 cm long, are cut off, planted in a sandy substrate, and insulated with plastic film to accelerate growth. The cuttings take root within a month. The thyme can then be transplanted to its permanent location. For the first 2-3 weeks, the seedlings require frequent, almost daily, watering.

By dividing the bush

Gardeners consider this method the easiest and most guaranteed to thrive. In spring, summer, or fall, thyme bushes are dug up and divided into several sections, depending on the extent of their root system (3 to 7 bushes). The planting site is prepared in advance: in the fall for spring plantings, and in the spring for summer or fall plantings. This should be done 2-3 months before dividing the bushes. Seedlings planted in spring or early summer will have developed strong rootstocks by the start of winter, and their stems and branches will develop more quickly, preventing them from being damaged by winter frosts.

Thyme: planting the plant

Thyme (and savory) - perennialIt can grow and develop successfully in one place for about 5-7 years. When choosing a site for planting thyme, consider this nuance, as well as all the important aspects of growing this aromatic shrub: selecting suitable planting material, choosing a site, preparing the soil, and timing the propagation.

How to select and prepare seedlings

Experienced gardeners, deciding to grow thyme in their garden, first of all learn about the agricultural requirements of this new crop. Thyme, it's safe to say, won't present many problems for gardeners. It's easy to care for, and any novice gardener can handle planting and propagation.

Thyme seeds, green cuttings, and seedlings can be purchased at specialty stores, from private sellers, and online. When purchasing planting material, pay attention to the following:

• the seeds must be of high quality, the shelf life cannot exceed 2 years;
• Green thyme cuttings can be stored for about 30 days and are sold in special sealed packaging to prevent the shoots from drying out;
• Young seedlings obtained by dividing the bush should have at least 5-8 root shoots, and the plant stems should be healthy, strong, and free from deformations.

Landing thyme in open ground It won't take much time; before planting the seedling, you need to disinfect the planting material in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes.

Site selection and soil preparation

Thyme, as it grows, can eventually take up a significant amount of space in a garden plot. Some gardeners enjoy this, while others don't, so the location chosen for growing thyme should be accessible for maintenance, including weeding, thinning, or removing overgrown bushes.

Thyme should be planted in a sunny location. It tolerates some shade, but shady areas are not ideal for it. In the shade, it grows tall, its flowering significantly decreases, and its foliage, on the contrary, becomes denser and covers the entire soil in the beds.

Thyme isn't picky about soil composition, but it's preferable to plant it in neutral or slightly alkaline soils. Heavy clay soil and excessively wet soil inhibit plant growth and lead to root rot. Drainage systems should be installed in such areas to ensure water drainage.

How to plant thyme in your garden: timing and planting rules

Thyme seedlings are planted in early spring or late fall. The best time for sowing is April-May. Prepare the thyme planting site in advance: in summer for fall plantings, and in autumn for spring plantings, or 1-2 months before planting.

Dig holes twice as large as the pot the seedlings were grown in and slightly deeper (by 5-7 cm). Light, well-fertilized garden soil is mixed with sand. Some of this soil is poured into the bottom of the hole, the seedling is placed in the hole, and the remaining soil is covered. Water the plant and mulch it with whatever material is available: sawdust, wood chips, small pebbles, or shredded bark.

Plant care

By planting thyme in a permanent location, gardeners will have no difficulty caring for it; it's easy to care for and will delight owners with continuous blooms all summer long. Caring for thyme involves following three guidelines:

1. Watering. Water as the soil dries out. On hot summer days, you'll need to water more often, as moisture evaporates from the soil surface more quickly.
2. Fertilizing. Once a month, thyme is fed with complex mineral fertilizers common for garden crops. Supporters of ecological cultivation plants, they use organic matter for these purposes: mullein infusion, herbs, bird droppings.
3. Pruning. This is done twice per season. In the spring, all dead and damaged branches are trimmed, and in the fall, the bushes are thinned to prevent excessive growth.

In addition to the above requirements, caring for thyme will require regular weeding, loosening the soil, and, if flowering is undesirable, trimming the bush before this period.

Diseases and pests

Thyme is resistant to pests and diseases, but if cultivation practices are improper or care is inadequate, it is susceptible to disease or pest infestations. To prevent these problems, spray thyme plants with insecticide solutions, preferably in early spring or after flowering.

Use in landscape

Thyme flowers are quite attractive to look at, and the green mass of leaves also stands out with their rich color and density, which is why landscape designers often use this plant in decorative garden designs: in rockeries, alpine slides, vertical gardening, and lawn design.

How does a plant overwinter?

Thyme is extremely resistant to low temperatures; even severe frosts are no threat to it, but to ensure its survival, the plantings should be covered for the winter with fallen leaves, peat, or spruce branches.

How to collect and store

Thyme is harvested throughout the flowering season, from July to September, and the flowers and leaves are dried naturally or in the oven. Completely dried inflorescences are stored in cardboard boxes or cloth bags. Dried thyme has a shelf life of 1 to 3 years.

Thyme in the home medicine cabinet

Thyme's beneficial properties are used not only in folk medicine; traditional treatments also include the use of herbal infusions in combination with medications. Tea, tinctures, and decoctions made from dried and fresh thyme are beneficial for:

• during colds;
• for headaches and insomnia;
• for inflammation of the throat and bronchi;
• to destroy parasites in the body;
• for nervous disorders.

Thyme tea is brewed in the usual way: 1 teaspoon per cup of boiling water. Making an infusion or decoction at home is also easy: for an infusion, use 1 tablespoon of dried herb or flowers per 1 liter of boiling water. For a decoction, the proportions are the same, but simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat.

Conclusion

Healthy lifestyle advocates sometimes refuse to take chemical medications for colds and similar illnesses. In such cases, they can benefit from the aromatic, warming, and very beneficial thyme tea. Even traditional medicine has recognized that thyme drinks are harmless to the human body, help overcome illness, and strengthen the immune system. Now you know how to grow thyme. thyme in the garden or in the garden, we advise beginners to try their hand at this, you will not regret it.