How to Grow Thyme Herb Plants

About Growing Thyme Plants in Your Herb Garden

Got the time for growing Thyme herbs? Sure you do! And, you will be glad you did. With a fresh and pleasingly pungent aroma and flavor, this easy-to-grow herb is popular in the home garden, because it is popular in the kitchen. Thyme herb plants produce a profusion of tiny flowers, making them attractive in flower beds and containers. In addition to being an attractive flower, Thyme is also fragrant when in bloom. Thyme plants have grayish leaves and woody stems.

Garden Tip: The flowers are like magnets to bees and birds. Set container-grown plants away from the patio door.

Try growing Thyme indoors in the winter as a house plant. Grow it indoors in a sunny window, or under a grow light.

Flowers Bloom: Spring

Flower Colors: Pink, red, and white

Plant height: 6 to 12 inches tall.

Hardiness Zones: 4 – 9

Perennial, Thymus vulgaris

Culinary Uses

This herb is no stranger to the kitchen. Uses include flavoring meats, sauces, fish, fish chowders, soups, stews, sauces, and flavored vinegar.

How to Propagate Thyme Plants

Thyme plants are grown from seed. Start growing seeds indoors, six weeks before the last frost. Give seedlings plenty of sun. You can also sow Thyme seeds directly into the garden. Cover lightly with fine garden soil. Seeds are slow to sprout.

Note: For indoor starts, we recommend using a heated germination mat, to increase the speed of germination. And it results in a higher germination rate.

Make sure to put this perennial somewhere in the garden where it can live for several years, without the need to replant it.

Days to Germination: 20 – 30 days.

Final Plant Spacing: Space seedlings, or thin plants 12 to 24 inches apart, in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.

Days to Maturity: 70 days

How to Grow Thyme Herb Plants

Like most herbs, growing Thyme plants is easy. Thyme plants prefer full sun. Thyme thrives in a variety of soils, even poor ones. They also are tolerant of dry conditions.

Water plants during dry periods, once or twice per week.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer once or twice a season.

Cut leaves and dry them in a cool, shady place.

Ideal pH: 5.5- 7.0