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Herb Garden Essentials: How to Grow Thyme

Common thyme and its flavorful cousins are anything but ordinary in the garden

Marianne Lipanovich July 23, 2013

Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects are garden-based, you might also find me writing about home projects and classical music. Away from the computer, I'm found in the garden (naturally), on my bike, or ice-skating outdoors (yes, that is possible in California). I'm also willing to taste-test anything that's chocolate.

Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects... More

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There’s a spot for versatile thyme in almost every garden. Depending on the variety, it can spread out to its heart’s content as a ground cover, sprawl over a wall, tuck neatly into a small corner, edge a garden with a row of rounded small shrubs or settle nicely into a container. It grows easily in most zones, surviving as an evergreen perennial in all but the more extreme climates, such as those that are very cold or hot and humid. Its white, pink and lavender flowers attract pollinating bees, which other edibles will appreciate.

No herb garden is really complete without thyme. For many gardeners and cooks, this has generally meant “common thyme,” known botanically as Thymus vulgaris, but other varieties are rapidly gaining in popularity. Foliage and flowers vary from species to species, so you can choose to plant all of the same or mix and match for a blended look in your landscape.

Note: Not all thymes are recommended for culinary use. Be sure to check the variety if you want one to use in the kitchen.

Andrea Meyers

Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Little once established
Where it will grow: Thyme grows easily in most zones, surviving as an evergreen perennial in all but the more extreme climates, such as those that are very cold or hot and humid
Prime growing season: Spring through fall; may die back in midsummer if too hot and humid
When to plant: Early spring; also fall in warm-winter climates
Favorites: Caraway, Common (English), French, Lemon, Lime, Mother of Thyme, Orange, Silver

CLINTON+RIES Landscape Architects, PC

Planting and care: You can start from seeds, but seedlings or transplants are usually easier to grow and are easy to find. Choose a sunny site. Thyme does well in dry, poor, slightly alkaline soil, but needs excellent drainage. For containers, choose a pot at least 10 inches wide.

Set plants out about 6 inches to a foot apart. Water regularly to establish them, then only as needed to keep them from drying out. There’s no need to fertilize.

Problems are rare. You might find the occasional spider mite or ant infestation. Root rot and nematodes may be a problem where climates are hot and humid.

Pinching or cutting back the tips and flowers are the easiest methods of keeping plants neat and healthy and encouraging new growth. Prune back more severely in spring after the last frost and again in mid- to late summer if plants become overgrown. You can cut the plant back to about a third its size, taking care to make the cuts above the new growth.

In coldest climates, cover or protect in winter. Thyme often reseeds freely. The plants can show their age after a few years, so you may want to replace them.

Harvest: Cut off the tips and the flowers when needed.

Paintbox Garden

More: How to grow more herb garden essentials

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Comments (13)

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gwen47

Thanks for the tip, Frank. My thyme was doing well, spreading as desired in the hot, dry Kansas summers, then this year we're having monsoon season in place of our normal dry season and my thyme is turning black.

1 Like August 7, 2013 at 9:13AM

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janet4784

We have a thyme "lawn" patch, watered with a regular pop up sprinkler, and it's looked great for years. It needed more water than we expected in order to look good, but still much less than a grass lawn. No mowing, no fertilizer...love it. So do the native bees.

3 Likes August 7, 2013 at 6:46PM

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