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Although growing thyme from seed isn’t difficult, it requires patience, since this versatile, fragrant herb takes a while to germinate and grow. However, with the right know-how, you can start your own thyme seedlings and subsequently grow them into mature plants. Plus, seed is much less expensive than established bedding plants, so you stand to save a lot of money by starting thyme seeds yourself. This article is going to cover starting seeds indoors and direct-sowing seeds once the soil warms up in spring.
A member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family, thyme contains a chemical compound called thymol which contributes to its strong scent and flavor profile. For centuries, herbalists have used thyme to treat everything from coughs and fevers to diarrhea and epilepsy. More recently, thymol and other volatile chemicals in thyme have been used as antioxidant and antibacterial agents as well.
For cooking, you can snip off fresh leaves and stems to add some extra zip to all sorts of dishes, including soups, stews, sauces, and salads. You can also dry thyme by itself or combine it with other herbs like basil and rosemary to flavor herb-infused oils, vinegar, or butter.
The benefits of growing thyme from seed
By growing thyme from seed yourself, you can choose to start several different varieties, each with their own special scents and uses. Here are just a few of the different types of thyme plants you might choose to grow:
- Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Also known as English thyme or garden thyme, common thyme is a shrubby plant which can grow up to a foot-and-a-half tall. It has rounded, grayish-green leaves and tiny clusters of blooms which attract bees and other beneficial insects.
- Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox): This low-growing thyme forms dense foliage mats. In the right climate, creeping thyme can be a suitable ground cover. It also can work well for fairy gardens, in rock gardens, and between pavers.
- Orange thyme (Thymus citriodorus): Good for perking up fish and chicken recipes, orange thyme imparts a subtle citrus flavor. Orange thyme leaves are small, glossy, and dark green, and, reaching just 10 inches high, the plants themselves remain fairly compact.
- Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus): Like orange thyme, lemon thyme’s leaves are usually glossier than other thymes. As its name suggests, lemon thyme has a strong lemony scent. Lemon thyme grows to about one foot tall.
- Some rarer thyme varieties to look for include lavender thyme, lime thyme, caraway thyme, and nutmeg thyme.
Growing thyme from seed can save you some money, too. Seed is inexpensive compared to nursery-grown bedding plants, and, if you have a wide area you’d like to blanket with creeping thyme, for instance, you might need a large number of transplants to get the job done. If you start your own thyme plants from seed, you can cover a lot more ground on a budget.
When to start thyme seeds
If you’re planning on growing thyme from seed, the best time to start your seeds depends in part on your hardiness zone and your area’s average last frost date. Remember that thyme seeds can take a while to sprout. As long as you maintain a consistent temperature of at least 55°F (13°C) for your growing medium, germination should take 21 to 30 days in all.
If you’ll be growing thyme from seed indoors, you’ll need to start your seeds at least one month before your last average frost date. But to really give your plants a chance, late winter is even better. If, on the other hand, you plan to direct sow your seed in an outdoor pot or planting bed, you’ll need to wait until any danger of frost has passed and your soil temperatures are consistently at 55°F (13°C) or higher.
Should you plant thyme seeds indoors or out?
Unsure whether you should start your thyme seeds indoors or sow thyme directly into your outdoor garden beds? In truth, there isn’t a right or wrong answer here; however, each method does have its benefits and drawbacks. For instance, to start seeds indoors, you’ll need enough space and some special supplies. You’ll also need to be willing to put in the requisite time and effort along the way. That said, though, you’ll end up with larger bedding plants—and a nice head start—when it’s finally safe to plant outside.
As for direct-sowing your seeds? While you won’t need extra space inside or any special equipment, you also won’t get the benefit of that head start. Still, growing thyme from seed outside can be less time- and labor-intensive.
Growing thyme from seed indoors
When purchasing thyme seed, you may be surprised to find seed packets containing anywhere from 500 to 1,500 seeds or more. That’s because individual thyme seeds are very lightweight and tiny. Open seed packets carefully. Here are the steps you’ll want to take in order to successfully start thyme from seed.
Step 1: Gather and prepare the necessary materials: Choose a very fine, lightweight seed-starting medium that is uniform in consistency. This will help avoid smothering seeds, giving them a chance to germinate. Coconut coir is particularly well-suited for this, but peat pellets will also work. You’ll also need a clean, fine-misting spray bottle to help keep the seed-staring bed moist but not waterlogged. A seedling heat mat is also helpful but not necessarily essential.
Step 2: Sow the thyme seeds: Hydrate the coconut coir or pellets according to the package directions and then add to clean pots or seed-starting trays. (Make sure the pots or trays you use allow for good drainage.)
Before planting your thyme seeds, make sure your growing medium is moist but not sopping wet. Next, sprinkle the seeds on the surface of your growing medium and then lightly cover with a small amount of extra coconut coir or very gently press seeds into the tops of your peat pellets.
Step 3: Water, cover, and have patience: Once your seeds are planted, lightly mist the surface of the growing medium with the spray bottle. Now, cover your seed-starting pots or trays with clear plastic lids or clear plastic wrap and position the planted containers on top of a seedling heat mat if you’ve chosen to use one. Keep the growing medium moist, watch, and wait. Your thyme seeds should sprout in three to four weeks.
Caring for thyme seedlings
Drought-tolerant thyme prefers well-drained soil, so take care not to overwater your seedlings since this can cause root rot. Also, periodically check very small seedlings for damage from common indoor plant pests like spider mites, aphids, and white flies. You can control small outbreaks by hand-picking these if need be.
When to transplant and harden off your thyme seedlings
After carefully growing thyme from seed for transplanting outdoors, the last thing you want to do is inadvertently damage your delicate seedlings. With that in mind, you should take care to plant your seedlings only after you’re certain they won’t get nipped by frost—and only after you’ve adequately hardened them off.
To toughen up your plants for life outdoors, set them outside for a few hours each day for at least a week. Be sure to choose a spot that’s sheltered from strong winds and direct sunlight for this process.
Growing thyme from seed outdoors
Thyme plants don’t thrive in shade, so your garden bed will need to get plenty of sun. Also, your soil should be quick to drain with a soil pH that’s neutral to slightly alkaline. If you need to improve your soil structure or modulate pH levels, you can work in some finished compost. Once you’re certain the garden bed is well-draining, weed-free, and warm enough, you can sprinkle your thyme seeds across the top, lightly cover, mist, and keep moist for the next few weeks.
Additional thyme-growing tips
- Companion planting: Plant thyme near nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants to deter many of the insects which commonly target them. (Growing cabbage, kale, or other brassicas? Thyme also keeps cabbage moth larvae away.)
- Feeding and weeding: Thyme isn’t a heavy feeder. That means as long as your soil is rich in organic matter, you shouldn’t need to add fertilizer. Do, however, weed regularly—especially when seedlings are still small—and add mulch to suppress new weeds.
- Harvest thyme: Prune with clean, sharp shears to encourage new growth and bushier-looking plants. Haul any harvested leaves and stems into the kitchen to use fresh or dried.
Thyme to get started!
Growing thyme from seed may take longer than starting seeds for many other plant types, but doing so certainly has its rewards. First, because seed is much less expensive than established bedding plants, you stand to save a lot of money by starting thyme seeds yourself. What’s more, you can be choosy about which varieties of thyme you grow, depending on your particular use case. (For example, if you’re looking to jazz up your summertime lemonade, you might grow lemon thyme to add extra flavor and complexity to the drink.)
It takes patience—and about a month—to germinate thyme seeds, but it’s not difficult to succeed with this popular herb. Just be sure to harden off any seedlings you may have started indoors before planting them outside. (Recall that you can also sow seeds directly into the garden once the soil has warmed up.) Finally, as long as you can provide this Mediterranean plant with full sun and good drainage, you’ll have loads of thyme to harvest and share.
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