Thyme - A durable herb
By Tom Kovach
Thyme is a very durable herb and serves as an attractive ground cover. This herb offers flowers, fragrance, and flavor. No kitchen garden would be complete without thyme. There are two types of thyme and they are named for their growing habits; shrubby and creeping.
Shrubby thyme grows upright and is more fragrant than the creeping varieties. It is an excellent plant for bordering paths or driveways. It also makes a perfect edging plant for a formal herb garden. Creeping thyme has a subtler scent, and such a strong spreading tendency that it is often used as lawns in areas that see little foot traffic. Creeping thyme is perfect for filling out a kitchen garden bed, or trailing over the edge of a container.
Thyme plants release a wonderful scent when the leaves are touched, making it an ideal herb for planting in a pot right outside the kitchen, or in areas where people will regularly brush by.
Buying and planting
When buying, select sturdy plants in individual pots three inches or larger. Pick well-branched plants with stems spilling over the edge of the pot. Avoid plants that are tall and gangly. Do not buy thyme plants with brown, dried-out leaves.
When planting, select an area with full sun. Thyme thrives in warm, sunny areas. If grown in partial shade, it becomes more prone to disease. Thyme grows better in poor soil. But light, well-drained soil is essential, as thyme is very susceptible to root rot.
After the last spring frost, dig a hole about twice the width and equal to the depth of the pot in which your thyme seedling is planted. Mix equal parts of sharp sand (compost in clay soil) with soil from the hole, and replace several inches of this mix into the hole. Remove the thyme from its pot, gently loosening the roots. Position the plant to sit at the same soil level as it did in its container. Fill with soil, and water lightly.
Aftercare
Cut back about three-quarters of the new growth regularly to prevent woodiness. Stop pruning your thyme plant 45 days before the first frost date is expected, as any pruning after that will result in new growth that may be killed by the first hard frost.
Prune back dead stems in spring. Even if thyme looks dead in early spring, do not remove it because it may come back to life. Thyme can be harvested all year. Pinch off branches of thyme as you need them. Cut several branches and tie them together with twine for hanging in the kitchen.
The woodier stems of older plants are more likely to be injured by severe winter weather. Keep plants trimmed to remove older, weaker branches and storm-damaged wood. If thyme leaves are turning brown, the problem could be a fungus caused by a lack of air circulation and sunlight. Cut out stems that prevent air and light from reaching the plant's center. Wilted plants with yellow leaves and rotting stems are probably suffering from root rot. This disease is the result of poor drainage or over-watering. Prevent this by planting in raised beds. Destroy infected plant parts and spray with a copper fungicide for severe cases.
Increase your stock of plants by taking stem cuttings in late summer. Cut a stem with four or more leaves and plant in a container filled with potting mix and a cup of sharp sand. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill to harvest fresh thyme all winter.
Shrubby Variety
Common thyme: Classic culinary thyme; grows up to 16 inches with white to pale purple flowers.
Provençal thyme: Small, gray leaves, emits a strong aroma; up to 12 inches tall with white to pale purple flowers.
French thyme: Varied leaf size and aroma; up to 12 inches tall with a pale lilac flower.
English thyme: Soft, mounded form; has a subtle scent; grows to 12 inches tall with a pale pink flower.
Silver thyme "Argenteus": Silver-edged, gray leaves; mounded form; 12 inches tall with pale lavender flowers.
Silver lemon thyme: Silver-green leaves; emits the scent of lemons; 12 inches tall with a pale lilac flower.
Creeping Variety
Creeping thyme: Bright green leaves; good choice for baskets; 4 to 6 inches tall with white to lavender flowers.
Woolly creeping thyme: Hairy, gray leaves; ideal for a ground cover; 4 to 6 inches tall with a pale pink flower.
Caraway thyme: Small leaves; emits a strong Caraway scent; 7 inches tall with a reddish purple flower.
Gray woolly thyme: Furry, gray leaves; dense growth habit; 6 inches tall with a pale, purplish pink flower.
Lemon matting thyme: Strong lemon scent; not suitable for eating; 4 inches tall with white to pale pink flowers.
Golden thyme: Gold foliage; good edging plant; 6 inches tall with a purple flower.
There are many varieties and many uses for thyme. The flowers of thyme can be used as an attractive edible garnish. They have the same flavor as the leaves, but are a little bit milder.