Thyme

How to choose thyme plants

Sassy Thyme is a selection of Thymus vulgaris, the common garden thyme used in cooking, which grows as a small upright bush. Lemon Thyme has lemon scented leaves that suit fish, chicken and herb teas, and makes a low spreading mound.

For groundcover, choose a creeping thyme. Thyme Magic Carpet and Albus Creeping Thyme, which has white flowers, are both forms of Thymus serpyllum. They grow as flat mats that root as they spread, flower in late spring and summer, and draw bees. Creeping thyme takes light foot traffic, so it suits the gaps around stepping stones and the edges of paths. It is not a lawn substitute for heavy use. The leaves are edible but milder than culinary thyme.

Where thyme grows

Thyme is at home in Mediterranean, warm temperate and cool temperate climates, and in dry inland gardens given some water in summer. It is frost hardy. It struggles in humid, wet summers, when the dense growth holds moisture and rots. In the subtropics grow it in pots or raised beds of gritty mix, in full sun, and under the shelter of eaves during long wet spells. In the tropics treat it as a dry season herb.

It grows in the same conditions as rosemary, belongs with the other edible plants near the kitchen door, and the creeping forms fit among our rockery plants.

Planting and spacing

Plant in full sun in lean, free draining soil. Do not add manure or rich compost, which makes thyme soft, short lived and less aromatic. Thyme prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil, so add a little lime where the soil is acid. In clay, raise the bed or use a pot. Space creeping thymes 20 to 30 centimetres apart and they will knit together over a season or two. Space culinary thymes about 30 centimetres apart. Between pavers, fill the gaps with a sandy mix before planting.

Care basics

Water regularly until the plants are established, then sparingly. Thyme in the ground rarely needs feeding. Potted plants appreciate a light feed in spring. Trim by about a third after flowering to keep the plants dense, but do not cut into bare wood, which seldom reshoots. Pick culinary thyme often, taking the soft tips, because regular harvest keeps the bush compact. Plants turn woody and thin after three or four years. Replace them, or peg down a few stems to root and start again.

Common questions

Can you walk on creeping thyme?

Yes, lightly. It handles occasional steps around pavers and releases its scent when trodden on, but it will not stand daily heavy traffic.

Can you eat creeping thyme?

The leaves are edible, though the flavour is milder than common thyme or lemon thyme, which are the better choices for cooking.

Why does my thyme die back in summer?

Humidity and wet soil are the usual causes. Give it sharper drainage, more sun and air movement, and water in the morning at the base.

When should I harvest thyme?

Pick at any time of year. The flavour is strongest just before the plant flowers, in late spring.