What Plant Is Thyme? A Detailed Guide to Growing and Care

Thyme scientific name: thymus vulgaris. Common names: garden thyme, creeping thyme, wild thyme, mountain pepper, mountain pepperwort. Family and genus: Lamiaceae, Thymus.

Morphological characteristics: the plant grows about 20 cm tall, and the whole plant is aromatic with a mild pungent flavor. The lower part of the stem is prostrate and clump-forming, while the upper part is upright, four-angled, and much branched. The leaves are opposite, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, about 0.7 cm long and about 0.3 cm wide, grayish green, with recurved leaf margins. It blooms in early summer, with white flowers tinged with red, 0.2 cm in diameter, in terminal whorled cymes. The seeds are small and round, with about 6000 seeds per 1 g.

Ecological habits: it likes sufficient light. It has low requirements for soil quality, but the soil must be well drained.

Cultivation and management: it can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, layering, and division. Because the seeds are very small, broadcast sowing is better; first water the medium thoroughly, then spread the seeds evenly on the surface. When 4-6 leaves have grown, first move the seedlings to a smaller container (such as a plug tray), and when the root system has developed well, move them to a pot for final planting. For cuttings, take the terminal buds as cuttings, preferably with 3-5 nodes, but be careful not to take already woody branches, as their rooting ability is poor. If peat soil is used as the growing material for pot cultivation, add about 20% river sand to improve drainage. It is better to let the plant dry slightly before watering again than to keep it constantly moist. Because growth is slow, it does not need much fertilizer; if peat is used as the medium, only about 5%-10% decomposed organic fertilizer needs to be added. After the plant grows larger, apply liquid fertilizer once every 1-2 weeks. Growth weakens in summer, and fertilizer should not be applied at that time.

Uses: it can be planted in the ground in courtyards. Fresh branches and leaves can be eaten directly raw, used as a spice, or distilled into essence for bath products. It has the effects of improving nasal and throat discomfort, aiding digestion, promoting urination, and expelling roundworms.

Medicinal effects: dispels wind and releases the exterior, moves qi and relieves pain, stops coughing, and lowers blood pressure.

Thyme Growing Methods and Precautions

Plants of the genus Thymus are also called creeping thyme, wild thyme, mountain pepper, mountain pepperwort, garden thyme, and so on in China. Thyme is a subshrub, and its stems and leaves are fragrant. It is often planted in flower borders, flower beds, rock gardens, and herb gardens, or used as ground cover in sunny spots. It is very suitable as a culinary seasoning and has high medicinal value.

The growing environment for thyme should have sufficient light, otherwise the plant will become leggy. It has low requirements for soil quality, but the soil must be well drained; peat moss or potting soil mixed with perlite can be used. The most suitable growing temperature is 20°C to 25°C. Special attention should be paid to high summer temperatures during cultivation. When the temperature is higher, the plant can be trimmed slightly to improve ventilation and placed in a cool place to spend the summer.

For fertilization, organic fertilizer can be used as a base fertilizer. During the vigorous growth periods in spring and autumn, dilute Hyponex 1000 times and apply it once every 7-10 days. In summer the plant is weaker, so it is best not to fertilize. Before flowering, branches and leaves can be cut at any time for use, otherwise after flowering and setting seed the plant is prone to dying. If a larger amount is harvested, it can also be dried and stored.

Thyme can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, layering, and division, and except in summer, all are suitable for propagation. If propagated by seed, because the seeds are very small, broadcast sowing is better; first water the medium thoroughly, then spread the seeds evenly on the surface. When the true leaves have grown to 4-6 leaves, first move the seedlings to a smaller container (such as a plug tray), and when the root system has developed well, move them to a 3-inch pot for final planting. At final planting, 5-10% organic fertilizer can be added to the potting soil. For cuttings, take the terminal buds as cuttings, preferably with 3-5 nodes, but be careful not to take already woody branches, as their rooting ability is poor.

1. The environment for growing thyme

Thyme likes a warm environment. Normally it should be placed in a mild environment of 20 to 25 degrees, and it should not be grown in a hot and humid environment. During hot summer weather, indoor ventilation should be increased, and water should be sprayed on the thyme leaves in time to lower the temperature. In addition, thyme needs sufficient sunlight during growth. Normally it should be placed on a sunny balcony or in a sunny room. If there is insufficient sunlight, the plant will become leggy.

2. Fertilizer and water management for thyme

Fertilizer and water management are especially important for growing thyme well. The leaves of this plant are slightly fleshy and fairly drought tolerant, but very poor at tolerating waterlogging. Usually water should not be supplied in excess; watering once a week is enough, and the potting soil must not be too wet or have standing water in the pot, otherwise its roots will rot. Thyme has relatively low fertilizer requirements. It grows slowly and does not need frequent fertilization normally; it only needs to be fertilized once every half month in spring when thyme is growing vigorously.

When growing thyme normally, be sure to pay attention to resting the plant. During the seedling stage, pinch out the growing tips to promote branching and shaping. During its growth period, prune at any time according to its growth condition to keep the plant attractive, which also helps with ventilation and healthy growth. In addition, when growing thyme, the pot should be changed once every two years, and the soil should be a neutral or alkaline soil with good drainage.