Creeping thyme is a super easy crawl flora that like to hang near to the soil with goregous tiny flowers and requires minimum care .
It ’s also known asT. serpyllum , Breckland thyme , breckland wild thyme , elfin thyme , or simply , angry thyme .
This perennial can pop the question your garden quite a little of works cover charge with little - to - no care .
It does n’t even need works food . And it thrives in poor , nutrient - lacking soils .
rent ’s dive in and get word about care forT. serpyllumin your garden .
Guide Contents
What’s creeping thyme?
Creeping thyme is a depleted creep , various ground cover flowering plant life that ’s a practiced selection for adding some color to your garden .
Stemming from Southern Europe , this full sunshine herbaceous repeated eff to creep and will give you slew of farewell , flush , and cheer !
They have a pleasant olfactory property and can be grown as herbs and used in recipes . They do well in moderate clime and are low - growing . They bloom in the springiness and summer , which is full for lighten up up your yard .
This is a thyme plant- an evergreen , stout plant with some softly haired leaves and staunch . It stick nigh to the surface with flyspeck flower and will mould dense mat of foliage .
What’s it used for?
It ’s so impenetrable that many the great unwashed use it as a substitute for their lawn only . It can also be used for walkways , pathing , bordering , or to put some pink in an otherwise bare spot in your garden .
Are they easy to care for?
The plant needs very petty care and is extremely easy to grow . This makes it a good alternative for a tiro who just wants some plant insurance coverage for their thousand without have to spend a lot of time just to take maintenance of it .
creep thyme smells like mint and can be used for tea or tinctures .
It ’s not solely a decorative plant . It can be harvested , dried out , and then used for a variety of purposes- everything from drinks to season to all-important oil .
What color is creeping thyme?
Creeping thyme is a mix of gloss depending on the cultivar you select . Most tenor will have lush green foliage .
The flowers can be purple , pinkish , red , or some hybrids subsist .
Is creeping thyme easy to grow?
Creeping thyme is very easy to spring up and will take care of itself . It does n’t require your care other than hebdomadal lacrimation .
It does n’t even necessitate works nutrient and expand in poor soil .
What more could you ask for ? It ’s a in force crawling plant that offers pile of cover for beginners . It does n’t get any easier than this , champion .
Is creeping thyme poisonous to dogs?
Creeping thyme is said to be hot dog - friendly , and also can hold up their trampling .
However , if you have a sore blackguard that has allergic reaction or adverse chemical reaction , you should avoid permit your frank amount into contact with the thyme .
Always do your due diligence before introducing your pets to any plant- whether you think it ’s safe or not .
Propagating creeping thyme
Here are some tips for broadcast cringe thyme .
This works is very soft to grow once you get it originate . Just give it a few week to shoot and you ’re on your way .
There are three popular methods to disseminate it- from cum , transplantation , or cuttings . We ’ll address all of them now .
From seed
you may sow seed indoors after any risk of icing . The seed germinate relatively quickly- a 14 - 21 day image is distinctive .
Keep temperatures above 70F for a higher winner pace . Greenhouse sprouting outside is also potential .
Sow seed in a starter tray and track with 1/10 of an inch of soil . This is just a free fall of dirt over each seed .
you may seed 2 - 3 come per compartment and then thinly later when they ’ve grow about 1 inch in peak .
After they ’ve lay down roots and grow to about 2 - 3 inches , you may transplant them out of doors .
Slowly acclimate them to the outdoor temperature by moving the intact container outside , then back in . Increase the sunlight by an hour each day for a week . This will help acclimate them to the open and prevent jar .
After acclimation , you may transplant them directly into the soil .
For those in high zones , you may sow directly into the dirt by scattering the seed or sowing one seed per 12 inches in row .
They do n’t call for to be incubate with soil . you’re able to give them a gentle push and that should be enough .
Creeping thyme is n’t a tidy get plant and will grow randomly all over the piazza .
So this is why you do n’t need to worry so much about seed emplacement . Water after sowing .
By transplant
transplant will give you a head start for the time of year .
outer space each plant about 12 column inch apart and give them ample space for the roots . The base of the plant should be aligned with the territory surface .
There ’s nothing else to it . Transplanting is as promiscuous as it gets . Water generally the first time you transplant .
By cuttings
you’re able to divide your fawn thyme if you have an make one . To do so , unearth the plant cautiously and do n’t damage the roots .
you’re able to intoxicate it first to loosen any season soil . Do this in the warmer season , such as summer or later springiness .
poke up the root glob and use a blank twain of scissors . cut back it into 2 - 3 part . Each should have its roots , parting , and a art object of the root ball to grow on its own .
Place each cut back into the soil in their new homes and you ’re good to go . This is the comfortable way by far , but you require an established flora to do it .
How to grow creeping thyme
Here are some tips to plant and manage for grovel thyme .
These worldwide guidelines should be handy for the majority of cultivars independent of your hardiness zone . Adjust as necessary .
You ’ll find that cower thyme is super easy and basically mature by itself without being needy .
Hardiness zone
Creeping thyme grows well in zones 4 - 10 with little to no intervention .
It grows natively in Meditteranean climates , so you may grow it easily if you ’re in these zones .
Hotter zone will burn the plant , which will like a shot influence the taste of the harvest home for those who plant to use it for use .
calculate on your zone , you ’ll have to adjust if you plant it in direct sunlight or partial sunlight . Look up your zoneif you have no idea where you are .
How much sun does creeping thyme need?
Creeping thyme be intimate full Dominicus , although it can tolerate fond sunlight as well .
Shady shape top to slower growth and few flowers . It may also need additional supplements if planted in partial sun because it does n’t get enough natural sunlight to flourish .
Provide at least 6 hours of sunlight per day .
If you ’re in a quick geographical zone , partial shade may do work .
superfluous sun will harm the industrial plant just like too little sunlight . It all depend on your zone . If you ’re in a Mediterranean climate , plant it in full sunlight .
This is the native mood of thyme and it can permit full sunlight . Warmer zones will postulate to limit the vulnerability so it does n’t get fire .
How often should you water creeping thyme?
irrigate the plant when it ’s dry . Keep the soil moist , but never wet . The plant has dense heyday , which gives rise to cast or mould problems .
The fungus will grow on the plant stem when there ’s excess moisture and not enough sunlight to evaporate it .
The dense leave will also hide it and pin the excess water and possibly raise fungus . If you want to avoid this , you could keep the foliage tidy and pruned .
Additionally , give your plant plenty of sunlight to prevent tooth root drowning
Creeping thyme is susceptible to root drowning , so be untrusting of that :
Give it full sun
Sift compost to help forestall it from drying out in the leap . you may also use manure that ’s been well rotted .
Give it a proficient rinsing through the gym mat of creep thyme . you’re able to do this in position of fertilizer , which is often discouraged because it ’s unnecessary .
Overfertilization is bad and can make your thyme lose its look and scent , both of which are extremely prized upon crop .
crawl thyme is resilient to small photoflood , provided it enfeeble . So if it rains often in your zona , it ’s hunky-dory .
But make trusted that the weewee in reality finds its path out or else it can harm the plant life . Remember , underwater creeping thyme is favor over overwatering .
Soil
grovel thyme can be grown in a variety of sol and is n’t picky about it . If the soil is well - draining , it ’ll grow . If you really desire it to fly high , use coarse-textured territory .
You do n’t have to occupy about soil because it ’s stalwart to a wide stove of them .
Chances are if your soil is n’t completely barren of nutrients and you ’re in the right geographical zone , you should be OK . Choose a well - draining soil and you ’re set .
Any variety of rocky grease will be fine . Just makes sure that it dumbfound good sunshine to thrive .
If your soil is acidulent or neutral , you may use lime to facilitate bring the pH to a high level . This can make it more alkaline .
apply a soil tester if you ’re not sure . It ’s worth the price to check that that you have the right pH for your thyme to thrive .
The grease should be weeded and any other competing plants should be removed . It should also be tilled first to conjure up up any thick thumping that could keep it from drain well .
Soil pH
The soil pH should be alkalic to neutral . It can tolerate a range of pH , so do n’t be paranoid over it . Ideally , keep it slightly alkaline around 7.5 - 8 .
you could use lime to upgrade the pH of your soil naturally if you have acidic soil .
Spacing
plant life fawn thyme at least 8 inches apart from each other to let right nutritive dispersion and minimize competition for nutrients between each works .
Depth
These plant life do n’t take that much depth to grow . If you ’re growing from seed , a dusting of soil over the come is enough .
For transplantation , embed it as deep as the batch it came in . verify the source are covered .
Plant food
Creeping thyme does n’t really want any works food or fertilizer to thrive . They do well even in pathetic soils and will expand on neglect .
you’re able to give them just generic well - draining territory . That ’s all they call for to arise well as with most herbs .
If you notice that the leaves are grow by the flowers are n’t , you’re able to use balanced all - purpose flora food for thought to balance it out .
Avoid excess nitrogen ( N on the NPK paygrade ) because it encourages the leaves to grow .
Pruning & maintenance
Regular pruning will aid restore the plant and keep it growing .
Do n’t worry about hack it down because it actually help oneself the plant grow . If you see spend prime or woody stem , prune them back to help bring them back .
Even though it feel defective that you ’re cut down your thyme , it actually help them overall . even care helps keep the plant tidy and not overgrown .
It also helps foreclose fungal or moisture problems because of excess leafage and poor sunlight . They can get root molder in grunge that ’s overly wet whit no fashion to enfeeble it .
It ’s middling much self - sustaining after you establish it . Give it enough sun , weewee , and space . That ’s all it needs to thrive .
You should snip about 3 - 4 years down the road to encourage new growth . There ’s no motivation to do it right by unless you ’re attempt to xeriscape .
If you notice that your creep thyme is turning slight and leggy , make certain there ’s ample sunshine .
It can be adjudicate to reach for the sun which result in thyme that ’s leggy and skinny . If you want that full , bushy tone , provide more sun . you’re able to always transfer it to another location in your garden if you messed up in the initial planting .
Overwintering
look on your hardiness zona , grovel thyme may rest as an evergreen or die out back mechanically during the wintertime .
If your zone is cold , require it to suffer its leaf and go inactive .
If you ’re in a high geographical zone , it ’ll carry on to rest an evergreen plant throughout the modest winter . you may protect the root system by lend some mulch over it .
hit it in the spring after the frost has passed .
or else , you may apply guts , gravel , or leaf bedding material . There ’s no need to prune or cut back your leaves for the wintertime . Just let it drop them on its own .
Harvesting
To reap creeping thyme , trim the leaf or flowers in the early dawn . Then hang them upside down in a dark arena to dry out them out .
The leaf can be used for culinary purpose or extracted for thee essential oils . you’re able to put them together in a nylon bag and then hang them as a lot .
Collecting seeds
When the flowers are dried , shake them firm over a gym mat . The seeds will fall out of the blossom . Separate the seeds from the husk then put them into a jar for repositing .
Place in a dry and cool location to keep them dependable .
Other questions
Here are some other commonly asked questions from reader about how to give your thyme some TLC . Feel destitute to surf through them for some tips and put-on .
When does creeping thyme bloom?
The flowers attract bee and other good pollinators . The pollen from the thyme helps flavor honey in honey bees .
How tall does creeping thyme grow?
This is a creeping industrial plant as the name imply , so it wedge close to the soil surface rather than turn up tall .
Expect a max summit of 5 - 6 inches or so since it ’s a tush rooting plant . The base grow out from a cardinal root system and grow horizontally rather than vertically .
This is a dependable industrial plant for covering up bare spots in your yard
How fast does creeping thyme grow?
This is a comparatively quick growing plant and beginners can see the fruits of labor right away . If you need insurance coverage for your garden apace , then this is an ideal choice .
How long does it take for creeping thyme to grow?
It takes about 2 - 3 calendar week to germinate from seed .
After that , it ’ll bloom a time of year or two after . You should n’t expect blossom in the first season .
How long does creeping thyme flower?
Creeping thyme will bloom for about 3 weeks in peak time of year .
Some cultivars blossom for a farseeing period .
If you desire a bloom that lasts longer , look for the Pink Lemonade mintage which produces a pink flower throughout the season .
Where does creeping thyme grow best?
mouse thyme grows best in the right hardiness zone . It needs alkaline soil with expert drain . Full sun is good .
Other than that , it prosper on neglect .
Does thyme come back every year?
Creeping thyme is a perennial in modest zone . It by nature will overwinter itself and die back in the cold .
You may have to put some mulch if you ’re in a colder zone to help protect it over the wintertime .
In gamy zones , it ’s an evergreen and will grow all throughout the twelvemonth .
Does creeping thyme have deep roots?
Creeping them has a restrained theme system that seldom grow recondite . When uprooting it , be careful not to damage the root system when you dig .
Pests
Creeping thyme is insubordinate to cervid , which makes it a good works to provide some earth cover song while keep deer out .
So if you want to landscape your lawn but you have a deer job , it ’s a unspoilt choice to use in garden with wildlife . It ’s a hardy plant that can tolerate even the most annoying fauna that may find their agency into your yard .
Do n’t interest about it getting trampled . It should recover quickly .
Otherwise , you may find the occasional escargot chewing away on the leave . you may use beer traps , slug repellant , or remove them manually to keep them off your plants .
Diatomaceous terra firma also works wonders , but you need to make indisputable you get the solid food - grade , organic version .
Do NOT use pool gradation DE . This pulverization can be sprinkled around your works where you see those plaguey type slug .
Keep your plant dry and well - debilitate to prevent bugs .
Diseases
mouse thyme is susceptible to theme rot and fungus . This come from gula and dense foliage .
Keep it dry and exposed to sunlight to reduce the possibleness of a rot trouble .
Otherwise , this is a hardy perennial that can tolerate a variety of conditions . It can even handle pes traffic , albeit light .
Best uses
Creeping thyme is super various .
you’re able to apply it to help cover up bare spot in your garden . It also retains moisture in the soil , prevents wearing away , and offers the beauty of pink flowers for your use .
Additionally , you’re able to plant it around border , stepping stones , or even fence . It can handle being step on and will do fine with restrained foot traffic .
Use it to border your house for a lush look while hold the dimension line .
It also can help surprise weeds , dinero worms , and mete other fruits and vegetable well .
expend it to border strawberry and aid keep the pests away from eating the yield . The aroma it releases helps work bee to your garden to cross-pollinate your edibles .
The folio of creeping thyme can be harvested for using up . you’re able to employ it to flavor your favored soups or salad .
It can be cook in various dishes as well .
Companion plants
Creeping thyme can be planted with other tall Mediterranean herbs .
Some vulgar choices are lilac-colored , salvia , rosemary , or other plants that necessitate full Lord’s Day with poor grunge .
you could uprise them together since they all like the same grow necessity .
They thrive in raised bed or alkaline soil , which pairs perfectly with creep thyme .
Further reading
You may find oneself these resources helpful :
Enjoy your creeping thyme’s plant cover
Now that you know the rudiments of caring for crawl thyme , go forth and love it !
The plant need so little concern that it get care of itself . You just want to give it some body of water every so often .
No pauperism for fertiliser or any of that fancy soil . Creeping thyme thrives on neglect and offers a pretty pathing plant or gap fill for unfinished yards .
you may use it for fret , salad , soups , and other formula as well .
It surprises other skunk , aid keep wet , and even foreclose ground corrosion on slope . It ’s passing low maintenance and does n’t ask for a whole lot .
What do you cogitate ? Do you have any questions about thyme care ? Drop a comment and let us know .
I ’ve always been concerned in gardening , but I never took it seriously until I was forcefully gifted an orchid . This was what got me into the hobby and I ’ve never looked back . I enjoy writing about it , but not nearly as much as getting into the grunge and sculpture the perfect decorative ornamental to love for the times .
