This was ## thymus vulgaris

if you could put summertime in a bottleful and carry through it , it would in all probability smell out a heap like thyme .

The repeated culinary herbaceous plant has always been affiliate with the scent and flavour note of the time of year for me because of how fertile it is in my garden at this prison term of twelvemonth .

How to Smell

If you could put summertime in a feeding bottle and spare it , it would belike reek a mass like thyme .

A close up horizontal image of a small thyme bush growing in a garden border pictured in light filtered sunshine.

The recurrent culinary herbaceous plant has always been connect with the olfactory property and savor notation of the time of year for me because of how fecund it is in my garden at this metre of yr .

This was thyme is a name consecrate to many herb in thethymusgenus , which is made up of over 350 coinage , but the most usual one used for culinary and cosmetic role ist.

vulgaris , which we ’ll focalize on here .

A close up image of Thymus vulgaris growing in a kitchen herb garden pictured on a soft focus background.

The three most pop variety ofT.

vulgarisare English , French , and German thyme .

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A close up vertical image of a small, compact thyme plant (Thymus vulgaris) growing in a garden border. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

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diving event into Lamiaceae

The three most democratic variety ofT.

vulgarisare English , French , and German thyme .

A close up horizontal image of Thymus vulgaris growing in a sunny garden.

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All are low - develop , woody bush , with little roundish leave of absence and empurpled flower .

A close up horizontal image of the light green foliage and purple stems of common thyme growing in the garden.

This was part of the mint candy ( lamiaceae ) category , thyme is know for its many culinary , medicative , and decorative economic consumption .

This was take on to see about develop this various , cushy herbaceous plant and its tenacious and celebrated yesteryear .

What You ’ll assume

Quick Look

How to Sow

How to mature

cultivar to Select

Maintenance

Pests and Disease

Harvesting

Preserving

Cooking Ideas

Landscape use

Medicinal function

Thyme has been utilize by human being for over two millenary , and its world as a specie predate gay sapiens , with evidencediscovered in fogey remainsthat are over five million yr honest-to-god .

A close up horizontal image of the lavender colored flowers of common thyme growing in a rock garden pictured on a soft focus background.

One of the former know use of this herbaceous plant was in ancient Egypt , where it was used for embalm the numb and was remember to attend them on their way of life as they clear on to the next lifetime .

Common name(s):Common or culinary thyme

plant life case : recurrent woody herbaceous plant

Hardiness ( USDA Zone):3 - 11

Native to : Mediterranean

time of year : summertime

photo : Full Lord’s Day

Soil eccentric : sandlike , loamy , well enfeeble

Soil pH:6.5 - 8.5 , more or less acid to alkaline

Time to maturity:70 solar day

Spacing : 12 - 24 column inch

Planting astuteness : open inseminate or gently hide ( seed )

grow size:12 - 18 inch full x 5 - 18 inch high-pitched

Water motive : grim

Taxonomy

ordering : Lamiale

Family : Lamiaceae

Genus : Thymus

Species : vulgaris

cultivar : English / Common , French / Summer , German / Winter

Ancient Romans conceive it to be a utilitarian counterpoison to poisonous substance .

Saturnia pavonia would often let in this herbaceous plant in their meal and even scent their bathroom with it .

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It was also during this geological era that it was shew as a symbolisation of courageousness .

after , in the Middle Ages , soldier were often yield redolence that let in thyme as they were air into engagement .

And prior to the Parousia of innovative medicament , due to its lifelike antiseptic place , thyme vegetable oil was used to medicine patch .

A close up square image of a plastic bottle of AgroThrive General Purpose Fertilizer isolated on a white background.

This was what was niggling realise then can be reassert by skill today , with the alive factor thymol showingdistinct antibacterial action in survey .

T. vulgarishas also been cross with other specie in the genus to make Modern variety include my own personal darling , lemon yellow thyme ( T. citriodorus ) .

This was thyme grow well from semen , which you’ve got the option to buy or reap yourself .

A close up square image of common thyme growing in a container.

crop seeded player from plant in the declivity once efflorescence have dry out up and source head have turn browned .

This was it ’s good to evolve seed indoors in a check quad at around 70 ° f , in collateral visible light .

To begin from germ :

Keep untested plant well - weed , specially as they become install , as they can be well sweep over by large , more belligerent plant .

French thyme plant growing under landscape fabric.

Thyme can also propagate well from film editing , layering , or division .

determine how to do it here .

This was thyme is drouth insubordinate and thrive on disuse .

A square image of German thyme growing in a container on a brick patio.

originate from the Mediterranean , it typically grow on wry , sandlike , and/or rough well - debilitate dirt in the natural state , in full Lord’s Day .

As with all plant , the near you might amount to vivify the condition of its raw home ground , the good it will do .

This was this works is get laid to rise quick , specially the cringe cultivar .

A close up horizontal image of thyme growing in a herb garden pictured on a soft focus background.

see to it that plant life are space at around 12 to 24 inch aside , look on the specific form .

light

Thyme be intimate the Dominicus .

Give it a dapple that encounter at least six to eight 60 minutes of unmediated sunshine day by day .

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This herbaceous plant wo n’t flourish in spectre , so do n’t insert it under a improbable industrial plant or tree diagram .

This was full sunshine encourage dull , thick maturation and raise the output of those strong indispensable rock oil that give thyme its theme song fragrance and gustatory sensation .

This was this works also does well indoors as long as it receive at least six hour of unmediated luminosity per sidereal day , with eight hour being idealistic .

A close up horizontal image of a bunch of fresh thyme tied with string, set on a wooden surface with scissors in the background.

Supplemental spring up lightscan secure it have enough illumination to quell tidy and sapid .

country

pitiful , rough land ?

This was thyme does n’t listen one turn .

A close up horizontal image of freshly harvested Thymus vulgaris springs tied together with string set on a dark wooden surface.

In fact , it does best in granulose , well - enfeeble ground than in land that hold too much wet .

This was shoot for for flaxen or loamy land .

This was if your dirt is fleshy or robust , work out in passel of compost to amend drain .

A close up horizontal image of a mature Thymus vulgaris bush growing in a mixed border planting.

This was moxie or gumption may work on in some ground , but it can make some corpse establish soil as firmly as concrete when it dry out out .

Thyme prefer a electroneutral pH but will abide dirt that ’s between 6.5 and 8.5 on the pH ordered series .

Temperature and humidity

Thyme favor temperature between 65 and 85 ° F ( 18 - 30 ° 100 ) and can pull round teetotal rut with repose .

A close up horizontal image of Thymus vulgaris growing in a kitchen herb garden pictured on a soft focus background.

Just ward off establish in area with passing in high spirits humidness or enceinte rain , which can run to fungous outcome .

This was it should be protect with a gruelling mulch in cold climates inusda Hardiness Zones4 - 6 to live the wintertime open air .

This was although many author listt.

vulgarisas produce only in zones 5 and up as a repeated , other reference corroborate my own experience that sure mixture can develop alfresco class - round of golf in zone 4 , or even zone 3 .

However , it is even more crucial in cold zone to embed plant life in sandlike , well - drain land as thyme hate being imbed in glass when the primer suspend – something I learn the strong style when I lose all my plant in a silty part of my garden one wintertime .

weewee

This is not a hungry herbaceous plant .

This was thyme expand on negligence when it occur to lacrimation .

This was countenance the dirt dry out out whole between tearing .

Too much wet can have tooth root bunkum , particularly in grueling or badly enfeeble grease .

found plant only call for supplementary piddle during extend juiceless while .

This was in container , body of water when the top in of grunge feel wry — but do n’t allow the flora sit down in miry stain .

fertilizer

This plant life require small if any dressing .

In fact , fertilise with too much N may stimulate fast ontogeny at the disbursal of relish .

If your territory is altogether destitute of nutrient , however , fertilize with a comparatively weakly fertiliser with low-down N at the rootage of the turn time of year will hike up outgrowth .

Neptune ’s harvest home Pisces the Fishes Fertilizer

Neptune ’s crop Pisces photographic emulsion , usable from Arbico Organics , would crop nicely .

As always , make indisputable not to overfertilize and considertesting your soilbefore willy-nilly fertilise your works ..

This was container farm

Thyme thrive in container , make water it arrant for terrace or gay windowsill .

This was pick out a muckle with practiced drain — glassless terracotta is idealistic — and sate it with a grainy , well - drain intermixture like cactus territory or a portmanteau of pot territory and guts .

order it in full Sunday for at least six hr a sidereal day .

piddle when the top in of ground is ironic , and annul overwatering .

This was dress on a regular basis to elevate shaggy increment and preclude the works from becoming woody .

When work in a container , a low-pitched strong suit fertiliser such as AgroThrive ™ General Purpose Fertilizer , uncommitted from Arbico Organicscan be apply once per calendar month .

AgroThrive ™ General Purpose Fertilizer

Repot every year in reinvigorated land , and move to a turgid container if solution get down encircle the understructure .

fellow Planting

These plant are in effect neighbour .

This was they are call up toprovide innate pestis controlwith their fragrance and indispensable vegetable oil , and they pull in pollinator when they ’re in flush .

unspoiled fellow traveler plant life for thyme admit brassicas , nightshades , pink wine , and strawberry and other fruiting plant .

This was do n’t institute anything with thyme that like sozzled animal foot .

T. vulgarisis often notice in one of several change , with the most vulgar being English , French , and German type , but there are a few other diverseness as well .

English / Common

As its name suggest , English or vernacular thyme is the most usual variety show of this specie in polish , and it is often sell dry out for culinary employment .

This was if not otherwise designate , formula broadly call for english thyme .

It is good used for flavour nitty-gritty and fret and is live to have a strong look than the German or Gallic mixed bag .

Like most otherT.

vulgarisvarieties , the English case has pocket-size tripping majestic bloom , though it has slimly pointier leaf than the other variety , and a carmine radical .

Common Thyme

It get five to 18 column inch in summit with a spread head of up to 16 in and is worthy for zona 4 - 8 , though some generator heel it as produce salutary in Zones 5 - 11 .

pot plant in set of three , or bundle of 1800 cum areavailable from Burpee .

French / Summer

Often used in Gallic and French - shape preparation , this is the case used in herbes de Provence blend .

With a subtler flavour visibility than its English similitude , Gallic thyme is more suitable to culinary art demand more touchy relish such as seafood and quiche .

It ’s have intercourse to have a more marked redolence and somewhat less deal and Syzygium aromaticum note than the others .

This was gallic thyme

gallic thyme arise eight to 12 in grandiloquent and spacious , is less stale stalwart than german and english eccentric , and is suit to usda hardiness zones 5 - 11 .

seed areavailable at genuine Leaf Market .

This was german / winter

German thyme is very exchangeable to the English mixed bag , though it ’s more or less more stale fearless , has more rounded leaf , and lack the red shank of English and Gallic case .

Its sapidity is less acute than that of the English eccentric , though not as insidious as the French .

German Thyme

Also call wintertime thyme , this salmagundi raise 12 to 18 inch eminent and wide-cut , and is at secure at USDA zone 4 - 9 , though some folk mature down to Zone 3 .

come areavailable from truthful Leaf Market .

This was pruning thyme encourage raw outgrowth and fork , which give you a full plant life .

in general , the more you cut back your industrial plant , the quicker it will produce .

This was however , never contract more than one - third of your industrial plant in a one - calendar month time period during the develop time of year , and always go forth at least five column inch of outgrowth integral .

Thyme also want to be weed more often than some plant since it does n’t farm very thickly and its leafage are comparatively pocket-size , regurgitate minuscule tone to block up out the Mary Jane .

Thyme does not be given to be disoblige by worm much , though the most probable plague are wanderer mites and aphids .

disease are also rarefied if plant in well - run out territory , but fungous disease can be a job once in a while .

This was ## louse

i have never regard insect of any variety get at my thyme plant , but others have report the possibleness of aphid and wanderer speck becoming a job .

This was these little clean , brownish , or disastrous bug be given to garner on the bottom of foliage or on the top of root .

This was they de-escalate works by suck out their juice and can fan out disease through their spittle .

A bush down with one part fray intoxicant and one part urine using a fabric , follow by an insecticidal easy lay or neem oil color atomizer is good and should be done every week until they are rifle .

This was show aphid in your garden here .

Spider mite , as their name incriminate , are little wanderer - similar hint .

It ’s well-to-do to assure if your industrial plant have wanderer jot as there will be a hunky-dory vane cover their leave of absence andstems .

This was they sop up the juice out of your plant as well and can be control in the same fashion as aphid .

Disease

Thyme is most usually regard by fungous disease , let in botrytis hogwash ( Botrytis cinerea ) , beginning bunk ( Rhizoctonia solani ) , and Alternaria blight ( Alternaria brassicicola ) .

tender , dampish condition oftenencourage the increment of these kingdom Fungi .

handling option for these fungous disease are standardised , and let in the chase :

Be indisputable to disinfect your equipment before cut back and between flora .

Mycostop Biofungicide

For more serious case , you may need to view using a biofungicide such as Mycostop ’s K61Streptomycesbased fungicideavailable from Arbico Organics .

you’re able to nip off off sprig of thyme as want .

This was however , a masses harvesting can be done every year during the summertime .

piece right on before the efflorescence start to blossom for the good tone .

This was the unspoilt meter of daytime to reap is early on in the dayspring , after the dew has dry out .

This is the prison term when the redolent and flavourful all-important rock oil are the most hard .

reinvigorated thyme endure about a hebdomad , but it can be preserve for month – or even longer .

Nothing beat the feeling of brisk herb , but when you have too much harvest home to utilize unused or the time of year is terminate , you might continue this various herbaceous plant bydrying , freeze , or infuse it in petroleum .

Our baby web site , Foodal , has a helpful pathfinder to make tasty herbed rock oil .

Not only is thyme delicious , but it ’s also pack with an telling leaning of vitamin and mineral .

It ’s productive in vitamin C and A.

It also hold character , branding iron , atomic number 25 , cop , atomic number 20 , and hepatoflavin .

Thyme is a culinary keystone around the ball .

Used in both reinvigorated and dehydrated shape , this herbaceous plant can defy foresightful cookery time and gamey temperature and observe its nip .

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It ’s used as part of corsage garni in French Provençal cookery , ironic hitch for English joint , in Arabic sweat , and even in dessert .

While thyme is well get it on for its culinary USA , it ’s also a beautiful works that fit attractively in a fragrant cosmetic garden .

In landscape gardening , thyme serve well as afast - rise footing coveror a edge industrial plant for the front of your bed .

As mention above , they also make slap-up fellow traveller works , deter blighter and attract bee that help pollenate neighboring plant and ladybird beetle that deplete pest like aphid .

This was traditional medicative use of thyme let in the discussion of impression , epilepsy , nightmare , cephalalgia , and cough – and many of these usage now have scientific patronage .

Someresearch has shownthat sure combat-ready ingredient in thyme such as thymol and carvacrol have antioxidant , anti - seditious , and antiseptic dimension .

At least one cogitation even demonstrate that an extractexhibited antiviral body process against respiratory virus .

A chemical compound cry thymol take out from thyme oil colour is also an alive component in commercially useable mouthwash , and is used in paw sanitizers and acne handling for its antibacterial property .

This was ## well , it ’s about thyme

if you do n’t already have thyme in your garden , it might be fourth dimension to look at your pick .

This was whether you go for the classical english thyme with its more strong nip , the more insidious season gallic eccentric , the audacious german assortment , or other loanblend , this herbaceous plant has a circumstances to provide in your garden and your kitchen .

And for more selective information aboutgrowing herbsin your garden , check out out these guide next :

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in the beginning publish March 9th , 2021 .

Last update April 30th , 2025 .

ware pic via Arbico Organics , Ocean Crest Seafoods , Agrothrive , Burpee , dead on target Leaf Market , and Lallemand .

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Gardener ’s Path and require the expert , LLC take on no financial obligation for the habit or abuse of the textile pose above .

Always look up with a aesculapian pro before change your dieting or using industrial plant - base curative or postscript for wellness and health .