Thyme Old English

Thyme is a wonderfully aromatic garden herb, excellent both in the kitchen and as a hardy ground covering plant. It thrives best in well-drained light soil and enjoys a sunny, sheltered position. A low growing, woody, evergreen perennial, Thyme's tiny tubular flowers are very popular with bees. Old English Garden Thyme is probably 'the' herb when it comes to cooking meat, vegetables or soup. Kids used to drag a stem of thyme through their teeth after dipping into thick soup - or at least this one did!

How to Grow Thyme from Seed

When grown from seed, Thyme takes up to a year to develop into a harvestable plant. Thyme can also be propagated by root division or from cuttings.

Sow Thyme seeds into small 3 or 4 inch pots from February through to May and cover with a thin layer of compost. Keep the pots warm, preferably indoors or in a greenhouse. Seedlings should emerge within a couple of weeks. Once the seedlings are 2 to 4 inches tall, and the first true leaves have grown, thin them into individual 3 inch pots ready for planting out once they become pot bound.

Gradually harden off the young plants, by moving the pots outside during the daytime and taking them back inside at night, for a couple of weeks before transferring them into their final growing positions.

Harvest sparingly during the first year allowing the plants to develop and mature.

Once established, Thyme requires very little attention. Water only in very dry conditions and avoid feeding. Container grown Thyme may benefit from a fortnightly liquid feed during the summer months

Thyme can be harvested throughout the year, however, its leaves taste best in June and July just before flowering.  After 3 years or so Thyme plants become woody, at this stage they should be dug up and carefully divided to make new plants.