How To Grow Thyme
Thyme is a Mediterranean herb which grows best when we replicate its natural growing conditions. It is a perennial herb which grows best dry, sheltered and sunny spot.
I think Thymus vulgaris is the best variety for culinary uses, illustrated. It has a herby, sweet flavour and at its best in chicken soup.
There are many varieties of thyme. They vary in size, hardiness and flavour, lemon, orange, Caraway, Orange Balsam Thyme and many more.
In size, Thyme varies from low-growing plants with only a few centimetres high, to a small shrub Thymus vulgaris up to 30cms. Thymus are evergreen perennials and love a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden.
Where to plant Thyme and how to prune
All Thymes grow best in sunny dry spots. Thyme is attractive to bees and butterflies and will happily grow in poor soils. A low growing plant Thyme looks good along-side paths in gravel and makes an attractive edging to a path.
Thyme will tolerate quite dry conditions which make it ideal for growing in containers. It will also thrive in pavings, wall crevices and rockeries. It is a tough little herb.
Thyme requires very little attention, neglect almost, but all varieties of thyme benefit from a trim after they have flowered, otherwise they are prone to become leggy. Mostly Thyme are fully hardy, but not all it is worth double checking the specific variety.
Can I grow Thyme from Seed
You can grow thyme from seed, but it's tricky, and getting the plants established can be difficult. Thymus vulgaris is one of the easier thymes to germinate from seed. Sprinkle the very fine seed into a fine compost. Do not cover and do not over water.
There are easier ways.
Thyme is easier to raise from cuttings. Take soft wood cuttings in early spring before flowering and put into gritty compost.
Easier still is to buy as small plants and grow on. Check out bargains in supermarket herb sections. A supermarket thyme is fine as long as you pot it on into new compost and think about hardening off. We think of the Mediterranean herbs as fairly hardy. I recently bought 2 rosemary plants on offer, put them in the greenhouse in February dead in a week. I concluded that supermarkets grow some herbs, even hardy ones, in overly protected conditions, so those purchased in colder months may need hardening off.
Which Variety of Thyme should I grow?
Some varieties, like Thymus Caborn Wine and Roses with mauve/pink flowers, and silver queen with pink variegated flowers, have attractive flowers. Thyme 'Fragrantissimus' has white flowers and emits an orange scent. There are so many to choose from.
There are many types of Thyme, most are suitable for cooking, including T. citriodorus common name lemon scented Thyme which is fully hardy and good varieties are ' Archers Gold' and 'Golden King' with lovely gold variegated leaves and 'Silver Posie and Silver Queen' with cream variegated leaves; T.doerfleri 'Bressingham' a prostrate mat forming variety with purple pink flowers in the summer; T. 'Doone Valley' another fully hardy mat forming Thyme with lavender pink flowers.
Personally, if I could grow only one type of Thyme (possibly only one herb) it would be Thymus vulgaris which is illustrated. I appreciate you are looking at the image, thinking it's not very exciting looking, but it is a fabulous cooking herb. This variety of Thyme has a lovely sweet flavour, and upright growth, so you can cut a couple of branches and easily strip off the leaves. Some Thymes are fiddly to remove the leaves, but not the simple T. vulgaris.