Creeping thyme (Thymus) The flowering ground cover features pointed blue-green leaves that thrive in sunny spots. Not all types of creeping thyme are grown as herbs, but they are in the mint family, so they tend to smell nice; most are suitable for cooking. Red creeping thyme. Most thyme varieties are perennial in , Prince Princess, temperate climates. Though some thyme species are upright and shrubby, creeping types are low-growing and have a viney habit and can serve as a grass.Prince Princess-Home Improvement,
the alternative that doesn’t need to be mowed (it will also choke out weeds). They are mainly grown for the fine texture of their leaves as they spread to form a soft, low blanket on the ground, but they do have flowers that are of varying colours, depending on what kind you have. Creeping thyme ground cover, Inspiring-thespruce.com
Creeping thyme is drought-resistant and is generally low-maintenance (it can grow in poor soil). It may be planted as groundcover, in garden beds, in between pavers or in containers. Creeping thyme is deer-resistant.
How to Plant Creeping Thyme
Sow seeds or transplant potted nursery starts of creeping thyme in spring. It’s a slow-to-moderate grower in its first year, but once established, it will spread faster in the years to come. When grown from nursery starts, space 6 to 12 inches apart. If you are using it as a grass substitute, you will want a closer spacer for denser coverage. Space seeds one inch apart and thin if more than one seed germinates.Red creeping thyme, Creeping thyme colours. Home improvement,
Creeping Thyme Care
Creeping thyme prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soils that drain well. Creeping thyme, like most herb plants, appears to enjoy poor soils. They will thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. Creeping thyme is a tough plant with few problems to speak of, though it can experience root rot in very wet, soggy soil. It does best in USDA zones 2-9. The roots should be moist but never waterlogged. In normal weather conditions, you should ideally water creeping thyme once every 10 days. Creeping thyme colours,
Light
Provide full sun for your creeping thyme plant. It requires a minimum of six hours of daily sun. You may get fewer flowers if it is in partial shade but it will survive quite happily.
Soil
Be sure that your thyme plant is well-drained. Good drainage is a key component of soil success with thyme. It doesn’t like wet feet, so ensure the soil drains well. It thrives in loose, sandy, rocky soil, and even loam if it drains well. It does not perform well in wet clay. creeping thyme seeds.
Water
So keep creeping thyme from drying out, particularly when it’s a new plant. Generally, thyme planted in the ground or kept at a stable, Blue creeping thyme, unsweltering temperature should be watered every 10 days; potted thyme in outdoors will need water once a day if it’s outside in damagingly hot conditions. Red creeping thyme. You want the roots to be damp, but not sitting in standing water.”
Temperature and Humidity
As a general rule, thyme plants do not thrive in humid weather. If you live in a humid place and your plant is losing leaves or if the foliage looks ragged, trim off the affected stems and increase air circulation. You can also add sand or gravel around the base of the plant to keep it from contacting wet soil. Plants affected will perk up when the weather cools, he said.
Fertilizer
Thyme does not need to be fed if it’s growing in well-prepared soil. Cool-summer cultivars thrive in cooler conditions and also ‘prefer’ rich, fertile soil, but if it’s poor, you can make that up to them by giving a slow-release fertiliser once at the start of every growing season. Follow the product label instructions for the amount to use. Creeping thyme seeds.
Pruning Tip
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Types of Creeping Thyme
English thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the most familiar variety—it’s also called common thyme or garden thyme, creeping thyme ground cover,and it’s usually grown as a culinary herb. Many varieties of creeping thyme, including creeping thyme seeds. Though, are low-growing and spread well.
Spicy orange creeping thyme (Thymus ‘Spicy Orange’) has pink flowers and grows 2 to 4 inches high; it is hardy in zones 5 to 9.
White creeping thyme (Thymus pauciflorus ‘Albiflorus’), with white flowers, grows 1 to 2 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. It is hardy in zones 2 to 9.Red creeping thyme. Creeping thyme colours,
Creeping red thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Coccineus’) has pink flowers. It grows 3 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, and is hardy in zones 4 to 9.
Creeping (or woolly) thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) has light pink flowers. It reaches 3 inches tall and 3 to 12 inches wide, and is hardy in zones 5 to 8.
Pruning
Over time, creeping thyme plants can get woody. Creeping thyme seeds. If they are overrun by woody stems, you might consider removing and replacing the plants or severely pruning back the plants to stimulate new growth.
In early spring, cut back creeping thyme stems to prepare the plant for the coming growing season. Prune again when the flowers fade — usually, by the end of summer. In late fall, after experiencing your first frost, Blue creeping thyme, prune the leggiest, woodiest stems by 50 per cent. This makes for vigorous, young spring growth.
How do I plant creeping thyme between pavers?
Plant young thyme plugs 6–12 inches apart between pavers in spring. Ensure the area receives ample sunlight and has well-drained soil.
Propagating Creeping Thyme
The most straightforward methods for propagating creeping thyme are by division, using stem cuttings, and through seed. The ideal time to divide or take cuttings is late spring and early summer.
By Division
To propagate by division, you will require a sterilized sharp knife or spade. If you are putting it into a clean new pot, ensure that the pot is clean and that it has well-draining dirt. You need at least 3 inches of growing room on all sides and below the plant in a pot. Give the plant a good watering before you divide it.
Loosen the root ball from the container, creeping thyme seeds, or if you’re transplanting from the ground, dig a 3- to 4-inch circle around the centre of the plant.
To divide, cut through the centre of the plant, preserving as much intact root as possible and tapping or shaking out any old soil from the root zone.
Fill the bottom of the pot with soil and make sure the plant is anchored in the centre; fill soil all around the sides of the root ball.
Water it until you see water run out of the bottom, and put it in a sunny spot.
By Stem Cuttings
You will need a healthy non-flowering stem that has new leaf growth, scissors or pruners that have been sterilised, rooting hormone, fresh, well-draining potting mix, and a clean pot to propagate your plant by stem cutting.
Clip the stem anywhere, resulting in a piece that is 4 to 6 inches long, then strip off the bottom 2 inches of leaves.
Dab rooting hormone on the cut end of the stem, then plant the stem cutting in the middle of a small container filled with fresh potting mix.
Set the plant in a sunny location and water it, keeping the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
When new growth is evident, you can, if you want, transplant the plant in the garden.
How to Propagate Creeping Thyme From Seed
Thyme is simple to start from seed indoors in a small growing tray prior to the last frost, using a high-quality seed starting mix. Sow seeds on top of this mix, with only a thin layer of extra mix on top. (These seeds require light to germinate.) Maintain evenly moist water in a warm (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and bright location. Use a spray bottle to moisten the top of the soil. Within 14 to 21 days, the seeds germinate. Transplant into a new container, or plant in the ground (once frost has passed,) once seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall. Red creeping thyme.
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Can creeping thyme replace a traditional lawn?
Yes, creeping thyme is a low-maintenance alternative to grass. It’s drought-resistant, doesn’t require mowing, and emits a pleasant fragrance when walked upon..
Creeping Thyme Potting and Repotting
Thyme prefers porous containers, like clay or terracotta, but anything will work, provided it has plenty of drainage holes. When the plant is too big for the container, take it out by its roots and divide it. You can pot up the smaller division again into the container it came from, using fresh potting mix. The rest of the division can move into a similar container filled with fresh potting mix or into the garden to provide for new growth.
Overwintering
Thyme is semi-evergreen in cold-winter zones, so it will remain mostly green and hang on to its leaves, although it may die back some, and some branches may dry. In the colder USDA zones, wrapping plants in a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch once the cold weather has settled in is the best way to protect them. This will help maintain the soil at a stable temperature and provide the plant with a better chance of surviving a cycle of warming and cooling temperatures that can be detrimental to a plant.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Spider mites can be an issue with creeping thyme plants in hot, dry summer conditions. Insecticidal soap works well on these pests. Blue creeping thyme, Spider mites and aphids are both possible on indoor plants, which again can be treated with insecticidal soap.
In heavy, waterlogged soils, creeping thyme can rot in the ground. Sick plants will have to be thrown out. 1
Is creeping thyme safe for pets and children?
Generally, yes. Creeping thyme is non-toxic and safe for both pets and children, making it ideal for family gardens
How to Get Creeping Thyme to Bloom
Bloom Months
Creeping thyme flowers in spring or summer for four to three weeks.
About Creeping Thyme Flowers:
Flowering creeping thyme has great appeal to bees, with the resulting honey often flavoured by thyme pollen. The tiny leaves are aromatic, as are the flowers, which yield a balsamic or citrus scent, like that of the leaves. Flowers can be white, pink, or purple, depending on the variety.
How to Encourage More Bloom
Thyme plants typically do not flower in year one. If you have an established plant that isn’t flowering, you could use a diluted, half-strength liquid fertiliser. Thyme does not typically require enhanced soil, but it may be the boost that the plant requires to spur on flowering.
Thyme blossoms do not need to be deadheaded. And to keep your thyme flowers coming back year after year, pruning your oldest, woodiest stems at the end of the growing season will prompt new growth and flowers come the spring.
Typical Issues With Creeping Thyme
The caring needs of creeping thyme are relatively low. It’s hardy against both diseases and pests, and it has only a few problems that it’s prone to.
Woody Stems
As thyme matures and seasons late, it can become either spindly or leggy. In order to promote new growth for the upcoming season, pruning woody herbs at season’s end is always good practice. All it needs is a little work at the end of the fall after the first frost, or in early spring. Wait until the end of the plant’s first growing season to prune. It’s best to cut, as pulling out dead, woody stems is inadvertently pulling out the very new growth that you want.
Droopy Stems With Yellowing,
Too much water, poorly draining soil, not enough drainage holes, or too much humidity will result in yellowing or browning thyme leaves. Reduce your watering schedule and ensure that your soil is fast-draining and that there are enough holes for the water to drain. Settle these parameters, and your plant just might come back if caught before the plant has full-blown root rot, a frequent disease when the soil is too soggy for the roots.
If you pull your plant from the pot and find black, rotting roots, snip them off with sterilized scissors or pruners. Pot the healthy roots in a clean pot with fresh, well-draining soil. In addition, too much nitrogen in the soil can make a thyme plant leggy, wilted or have yellowing leaves. Avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen.
Plant Dries Out
Thyme lives four or five years at the most, so if your plant is turning brown and looks like it’s drying and dying, it may be reaching the end of its lifespan. Other causes can include severe frost, a lack of sun, or a fungal disease such as root rot. If a hard winter has left stems looking dead, prune them back in early spring, and the plant may bounce back on its own. This sun-loving plant requires at least 6 hours of direct sun to be happy, so ensure that it is placed accordingly.
By incorporating these tips and addressing common questions, your blog post will provide valuable information to gardening enthusiasts looking to enhance their gardens with creeping thyme.
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