Thyme maintenance: planting, watering, sowing, drying

Thyme: variety information

Thyme or its scientific name Thymus Vulgaris, is an aromatic herb from the Lamiaceae family , native to the Mediterranean basin. It is characterized by its green foliage and highly branched branches. This aromatic plant from the sun perfumes our dishes with Provençal flavors and provides multiple health benefits: antiseptic, antispasmodic and antibacterial.

It is an aromatic plant very easy to cultivate because it is robust . It adapts to the poorest soils and lives for several years. Indeed, it is a perennial plant , a type of plant that survives more than a year and is even resistant to winter cold, provided there is not too much humidity.

The different reasons for growing this aromatic plant:

In cooking: thyme is widely used in bouquet garni , to flavor dishes or in infusion . It also has an effect against rheumatism, you can infuse it with aromatic plants of the same family such as sage and rosemary to calm coughs and sore throats. Thyme has a rich nutritional contribution: iron, vitamins C and K, antioxidant.

It is an excellent plant for beginners in gardening because it requires little maintenance . Its colorful flowers ranging from white to pink, passing through purple, will bring color to your garden and your interior.

Description and flowering of thyme

There are many varieties of thyme: the most common being Common Thyme , which blooms with pinkish white flowers at the end of the stems during spring and summer. There is also lemon thyme or thymus citriodorus which is characterized by thick foliage and light flowers, wild thyme or thyme thyme which has more purple flowers, long-stemmed thyme which stands out for its long leaves, or again the 'minor' early thyme which has beautiful, very pink flowers.

This perennial aromatic plant is a small shrub about 25cm high which grows on calcareous and dry soil: it therefore needs a lot of sun and very little water .

How to care for common thyme?

Common Thyme requires little maintenance. It will simply be necessary to water it after sowing , then when the aromatic plant has grown well, it will be necessary to avoid excess water which could rot the roots. Maintaining the thyme will also help it develop more foliage and gain height without thinning. For this purpose, it will be necessary to prune the thyme regularly . Pruning will preferably be during flowering, during which time it gives off a delicious fragrance.

Planting thyme: tips and tricks

With which plants to grow thyme?

You can grow Common Thyme next to Officinal Rosemary . Indeed, these two aromatic plants, from the same family, require the same planting conditions , that is to say a fairly dry, poor and stony or even calcareous soil and a lot of sun. In addition, rosemary flowers will go very well with pink thyme flowers in the garden as well as indoors. The harvest of Rosemary leaves , for these two varieties, can be done from 4 weeks.

Common Thyme is also known for its scent which repels pests: slugs, flies and mosquitoes, its cultivation will therefore promote the development of other plants such as carrots.

Watering the thyme

Thyme is an aromatic plant that does not like humidity and needs a lot of sun . This variety can survive the cold if it is not too humid. To keep your thyme for a long time , it will need well-drained soil to evacuate the water. Watering will however be necessary after sowing, and this for a year if you observe that the soil is dry. After this year, it will be necessary to avoid watering the aromatic plant, and it will be necessary to place it in a place with good exposure to the sun.

How to sow thyme?

Thyme can also be grown both in the garden and indoors: vegetable garden, window box or pot. The Pot is a very good alternative and you can place it directly in your kitchen to have its leaves available according to your needs.

Sowing in the garden

Sowing in the garden is done during the spring, when the thyme can benefit from the sun but without excess and when there will be no risk of frost. For sowing, it will be necessary to choose thyme seeds , preferably labeled "Organic Agriculture" which will have the advantage of being more resistant, will allow long-term cultivation and are in compliance with environmental standards. You will also have to choose the soil: dry, well-drained soil with little water.

Thyme needs sun to be able to germinate, so it will be necessary to sow the seeds in the drained soil, then pack the seeds without sinking them. Water the soil after sowing so that the seeds can germinate. After two months, you can transplant the plants , leaving a space of 25cm in size between each plant.

Sowing thyme indoors

You can grow Common Thyme indoors in your vegetable garden , planter or in a pot. Thyme needs well-drained soil , so prepare drainage with a layer of clay pebbles or gravel that you place in your pot. You can then add potting soil to this soil with a mixture of garden soil for its limestone contribution. Sow Common Thyme then water lightly. You will need to place your potted thyme in the sun frequently since thyme needs good lighting. At the beginning of your planting, water the soil so that the seeds can germinate, then stop watering after one year.

If you are just starting out, also discover our Common Thyme Mound which includes all the ingredients necessary for its proper cultivation: an optimized dose of soil, nutrients adapted to its growth and seeds of French origin and labeled "AB".

Thyme drying techniques

You can store thyme for a long time by freezing it or drying it. It is also particularly tasty in a bouquet garni. To dry your Common Thyme in the open air, tie the sprigs in a bouquet, then hang them upside down in a warm, dry but sunless, and ventilated place. Leave the bouquet there for two weeks.