Thyme is one of the most popular kitchen herbs. The small plant has a lot of potential. It can be used as a medicinal herb, bee pasture, aromatic plant and ground cover. We give tips on cultivation and care.

In a nutshell

  • Origin: Mediterranean, Africa, Asia
  • Synonyms: Quendel, hummingbird, tripe, garden thyme.
  • Use: Spice, medicinal herb, bee pasture
  • Propagation: Sowing, division and cuttings
  • Care: easy

cultivation

Thyme is propagated by seeds, plant cuttings or division of the plant.

thyme, thymus

Propagation by seeds

Garden thyme can be easily propagated by sowing. Collect the seeds after flowering. To do this, carefully cut off the faded flowers. Tie small bouquets, put a paper bag over them and hang up the thyme bouquets. The small seeds fall into the paper bag.
Sow the herb in spring. Shallow bowls are suitable for cultivation. The germination temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. Thyme is a light germinator. This means that the seeds should only be lightly covered with soil.

Manual:

  • Mix potting soil with some sand.
  • Place the mixture in shallow bowls for propagation.
  • Sow in thyme seeds.
  • Gently press the seeds with a rolling pin.
  • Spray the seeds lightly with water. Use a spray bottle.
  • Cover the bowls with plastic wrap or a sheet of glass.

Two weeks later the little plants can be seen. Prick them out after four to five weeks. Place the young plants in small pots. A month later, around the end of May, you can plant the small seedlings outdoors in a sunny, warm spot. Water the young plants carefully after planting. In the first few weeks, make sure they don't dry out. When the garden thyme has grown well, it no longer needs watering.

propagation by division

The easiest way to propagate thyme is by division.

Manual:

  • Dig up part of the plant. Use a sharp, clean spade.
  • Put the new plant part in a warm place with some compost.
  • Give her a few extra waterings until she's well established.

Propagation by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is often used for thyme.

Manual:

  • Cut off a shoot with a clean, sharp knife.
  • Put this in a glass with water.
  • When the cutting has rooted, plant it in compost mixed with sand.
  • Water the cutting.

Tip: You can also use the cuttings directly in sandy substrate and plant them in a sunny place.

location

Thyme comes from the Mediterranean region. It is also widespread in Africa and Asia.
All thyme species need a sunny, warm spot in the garden. They feel most comfortable in rock gardens and on dry stone walls.

floor

All quendel species are robust and make no special demands on the quality of the soil. They thrive well on dry, well drained, slightly sandy and nutrient-poor substrate. In wetter locations, the herb needs drainage made of gravel, because the garden plant does not tolerate waterlogging.

Thymus serpyllum, wild thyme

tub culture

Thyme plants are suitable for cultivation in tubs and pots. Plant the herb together with rosemary, sage and fennel and enjoy the spicy scent on the balcony or terrace. You can also cultivate a flower pot with thymus on the windowsill for a short time. However, the plant prefers a sunny and airy outdoor location.

pour

When thyme plants are well established in the garden, you no longer have to worry about the water supply. The robust herb can do without additional watering even in dry summers. Potted plants should only be watered when the substrate is dry. Make sure that the water can drain well. Waterlogging is not tolerated.

Fertilize

Thyme does not require additional fertilizer. Give the plants some compost in spring. Compost works for a long time and slowly transfers the nutrients into the soil.

To cut

Quendel grows quickly and forms woody shoots. A topiary in the spring promotes branching, prevents the emergence of long, unsightly shoots and allows the design of the ground cover. Regularly remove a few shoots from the plant for seasoning. This refines your food and stimulates new growth.

Attention: Quendel is hardy. Only the freshly cut shoots are sensitive. If night frosts appear after cutting in spring, protect the plants with fleece.

hibernate

Garden thyme overwinters outdoors without protection. Potted plants on the patio should be placed on a styrofoam sheet and wrapped in a jute sack. You can safely bring the potted plants over the winter in the basement or garage on an insulating base with a fleece cover.

Diseases

Thyme is an easy-care, robust plant. Fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and gray mold rarely occur. For prevention, water the plants with a strengthening field horsetail broth.

pests

If the robust garden herb is attacked by pests, nitrogen fertilization can often be identified as the cause. Thyme requires lean, nutrient-poor soil. Nitrogen fertilization damages the plant and makes it susceptible to pests and diseases.
Every now and then the following pests appear on garden thyme:

  • aphids
  • cicadas
  • Japanese beetle

Against aphids we recommend spraying with stinging nettle decoction. Put two handfuls of nettle shoots in two liters of water. Leave the mixture for twelve hours. Take a spray bottle and wet the infested plants with the broth.
A radical pruning after the harvest in autumn helps against cicadas. Neem preparations and yellow tablets promise a remedy. To prevent this, remove weeds regularly and choose a cicada-free location for replanting thyme.

Eupteryx notata. Source: AfroBrazilian, Eupteryx notata 03, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Notice: The better the living conditions for ladybirds, parasitic wasps and other beneficial insects in your garden, the less likely it is that pests will infest you.

The Japanese beetle, which is 8 to 12 millimeters long, can cause great damage to crops. It belongs to the scarab beetle family and is similar in appearance to the June beetle. Japanese beetles eat the thyme leaves until only the stalks are left. Nematodes can be used against the grubs of the Japanese beetle. Be sure to collect the beetles from your plants and destroy them.

frequently asked Questions

Why do thyme leaves turn yellow?

All types of thyme prefer nutrient-poor, calcareous soils. The high pH value often means that plants can no longer absorb enough iron. The yellowing of the young leaves and the conspicuously green leaf veins are typical symptoms of iron deficiency. Adding compost is a simple way to lower the pH and ensure iron supply. Alternatively, you can put coffee grounds on the beds.

Which neighbors go well with garden thyme?

Plant the garden herb in herb beds along with savory, tarragon, rosemary, basil and sage. Marjoram is unsuitable as a plant partner.
Place thyme between lettuce, cabbage or strawberries to protect against snails. By the way, thyme's best neighbors are other thyme species. In combination, they look very decorative in pots and balcony boxes. The plants bloom from June to August with white, red, purple or pink flowers. An enchanting sea of flowers is created from different species, which spreads an aromatic scent.

How much may Quendel be cut?

We recommend pruning garden thyme by two thirds in spring. Use clean sharp scissors.

Category:

Vegetable garden