Thyme Plants are easy to grow from Thyme Seeds if the Herb Gardener will follow important rules.

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is an ancient herb plant native to Mediterranean area. The first documented use of thyme was by the ancient Egyptians. Thyme was originally used for cleansing and incense.

Thyme is Hardy Perennial which is extremely fragrant and flavorful. Thyme is a small woodland plant with heart-shaped, pale green leaves in a clump at its base, topped by dainty spikes of feathery white, lavender or pink flowers. Native to North America, thyme plants grow from 1 foot to 2 feet tall with the foliage turning red in autumn.

Plant Type:

Thyme spreads itself over 300 species! The most common can be divided into two groups: Culinary Thyme and Ornamental Thyme.

Culinary Thyme:

Common, English, and French thyme (all Thymus vulgaris), have small green leaves and an upright habit. Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) also has an upright form, as well as creeping and variegated versions.

Ornamental Thyme:

Silver thyme (T. x argenteus) is primarily an upright ornamental with pretty pink flowers.
Thymes can also make a great lawn substitute or slope retainer. The low-growing thymes include Woolly thyme (Thymus praceox), Miniature thyme (Thymus praceox minimus), Mother of Thyme (Thymus pulegioides), and caraway thyme (Thymus herba-barona).
Flowers on the thymes vary from deep rosy pink and red to lavender and white. (Thymus serpyllum var. coccineus) has a particularly pretty red bloom.

best growing Zones and conditions for growing thyme:

USDA Growing Zones 4-9, depending on species.
Thyme is a native of the Mediterranean and does best in full sun.

best soil type for growing thyme:

Thyme likes a medium fertility, well-drained, light soil.
pH of 5.0-6.0

Propagation of common garden thyme:

Propagating Garden Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) by root division, is the best form of propagation of Garden Thyme. The roots of thyme plants that are three or four years old should be divided in spring. Dig up the herb plant, clear away as much soil as possible from the roots. Depending on the size of root ball, gently tear the root ball into three or four smaller pieces. Each of the pieces of Thyme should contain a portion of root and foliage. Simply plant the thyme roots and foliage in your garden or pot, water well and leave alone and let it grow. The Thyme herb plant should be ready for moderate harvesting by early July.

Growing Thyme from Seed - Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) can be grown from purchased seed, but starting Thyme from seed is slow, sometimes taking more than a full growing season to produce a harvest.
- If you must choose to grow thyme from seed, avoid buying thyme seeds from grocery store seed displays or chain garden stores. Purchase your seed from the very best online herb seed supplier available.
- The thyme seeds should be sown in normal potting soil or compost. Thyme seeds are very small; cover the thyme seeds very lightly with potting soil or compost. Place them in a warm place of at least 60F; keep moist and the thyme seedlings will emerge within a week. When the plants are about 4 inches high the seedlings can be moved to their final position.

Growing Thyme from Cuttings is simply not recommended.

growing thyme:

Thyme will grow well indoors in a bright, sunny window. Fertilize the thyme plants with a weak liquid plant food every two weeks from spring until fall. Keep the thyme plants moist but not wet; more on the dry side.
With most of the Thymes, too much moisture is worse than not enough. Care should be taken that thyme plants are not grown in areas that remain wet. Molds and rots can become a problem if thyme is grown in damp or humid conditions.
Thyme does not need much care in the garden; the more you care for it, the less hardy it will be. Drier, less fertile soil will produce the most fragrant and tasty Thyme at harvest./p>

Primary insect pests:

The Herb Thyme is generally free of pests and disease although it is occasionally attacked by Aphids and thrips. Ants like to build nests in thyme beds which contain aphids, and which can disrupt the roots.

Harvest:

Harvest Thyme year round from actively growing thyme plants. Mid summer in the months of mid-June and mid-July produce the best flavor. In winter the plants stop growing, so harvest only lightly. The thyme sprigs can be frozen or dried - both methods retain the original flavor.

Drying and storage

Drying Thyme: Garden Thyme is very flavorful when dried. Lay out on racks or tie in bunches and hang in a well ventilated, darker area. The best method is to dry thyme in a food dehydrator set to 85-105 degrees F.
Freezing Thyme: Retain maximum flavor by freezing thyme on cookie sheets, then strip off the leaves and place them into plastic containers to freeze. Or, mix with water and place in ice cube trays.

Culinary uses of thyme:

Culinary uses of Thyme: Thyme is one of the most widely used culinary herbs found in soup and egg dishes, sauces, bread and vegetables. Thyme leaves are used with meats, poultry, stuffing and preserves. It goes well in gumbos, bouillabaisse, clam chowder and poultry stuffing.

This is a Thyme recipe that will add some extra zing to a simple butter garnish, courtesy of www.cooksillustrated.com

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 medium clove of garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
Ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mash together all ingredients, including black pepper to taste. Makes about 3 Tbs.