Globe Ice Plant (Ruschia punctulata) Globe Ice Plant is cold tolerant and is best for cooler areas. It does well in most balanced soil conditions. Therefore, a plant like this Creeping Pink Thyme with almost an inch of stem between its sets of leaves grows much more quickly than say a Pink Chintz Thyme or a Woolly Thyme whose leaves are very close together. Thymus praecox is a low growing perennial hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 with fairly minimal requirements. Check your local listings for details on frost dates in your area. Cuttings from the creeping thyme plant should be taken in the early summer. You’ll usually propagate cuttings during the summer months because this is the season of new growth for creeping thyme. Moisten the soil before transplanting plugs or planting seeds. Once established, you won’t need to water your thyme plants. Creeping thyme is a plant that typically does not enjoy high levels of humidity. Plant the seedlings in full sun, and when the ground is warm. To harvest creeping thyme ground cover, either remove the leaves from the stems or dry by snipping from the plant and hanging upside down in a dark, well aerated area. Thyme can be brought at ready-grown plants, but is also easy to grow from seed. Most gardeners suggest buying young thyme seedlings, which you can obtain at any nursery, or take cuttings from someone else’s thyme. To plant red creeping thyme, dig a hole for each plant. Creeping thyme is a low growing perennial herb from northern Europe. Genus Thymus are evergreen woody-based perennials, shrub or sub-shrubs with small aromatic leaves and terminal whorls of small, 2-lipped, tubular, purple, pink or white flowers in late spring or summer 4. Creeping thyme is also capable of withstanding tromping upon by rambunctious kids (making it kid resistant as well! Check out my. Mist the surface of the soil in the planting packs using a sprayer bottle until the mix is moist to the touch. tall herbaceous perennial sub shrub with a dense mounding habit. Flowering creeping thyme is very attractive to bees and is a nice addition to a garden focused on honeybees. Creeping Thyme Planting, Care, and Propagation Tips It should get at least four hours of direct sun a day. apart to allow for its spreading habitat. Look no further than Thymus Serpyllum seeds to grow a wonderfully hardy ground cover directly in the garden or border! It's hardy in USDA zones five through nine, and can even tolerate light frosts. Thyme matures unevenly from plant to plant. 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Allow a distance of 8 to 12 inches between each plant, as crowding causes poor air circulation that may lead to disease. In fact, the pollen from the blooming thyme will flavor the resulting honey. This plant will eventually spread by rooting at the leaf nodes over a 12-18 inch area. The ground should now be warm, more precisely it should have about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Just like other thyme varieties, creeping thyme is edible with a flavor and aroma akin to mint when crushed or steeped for teas or tinctures. While you can plant thyme at any point during the growing season, spring and fall are best. Creeping thyme usually stops growing during the winter, though in mild winters it remains green. It … Humidity. Cover with a light layer of sieved compost and water gently. T. serpyllum is another creeping thyme variety. Just 8 inches tall, Creeping Thyme ground cover plants are completely covered in 1/4 inch bells of carmine-pink for months on end. Creeping Thyme are pretty little mat or carpet forming plants that are idea for use as a groundcover or to fill gaps between stepping stones and pavers. When growing thyme indoors, the biggest challenge you'll face is … Thyme is one of the European herbs that evolved in the rocky, sandy coastal climate of the Mediterranean Sea. An evergreen with lightly haired foliage, this tiny-growing creeping thyme varietal — rarely over 3 inches or 7.6 cm. Plant creeping thyme 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm.) Elfin creeping thyme plant (Thymus serpyllum) is a low growing (1-2 inches)(2.5-5 cm.) Tiny 2-lipped tubular flowers appear in summer and are attractive to bees. Scoop soil around the seedling until the hole is well filled. However, growing thyme from seeds can be difficult because their germination is often sluggish and uneven. This is usually 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost in well-drained soil about 9 inches apart. Sow seeds in containers, taking care to cover the seeds lightly with soil. Plants that aren't growing don't need water, and creeping thyme also doesn't need fertilizer. A few of the popular culinary herbs — English thyme, citriodorus — could go … — will appear in low, dense mats, which sprawl randomly and quickly fill in areas as a ground cover. It is not the herb used in cooking although its leaves are aromatic. Plant creeping thyme 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm.) Soil should be kept moist but not wet, as the growing creeping thyme plant is susceptible to root drowning and edema. Your email address will not be published. Buy thyme plant seedlings from a nursery. Space young plants 12 to 24 inches apart, depending upon the specific variety. Around noon and again in late afternoon, gently shake the plants to encourage the ripe seeds to fall onto the sheets or into the bags. Let’s learn more about creeping thyme plant care. Enter Creeping Thyme, the ideal plant for the location! Winterizing Creeping Thyme. Another creeping thyme fact is despite its enticing odor, growing creeping thyme ground cover is deer resistant, making it an ideal landscape candidate in areas frequented by them. ), which makes it an exceptional planting choice anywhere that has frequent foot traffic. 3. Make sure the soil is loose and free of weeds before you plant. For the sake of experimenting, I planted two varieties of Creeping Thyme, the taller growing regular Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and Coccineus Thyme (Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’). The best time to plant creeping thyme is in early spring, after the last frost. Prune creeping thyme ground cover in the spring to maintain a compact appearance and again after the small white flowers are spent if additional shaping is preferred. Zones 5-9. Brilliant sunshine is great for established plants, but young ones don't like it much. It’s a creeping ornamental variety with tiny leaves and petite lilac flowers. Then water only when the seedlings feel dry to the touch, to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. As mentioned, growing creeping thyme is a simple process due to its compatibility in a variety of soils and light exposures. Start seeds when growing creeping thyme indoors or they may be sown in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Young thyme plants are widely available to buy in garden centres and nurseries, so it’s best to plant these, instead. Plant different kinds of thyme — silver, creeping, wooly — for a variety of colors and flowering times. It enjoys hot summers and is hardy enough to survive through relatively cold winters. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Two varieties of Creeping Thyme filling the French drain . In cold climates, this little herb is deciduous, while in milder regions, the plant will retain its foliage year round. Plant them in spring, two to three weeks prior to the last frost. Thyme can be grown from seeds, seedlings, and plant divisions. Plant cuttings or young thyme plants any time after the ground temperature reaches 70°F. Water the cutting until it has established roots. The soil pH for growing creeping thyme plants should be neutral to slightly alkaline. Creeping thyme ground cover can be propagated via stem cuttings or divisions and, of course, can be purchased from the local nursery as either established plantings or seeds. You have to plant the seedlings about 8 to 12 inches apart, in soil that drains well. Germination will take place between 14-21 days. The soil should be kept between at 64-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Place in a propagator to germinate. While some are upright plants with a shrub-like growth habit, the creeping types described here are low, with a vine-like growth habit. Keep in mind that thyme has a few windows of opportunity for planting and transplanting - the ideal time is in June or earlier, when the ground is warm but there's some rain in the forecast, with dull days. The thymus genus is a large group, all of which are perennial plants in moderate climates. Thyme can be grown from seeds, plant divisions, or seedlings. apart to allow for its spreading habitat. Plant one creeping thyme seedling into each of the holes. Plant thyme in free-draining soil or compost, and water in. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. While cutting the ripening tops is one way to obtain seeds, use of cloths, sheets, or paper bags may prove more productive. Family Lamiaceae . Provide each creeping thyme seedling with approximately 1 quart of water. Planting. In outdoor gardens, it's frequently used in xeriscaping in hot, dry locations where other plants have trouble thriving. This hardy plant tolerates some traffic and produces a light lemon aroma. Creeping thyme, also known commonly as ‘Mother of Thyme,’ is an easily grown, spreading thyme variety. Remove a piece of the plant with budding growth on it. Although this ground cover prefers well-drained lightly textured soils, it will grow quite well in less than desirable medium and thrive from sun to light shade environments. 2. Avoid trimming more than ⅓ of the plant… Harvest creeping thyme in the morning when the essential oils of the plant are at their peak. Sitemap, Looking for bird and nature wall prints & greeting cards? This increased stem segment also provides a greater rooting zone for the thyme … [1] X Research source The most popular v… Only grows to four inches across and slow-growing. Place two to three creeping thyme seeds onto the surface of the soil in the planting packs. During very cold winters, creeping thyme can suffer damage. How to Plant Thyme . Instructions for growing creeping successfully from seed: 1. It is excellent planted as a lawn substitute or among stepping stones or pavers to create a living patio. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone and plant it in a pot with well-draining soil. If you want to prune your thyme plant, make sure to do it in early spring at the first sight of new growth. Other common names creeping thyme 'Snowdrift' . To give the new growth room to expand, use small garden shears or scissors to trim off ⅓ of the oldest, woodiest parts of the plant. Gardeners should plant their creeping thyme at least 8 to 12-inches apart to accommodate the spreading of the plant. Prune back the vines in the early spring to prepare the plant for the growing season … Plant creeping thyme indoors about 6 weeks before the last spring frost date in your region. Start seeds when growing creeping thyme indoors or they may be sown in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Sign up for our newsletter. Growing it from seeds is challenging because germination is often uneven and sluggish. Creeping thyme is a low subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3-8 mm long. In early spring fill small pots with seed sowing compost and scatter a few seeds lightly over the surface. They are also a nice underplanting for rose bushes and small trees such as Japanese maples and serve as a good soil cover in container gardens. Types Of Thyme Plants: Varieties Of Thyme For The Garden, Using Thyme For Lawn Substitute: Growing A Creeping Thyme Lawn, What Is Elfin Thyme: Information On Elfin Creeping Thyme Plant, Boxwood Wreath Ideas: Tips For Making Boxwood Wreaths, Best Holiday Herbs – Grow A Christmas Herb Garden, Madonna Lily Flower: How To Care For Madonna Lily Bulbs, Blood Orange Tree Care: How To Grow Blood Oranges, Common Mallow Weeds: Tips For Controlling Mallow Weeds In Landscapes, Lizard’s Tail Care – Learn About Growing Lizard’s Tail Plants, Picking Apricots: When And How To Harvest An Apricot, Fresh-Cut Pine Tree Smell: Perfect Christmas Tree Memories, Norfolk Island Pine - The Perfect Christmas Tree, Winter Survival Guide: Creative Ways To Garden In Winter, Evergreen Favorite: Container Grown Olive Trees. The plants should grow 6 to 12 inches in height. You wouldn’t usually mulch creeping thyme when you planted it. 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