Thyme, also known as thyme, can be grown in a pot at home not only as a gorgeous-smelling spice, but also as a beautiful ornamental plant with delicate flowers.
Thyme belongs to the Yamnotaceae family and is the most complex member of the genus.
This plant is a small compact bush with pleasant aroma and taste.
Thyme is grown at home in a pot. It is extremely popular because it represents three values at once:
- decorative;
- medicinal;
- culinary.
Thyme is used as a seasoning for preparing various dishes from meat, chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, for preparing marinades and in baking.
The aromatic spice has many healing properties. Tea is brewed with thyme for colds, bronchitis, severe cough, healing baths are prepared on its basis.
Growing thyme yourself at home is not so difficult, and caring for it is not at all burdensome.
Growing
You can grow the aromatic spice yourself, just on the windowsill. Moreover, thyme reproduces well using seeds and cuttings.
For of this plant need to create the right conditions. Firstly, its location, a pot with spicy herb best placed on sunny windowsills with the possibility of ventilation.
Based on the fact that the root system of thyme is not too large, a pot is sufficient for growing it. small size.
Let's take a closer look at ways to grow medicinal spices at home.
How to grow thyme from seeds. Growing thyme on a windowsill is quite simple. And you need to start with preparatory work:
- seeds can be bought at a specialty store;
- you need to choose a small pot for thyme, its height is about fifteen centimeters, it needs to have holes to drain excess moisture;
- you also need to take care of a good drainage layer, up to three centimeters thick;
- prepare the soil from soil, peat, humus, sand and a small amount of perlite.
After the preparatory work, you can proceed directly to planting the seeds.
The soil in the pot needs to be well moistened and several thyme seeds should be planted in it, sprinkled with soil on top, the layer thickness is no more than one centimeter. After planting, the soil in the pot is moistened with a spray bottle. It is better to germinate seeds away from direct sunlight so that young shoots do not get burned. You also need to create certain conditions for growing thyme from seeds. Firstly, this is soil moisture; it must be constantly maintained by spraying the soil in the pot with a spray bottle. Secondly, this is the air temperature - it should be within twenty to twenty-two degrees. At proper care, already on the tenth day the first shoots begin to appear. Since the germination rate of thyme seeds is high, when the seeds are planted densely, young seedlings can be transplanted. They will tolerate this procedure very well.
Cuttings of thyme. It is also easy to grow thyme at home using cuttings. Best time for this process – autumn. To do this, after the plant finishes flowering, shoots are cut from its stems. The side that will be planted in the ground must be cleared of leaves. Then prepare a pot (no more than fifteen centimeters in height) with drainage provided. The soil must be nutritious. The composition is described a little higher. The rule for planting cuttings completely coincides with planting seeds. The soil needs to be moistened and maintained this state constantly until the cuttings sprout new shoots.
You can also use another method to grow new specimens of thyme - this is by dividing the bush. You just need to carefully separate the branches of the plant along with part of the root system and plant it in an individual pot. Thyme takes root quite well in a new place and actively grows green mass.
Home care
It’s not enough to just plant thyme at home; caring for it is also an integral part of growing a decorative spice.
As noted, when growing thyme bushes from cuttings and seeds, the soil must be kept constantly moist. As soon as the plants take root and form new shoots, watering should be significantly reduced, as excessive moisture can lead to rotting of the roots. But allowing the soil to dry out too much is also harmful. Therefore, watering once a week will be enough. Water should be used that is soft and well-settled.
For the full development of thyme, you can feed the plant with mineral fertilizers in the spring.
The herb pot should always be kept warm and in bright light. With a lack of sun, its branches stretch upward, become thin and lose not only their decorative appearance, but also their aroma.
Caring for thyme also involves periodically carefully loosening the soil in the pot. But this must be done extremely carefully so as not to damage the roots.
Here, perhaps, are all the difficulties of growing thyme and caring for it. If you follow the rules described above, already in the first year you can use plant branches in cooking and medical purposes. The bush quickly recovers and grows new young shoots.
If you need a low-growing plant that blooms all summer, then thyme will do the job perfectly. Landscape designers When designing green spaces on a personal plot, they very often turn to it. Lawns are made from thyme, planted between stones, in crevices on paths, used for vertical gardening. It is difficult to trample and spoil it. Thyme is planted as in open ground, and through seedlings.
Flowering begins in June and continues until August, and fruit ripening occurs in August-September. Goes well with both decorative purposes, so taste qualities with basil, parsley, dill, mint and others spicy plants, from which you can make an excellent one. It will look like a contrast next to heucheras. Bees, flocking to the aroma of thyme, will be able to help surrounding plants in pollination.
Planting thyme in open ground
Choose a site for sowing thyme that is well-lit and open. In the shade, thyme develops poorly and stretches upward. Grows well in loose, light, fertile and well-drained soil and loam. Does not grow well in highly acidic soil. Often gardeners spring planting are thinking about it already in the fall, because for spring sowing often the ground needs to be prepared. Thyme is no exception.
In the fall, the selected area is dug up and applied organic fertilizers(humus or compost). If the soil lacks looseness, sand or peat is added when digging. If necessary, carry out dolomite flour or fluffy.
In the spring, when the thermometer shows a stable temperature of at least 13°C (May), dig up the area, loosen the bed and spill with urea solution (200 g per 10 liters of water). Mix the seeds with sand and plant. Thyme seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 30 cm between plants.
Sowing thyme seeds for seedlings
In mid-March, the seeds are mixed with river sand(1:3) and sown superficially on soil intended for growing cacti. Sand mixed with peat in equal proportions can be used as a substrate. Then the seeds simply scatter on the surface. After sowing, spray with a fine spray bottle. Cover with transparent glass or polyethylene and leave for germination in a light room. warm place, without drafts. Open regularly for ventilation and spray with water. When seedlings appear, the cover is removed. After 65-70 days, thyme seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground. The distance between seedlings is 20-25 cm, in the row spacing - 40-50 cm. With this method of cultivation, thyme blooms earlier than when planting seeds in open ground.
Thyme care consists of infrequent watering, weeding and fertilizing. After planting, mulch the soil; this will retain moisture in the soil and make your future work easier. After each watering or rain, the soil is loosened so that a hard crust does not form. Weeding in caring for thyme is a mandatory procedure so that weeds cannot clog the plantings and pull everything out of the soil nutrients. Starting from the second year, complex mineral fertilizer is applied. Use in fertilizing fresh manure it is forbidden. The tops of mature plants are pinched every year after flowering, and side shoots cut by 2/3. This allows you to prepare the plants for the next season (to form a dense cover). For the winter, thyme is covered with fallen leaves, straw, pine sawdust or peat.
Thyme propagation
The easiest way to propagate thyme is by cuttings or seeds. When dividing the rhizome, the plant “gets sick” for a long time, but this is the only way to fully preserve all varietal characteristics. To do this, dig up a thyme bush with a sharp knife and divide the rhizome into 2 parts so that on each section there remains one strong shoot. Be sure to sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal, 
This will make it easier for the plant to withstand the injury. After planting, water with a solution of root formation stimulator.
Cuttings. In June, before flowering, cut off the top shoots up to 10 cm long. Treat with a growth stimulant and plant in a greenhouse, in soil mixed with river sand. Spray 3-4 times every day for a month. After which you can transplant it to a permanent place.
From numerous varieties thyme have proven themselves well in the conditions of the Moscow region and throughout middle zone such varieties as: “Rainbow”, “Silver Queen”, “Aureya”, “Minor”, “Colchis” ( low-growing variety, height no more than 10 cm), "Elfin" ( dwarf variety, height no more than 5 cm).
Thyme can be grown not only in open ground, in a garden bed or flower bed, but also at home, on a windowsill. It tastes no worse. 
Growing thyme at home
For lack of personal plot or simply in order not to give up such a spice in winter, thyme can be grown at home. To do this, prepare a pot with a diameter of 10-15 cm. Place a drainage layer of expanded clay on the bottom, a layer of 2-3 cm. Pour soil (loose, light, fertile), water lightly, spread the seeds and fill it with soil on top, no more than 5 mm. Then moisten it again, preferably with a spray bottle, since the seeds are small and with a strong jet pressure they can be deepened.
Cover the crops with transparent glass or polyethylene, place the pot on the light side of the windowsill (southern part). When the first shoots appear, remove the cover. Water as needed once the soil begins to dry out.
When the seedlings grow and become stronger, thinning is carried out, leaving only the strongest ones in the pot. The weak ones are either thrown away or tried to be planted and grown. To keep the thyme greens juicy and aromatic, cut them regularly.
Thyme is a very popular plant in our country. In summer, low-growing herbaceous shrubs densely cover the ground with a beautiful carpet of small, delicate lilac flowers. This wonderful plant is better known as thyme, and is often called Bogorodskaya grass.
From ancient times to the present day it has been used as medicinal plant when treating the most various diseases. It has mild diuretic properties, treats headache, eliminates itching from insect bites, promotes their rapid healing. A decoction or infusion is used to treat coughs, gargle sore throat.
In this case, the grass is used as a seasoning for meat, fish dishes, salads, and all kinds of snacks. Dry thyme will improve the taste of cutlets and omelettes. It is added to sauces, gravies, dressings, etc.
Therefore, many gardeners plant such a pretty and useful herb. Today I’ll tell you about how to grow thyme (thyme), growing from seeds, planting thyme and care:
Planting, growing from seeds
Note that in the best possible way propagation of thyme is from seedlings. In this case, young plants quickly develop strong roots, take root well and grow quickly. At seedling method, already on next year young shrubs will bloom thickly and profusely.
If necessary, propagation can be carried out by seeds. True, this process is very labor-intensive. If you choose this method, you need to be patient, as plants obtained from seeds develop and grow rather slowly.
Seeds need to be planted for seedlings in early spring: March - April. Sow them in small containers (boxes) filled with soil, water them, and then place them in a greenhouse.
The air temperature there should be at least 20 degrees. The first shoots will appear in two weeks. When it gets warm, around mid-May, young plants can be planted in open ground. At the same time, maintain a distance between them of 20 cm. The distance between rows is 30 or 40 cm.
You can sow the seeds directly into open ground. It is better to do this early in the spring - March. This will require approximately 0.7 g of seeds per 1 square meter. m. After 25 days after sowing, the first shoots will appear. After they grow, don't forget to thin them out. Seedlings and young plants need to be fed twice a year - in spring and autumn, after collecting the grass.
Soil preparation, fertilizers
It is advisable to use slightly acidic soil; slight acidity is excellent for plant growth.
Before planting seedlings, you need to carefully remove weeds and plow the soil in the selected area. After this, you need to apply fertilizer, preferably organic: manure or humus. They are introduced immediately before planting.
You can also use mineral fertilizers, in particular, ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate or potassium salt are quite suitable. These fertilizers also have a very good effect on yield. They are applied immediately when preparing the soil.
Thyme (thyme) - plant care
First of all, you need to remember that thyme loves sunlight and warmth. Therefore, never plant it in shady places.
In autumn and spring, feed the plants with organic matter: rotted manure, compost or wood ash. Fresh manure cannot be used, as the thyme may die. In spring it is useful to fertilize it with urea.
Weeding, watering
Although thyme is an unpretentious plant, it does not tolerate proximity to weeds. The bushes grow poorly, develop poorly, and do not bloom profusely. They look drooping and unhealthy. Therefore, carefully weed them in a timely manner and remove weeds. After weeding, carefully loosen the soil.
Water the plant as the soil dries out. Don't let it get too dry, but don't add too much water. Thyme loves moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging. So water it as needed.
Wintering
At all, wild plant tolerates winter well. But bushes planted in the garden can freeze. Therefore, for the winter it is better to cover them with fallen leaves or sawdust. The coating layer should be at least 10 cm. With the onset of October-November, when the first frosts begin, you can mulch the soil with peat, straw, and pine branches. In the spring, when the snow melts, carefully remove all coverings.
Remember that thyme, the cultivation of which we considered today, will not give high yield healing green mass in the first year. Good, bountiful harvest you will receive only in the second or third year. After three years of growing this wonderful plant the harvest will begin to decline again. Therefore, you will need to propagate the plants by dividing the bushes or planting new seeds.
As you can see, planting thyme and caring for it is not particularly difficult. And the benefits of the plant are very great. Therefore, be sure to plant it in your area, enjoy beautiful flowering, use it beneficial features. Good luck, dear gardeners!
How to grow thyme from seeds at home?
Thyme (thyme) can be propagated and grown in two ways: by sowing seeds or by cuttings. If mother bush no, only the seed method of propagation remains.
Anyone who is more or less familiar with the basics of floriculture can grow it on a windowsill. Thyme (thyme) is sown in spring or autumn.
For sowing, you need to take a small pot, no more than 15 cm high. Be sure to pour any drainage material in order to prevent water stagnation. Thyme roots do not tolerate excess moisture and rot, as a result of which the plant may die. The drainage layer should be approximately 2-3 cm high.
Now you need to prepare the soil. Experts recommend ready soil add perlite or vermiculite to regulate moisture and increase soil breathability. Thyme () grows well on purchased soil “For cacti”. To improve the composition, a third of the volume of chernozem can be added to such purchased soil.
Before sowing, the soil should be moistened with a spray bottle, but not overwatered. Next, the thyme (thyme) seeds from the bag are laid out on the surface of the soil and slightly buried, but not more than 1 cm. The plantings are slightly moistened and covered with polyethylene to maintain a constant level of humidity. Crops need to be ventilated periodically to avoid the formation of mold and the development of fungal diseases.
Until the thyme sprouts appear, it is better to keep the pot in a slightly shaded place, avoiding open sunlight. The fact is that the burning Sun rays destroy the seedlings.The first sprouts of thyme appear approximately 10-20 days after sowing, and after another 2 months the most are left in the pot. strong plants. If desired, weak shoots are transplanted into separate pots for growing.
How to properly care for thyme grown at home?
Watering seedlings should be moderate, without waterlogging, but excessively dry soil has an extremely negative effect on the development of plants. It is best to place grown and strengthened thyme seedlings in a south-facing window, where the plants will have enough warmth. When there is insufficient light, the sprouts stretch out and wither. In addition, thyme grown in the shade is less fragrant and grows poorly.
When the thyme grows to 5 cm in height, it is necessary to feed it with mineral fertilizers. First, the soil is shed clean warm water, and then watered with a solution mineral fertilizer. After each watering and fertilizing, the soil must be loosened without damaging it. root system plant, which is located at the soil surface.
Thyme is demanding of heat and light, so the pot with the plant must be kept in a room where the temperature does not fall below 5°C.
Harvesting thyme
When home-grown thyme blooms, you can begin to harvest the spice. The stems and leaves of this plant are cut off all year round as needed, but without getting carried away with cutting, so as not to weaken the bush.
In the second year, the grown thyme bush can be planted in separate pots or cuttings. Growing thyme at home will always allow you to have fresh spice on your windowsill.