How to grow thyme

Thymus vulgaris · Lamiaceae · Herb

Thyme is a warm-season herb in the Lamiaceae family, usually started indoors and set out as transplants. It wants full sun (six or more hours of direct light) and little supplemental water once established. From sowing to first pick is about 75–90 days. It handles frost well and a light freeze often improves the flavour.

Grower’s note: A woody, drought-tolerant perennial, hardy to about Zone 5. Wants lean, sharply drained soil - rich soil and overwatering rot it. Trim lightly after flowering; never cut back into bare wood.

Sowing

Sow barely covered — the seed needs light to germinate, into soil between 55–80°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (14–28 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 10″ along the row with roughly 12″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 8″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 6″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

Thyme needs roughly 75–90 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.

Quick facts

When to plant thyme

Companions

Common problems

Pests: aphids, spider mite.

Diseases & disorders: root rot, gray mold.

Same family (Lamiaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.