Features of growing thyme in central Russia. Thyme or creeping thyme: planting and care in the open field

This herb is known to many. It grows almost everywhere, in fields and meadows. In fact, the thyme plant is only one of more than 400 members of the thyme genus, a semi-shrub with ascending, semi-lying and ascending woody stems.

Thyme: types and varieties

Due to its unpretentiousness and adaptability, thyme grows in Europe, America, Asia and North Africa. Most common only 3 types:

creeping thyme - in fact, it is this species that is commonly called thyme, a lodging perennial shrub. The stems are numerous, thin, creeping, easily rooted, woody at the base with age, forming ascending or erect flowering shoots that can reach up to 20 cm in height. The leaves are small, opposite, oblong-oval, lanceolate or ovate, short-petiolate; protruding, well-developed essential oil glands can be seen in a magnifying glass. Flowering occurs in June, July, the flowers are small, but plentiful, purple-red, mauve or pinkish-blue, two-lipped, at the ends of the branches are collected in capitate loose inflorescences. This species is extremely unpretentious, drought- and frost-resistant;

common thyme is a low shrub, the height of the shoots reaches 15 cm. The leaves are small, with pubescence on inside. The flowers can be light purple, white (variety "Alba"), deep red (variety "Splendens"). It is less frost hardy than creeping thyme. AT landscape design dwarf varieties of common thyme are actively used, for example, "Elfin" - without rising above 5 cm, one seedling forms a neat dense green "pillow" with a diameter of up to 15 cm;

lemon thyme - a low view, young leaves - ovoid almost yellow in color, with time they become light green. Popular for its spicy aroma with a rich note of lemon scent. Not frost-resistant, needs shelter for the winter. In order for the plant to be dense, with a mass of greenery, it must be cut periodically, removing old shoots.

Thyme: planting and care on the site

For planting thyme pick up sunny areas or with light penumbra, in the shade the shoots stretch sharply, the bush loses its solidity. The plant prefers fertile, light, well-drained, non-acidic (or neutral) soils. When preparing the site for planting in heavy soils, it is recommended to add sand when digging to improve the permeability of the soil. In addition, the place where thyme grows must be protected from drafts.

Watering

Thyme is drought-resistant, does not tolerate stagnant water - this leads to damage and rotting of the root system. Watering - moderate, only in a very dry period, as well as in dry spring during the period of active vegetation and preparation for flowering. To avoid stagnation on rainy days, the soil around the plant is mulched with fine gravel.

top dressing

Thyme does not need enhanced fertilizer. Before planting, humus can be added to the soil, then during the next year the plant will not need to be fed. In subsequent years, top dressing is carried out in late spring or early summer with any liquid mineral fertilizer.

pruning

Pruning is carried out in the spring, shortening the developing shoots, and after flowering, removing drying inflorescences. The shoot is cut to the stiff part, this is about 2/3 of the total length of the stem. Pruning allows you to keep the shape of the plant and make it dense and monolithic.

reproduction

Thyme is propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. It should be noted that the plant can reproduce well and abundantly by self-sowing, so over time it will be necessary to limit the area of \u200b\u200bits growth.

Since thyme seeds are very small and take almost a month to germinate, the area should be thoroughly cleared of weeds before planting in the ground. After germination, young plants develop quite slowly, they will require protection from weeds. That is why when seed propagation It is better to grow seedlings in containers first. In early March, seeds are sown in the soil mixture (equal parts of peat and sand), and the box is covered with glass from above until germination occurs. The grown seedlings are planted in the ground.

In summer, thyme is well propagated by green cuttings. The shoots take root perfectly, therefore, before flowering, the tops of the stems are cut off, 8-10 cm long, planted in river sand, covered with a film. During the day, the cuttings must be sprayed several times with a spray bottle. The roots appear on the 15-20th day, and after a month, the finished seedlings can be planted on the site. Growing thyme in its first year consists of regularly weeding and loosening the soil (mulching) to prevent standing water.

Propagating by division, the bush is broken at the base, after which the small roots are carefully disassembled (unraveled). Planted delenki can be covered with a glass jar for a week for better rooting.

Diseases and pests

In the first year after planting, thyme should be regularly weeded, loosened and mulched in order to prevent water stagnation - a young root is especially sensitive to oversaturation of the soil with moisture.

In general, pests almost never appear on thyme - the reason for this is the fragrant substances that it releases in large quantities. But still, if the rules of care are violated, thyme can be affected by the following pests:

meadow moth - affects leaves and stems, butterflies of this pest are especially active on warm nights. When signs of damage appear, the plant must be treated with insecticides;
sandy lingering beetle - a black beetle 7-10 mm long, affecting the entire ground part of thyme. Poisoned baits are used to combat it;
weevil - a small (2-3 mm) black beetle that feeds on young greens and shoots, as well as flower buds. The method of struggle is similar against the sandy linger, plus insecticide treatment;
Aphids are small (up to several millimeters) sedentary insects that infect stems and leaves. They die after being treated with insecticides.

Thyme in landscape design

Thyme is an excellent groundcover, and its undersized hybrids are very resistant to damage, easily tolerated when walked on, and can be a good alternative to a traditional grass lawn.

In order for thyme to have a lot of juicy greenery, it must be cut more often and not allowed to bloom.

Thyme is often planted on alpine slides, it looks good in mixboards or stone gardens, as well as the green edging of the borders of paths and flower beds.

Because of the fragrant aroma, thyme is good to plant near arbors or garden benches.

Thyme: planting and care at home

Thyme tolerates cultivation at home quite well, so in autumn and winter you can always have a sprig of fresh aromatic seasoning on hand. For planting, you can use the land for cacti. Thyme seeds can be sown in spring, but better in autumn take a bush from the garden, divide and plant it in a container. In this case, the pot is chosen quite a bit wider than the roots of the plant. It is very important to ensure good drainage, because thyme does not tolerate waterlogging.

In order for thyme to grow and develop normally, it needs to provide the maximum possible amount of light, so it is installed on the southern, brightest window. Otherwise, the thyme will stretch upwards without forming a dense bush with juicy greens.

Thyme in the medicine cabinet

Before the advent of antibiotics, the oil obtained from common thyme was the strongest antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial agent. Thyme contains coffee, cinchona, oleic, chlorogenic, ursulic and oleanolic acids, fats, gum, flavonoids, vitamin C and many mineral salts. Thyme tea and various infusions help both with various diseases (cough, bronchitis, whooping cough, reduces pressure and stimulates blood circulation), and are used as an immune stimulant and general tonic. In addition, thyme is considered an aphrodisiac.

In cooking, thyme is used as a spice and condiment, but more often it is part of various spice mixtures.

If dried thyme is sewn into a bag and placed in a closet, it will reliably protect things from moths.

Or thyme is a genus of essential oil plants, which has 214 species. Most often we are talking about creeping thyme (or common thyme), which is used in medicine and perfumery, as well as a spice in cooking. Until recently, people were interested in thyme only from a consumer point of view, but now, with the advent of new very beautifully flowering varieties of it, it has become popular with flower growers. different countries. In this article, you will learn how to grow thyme from seeds in your country house.

Thyme - description

Thyme is a perennial semi-shrub with a creeping stem, with flowering branches. Its leaves are small, oval-shaped, arranged oppositely. At the ends of the branches in small inflorescences are collected small flowers pink or purple in color, emitting a strong aroma. Thyme oil contains very useful organic compounds, mineral salts and vitamin C.

Thyme - cultivation

Thyme can be grown by seed or by dividing the bush.

Thyme seeds are very small, you can buy them in garden shop or hypermarket, as well as order on specialized sites. They remain viable for only 2-3 years. Planting containers must be filled with light loose soil mixed with vermiculite, peat and sand.

Seeds in March-April close up to a depth of 1 cm, sprinkled with soil. Top with water from a spray bottle and cover with glass. At a constant temperature of 20°C, the seeds germinate within 8-20 days. The seedlings are aired and, if necessary, sprayed with water from a spray bottle. Growing thyme from seed requires patience, as young plants develop quite slowly. Thyme seedlings are planted in a permanent place on the site from the end of May at a distance of 20 cm from each other and 40 cm between rows.

When growing thyme, seeds can also be sown directly into the ground. It's done in early spring. Seeds planted in the soil to a depth of 5 mm germinate in 20-25 days. The grown seedlings need to be thinned out so that there are 15 cm between the plants. Thyme grown from seeds in this way will bloom in the second year.

But the division of the bush is considered the best way thyme breeding. Spring ( early autumn) we dig a bush with a clod of earth and carefully divide it into shoots with roots, each of which is planted in a prepared place in moist soil. At good care the bush will take root well and even bloom this year.

Thyme: planting and care

Since under natural conditions thyme grows mainly in steppe zone or on dry mountain slopes, it is advisable to use sunny and wind-protected places for its cultivation, since in the shade the plant is very elongated and develops slowly. The earth can be taken any, except acidic.

Soil preparation for planting thyme in the spring consists of removing weeds, deep digging and harrowing in two directions. Organic fertilizers (rotted manure or humus) are applied to the soil immediately before starting work. Before planting thyme, sand or vermiculite is added to clay soil.

Thyme care consists of the following activities:

You can collect thyme in June, when it begins to bloom. flowering plants cut with a knife or scissors at a level of 5 cm from the ground. The second time the plant is harvested in July-August. Biggest Harvest thyme can be harvested in the second and third year, and after 4 years new plants will need to be planted.

It is simple in appearance, but very fragrant and useful plant, are widely used to treat respiratory and digestive organs, joint pain and other diseases, as well as thyme leaves and inflorescences are used as a seasoning.

Hello, dear friends - gardeners!

Today I will not be distracted by a description of the medicinal and other beneficial properties of thyme, because if you opened this article, you already know about them very well.

It's about that how to grow thyme(thyme) on the site I will tell you in detail in this article.

Thyme can be propagated in the garden different ways, usually by dividing the bush, cuttings or seeds. To separate the bush, it is dug up in the spring and carefully divided into separate seedlings.

Species creeping along the ground are propagated mainly vegetatively - those parts that have already taken root are cut off and planted separately immediately in the right place or for growing and shaping. miniature species, forming pillows, it is better to propagate by taking lignified cuttings of 3-5 cm, and from the beginning of spring, rooting them in greenhouses or indoor propagators. The roots germinate in the second - third week.

The cutting method is good because the plant immediately turns out to be more mature and develops much faster, but it requires a lot self made in room conditions. Reproduction by seeds is preferable, since you can immediately get planting material in large quantities, and often even avoid further transplantation. In this case, the seeds are sown directly into the ground in spring or late autumn under the snow. In the spring, they are sown in the designated places, organizing temporary greenhouses from cans there, in beds or in special greenhouses. You should pay attention to weeds where thyme is sown. Since its seeds are very small - 1000 seeds weigh only 300-500 mg, seedlings can simply get lost or can be drowned out by weeds. It is possible to grow thyme seedlings from seeds as well as cuttings, in indoor propagators.

The soil for planting seeds or cuttings should be light, moisture-permeable, preferably a 1: 1 mixture of peat and sand. Seeds are planted after 2-3 cm in rows no deeper than 1 cm. Seedlings appear on the 7-10th day. With sufficient humidity, most optimum temperature for this lies in a very wide range from +20 °C to +35 °C. AT open field thyme sprouts hatch in 3-4 weeks. In room conditions, the sprouts should be immediately transferred to a cool, well-lit place.

Watering should be moderate, only when the topsoil is already drying out, because rotting from excess moisture is the scourge of thyme seedlings. Excessively frequent seedlings are thinned out or dived into separate boxes, achieving an approximate planting density of 2x2 cm. At the age of 2 months, the seedlings are already turning into small bushes, which are planted in permanent places of growth. You can do this at any time, but not in late autumn, because the seedlings should be taken before the onset of frost. Thyme starts flowering in the second year, but when planted by cuttings or very early seed planting, flowering can be expected as early as the first year in the fall.

I hope my article will help you successfully grow thyme on your site. See you!

Thyme (Thyme) is a plant that almost everyone has heard of. In the people it is often called Bogorodskaya grass. This name appeared due to the fact that in the old days, on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin, icons decorated it with small flowers that have different shades: white, pink, purple and even yellow.

Thyme is spread everywhere. Planting and care do not take much effort and time, so it can be found in many places. It grows in Europe and Asia. Even in some African countries, you can find this plant with beautiful small flowers and a pleasant sweet smell. China is considered to be the birthplace of thyme.

Why is thyme so popular?

Thyme is valued not only for its beautiful appearance and aroma, but also for excellent medicinal properties. Thyme is used:

AT traditional medicine . Pleasantly smelling, rich thyme tea, rich in useful vitamins, active substances, is able to calm nervous system, eliminate pain, cope with colds and many other diseases. Decoctions, infusions, essential oil are made from its leaves and flowers. Dried thyme herb is added to the pillow to promote deep and healthy sleep. In the old days, with the help of thyme, they fumigated rooms to get rid of germs and harmful organisms.

In the perfume industry. Flowers and leaves are processed, and essential oils are added to creams, perfumes, eau de toilette, and soaps.

In cooking. The leaves of this plant are added to food as a seasoning to give it a special taste and unique aroma. Thyme is seasoned with both meat and fish dishes. As a spice, it is added to baked goods.

Thyme in landscape design. Sometimes thyme is also used to decorate a plot in the country.

Thyme is believed to be wild plant growing in the southern regions. But for a long time, amateur gardeners have been cultivating thyme in those parts where the summer is not so hot and long. The plant has adapted quite easily to a different climate, and feels great.

Thyme: what types of cultivation are popular?

Despite the fact that there are more than 300 species of this plant, only four are grown in garden plots. Their medicinal and decorative properties are most pronounced:

Feel free to choose any of them!

Growing thyme in open ground in the Moscow region

Decided to start thyme? Planting and care will not take much time, and the plant will easily adapt to any weather conditions and feel pretty good. Nevertheless, in order for the plant to decorate the site and please the eye for many years, bloom profusely, be healthy and suitable as a seasoning and first-aid kit in the garden, it needs to be looked after, watered and weeded in a timely manner.

How is thyme grown?

To grow thyme outdoors no extra effort or special knowledge is required. Thyme perfectly tolerates the conditions of non-dry summers and snowy winters. For its rapid growth and development, abundant flowering a lot of moisture is required, so the climate of the Moscow region creates the best conditions for it.

Thyme was bred from wild varieties, grows well on any soil, except for acidic clay rocks. This plant is not afraid of severe frosts.

Thyme will be healthy and grow quickly if planted in warm sunny places garden plot. So that the stems do not become waterlogged and do not rot during the off-season, the soil next to the stem is covered with drainage from small pebbles or gravel.

Thyme looks good as an element decorative finishes garden paths. Planted along the edges of the path, it gives it a well-groomed appearance. This plant is also suitable for rose gardens and alpine slides, it will serve as a wonderful decoration. ornamental pond. And if you plant it near the house, you can not only get aesthetic pleasure by watching its intricate inflorescences, but also inhale the aroma of flowers both in the early morning and late evening. Strengthen decorative effect it is possible by planting various types of thyme on the flower beds.

How does this plant reproduce?

Thyme can be grown in three ways:

The plant should be healthy, with a strong stem and dense shiny and elastic leaves. No need to purchase a slightly wilted plant. It may fade over time, or it may dry out completely.

Planting thyme with a closed root system, purchased in a special place, will not cause difficulties. The plant must be carefully removed from the container, inspected for rot, if necessary, cleaned, straightened and planted in prepared soil. Water and sprinkle with drainage near the stems.

How to choose a place to land?

It is best to plant thyme on south side suburban area, where an abundance of sunlight will be provided.

If you plant a plant in the shadow, his bush will look loose, the leaves will be small, the stems will stretch. Accumulate the desired concentration of nutrients and essential oils it will be harder for him. There is no question of a pleasant aroma. The plant simply will not be able to emit a strong odor.

Thyme growing on the warm sunny side takes the form of a small dense shrub. If its leaves and branches are periodically cut off, it will grow even stronger in width. At proper care by autumn, Bogorodsk grass can take the form of a ball. This plant will look especially good in a flower bed and will decorate any flower garden.

Planted in scattered shadow the thyme will not stretch upward, but will spread its shoots across the ground, creating an intricate grassy carpet. It is especially beautiful when the plant blooms and is covered with lilac, yellow or scarlet flowers, depending on the variety of thyme. This is a mesmerizing sight. When the wind blows, a fragrant cloud rises above the Bogorodsk grass, spreading throughout the summer cottage.

What is the best soil for thyme to grow in?

It is important not only to consider which side the plant will be planted on, but also take care of the ground. In its natural habitat, thyme grows on rocky or sandy soils.

If the earth is suburban area does not meet the specified characteristics, it can be improved by preparing more favorable conditions for thyme. This plant does not take root very deep, so no extra effort is required to prepare the soil. Sufficient surface treatment. The soil must be mixed with river sand, rubble, small stones. You can add shellfish.

If you plan to plant thyme on a rocky alpine slide, most best solution will place it on top of it so that it will not be flooded with water after watering.

Bogorodsk grass care

Caring for thyme is not at all burdensome:

Prune thyme during flowering. At this time, the concentration of essential oils in its leaves and flowers is the highest. After pruning, the plants are covered with loose soil and watered.

Cut stems, flowers and leaves are dried in the shade, then packaged in canvas bags.

Thyme, Bogorodskaya herb or thyme, has long been considered a symbol of strength, health and courage. it herbaceous plant useful in any household due to its pleasant appearance, as well as gastronomic and healing properties. The article is devoted to the description of this remarkable representative of the flora, tips for caring for it and using it for various purposes.

Thyme flowering shoots have been widely used in folk medicine since ancient times. His healing properties are explained by the presence of a whole range of useful substances in its composition - vitamins, tannins, bitterness, thymol, flavonoids, mineral salts and oleic acid.

Essential oils and decoctions from Bogorodskaya grass are used as a diuretic, analgesic, bactericidal, blood purifier and antipyretic. In addition, the little doctor will help you digest heavy food, restore sound sleep, cure a sore throat, overcome sinusitis, and even improve male potency.
Infusion from thyme is extremely effective in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, flatulence, fermentation).
Ointments, compresses and lotions from thyme will relieve those suffering from pain in the joints, rheumatism and skin diseases from acute pain.

It is curious that thyme often helps out even when modern antibiotics are powerless; often its extract is present in pharmacological preparations.

Thyme has a general positive effect on human body: as soon as it gets inside, the heart rate normalizes, efficiency increases and vegetative abnormalities disappear - therefore, it is often included in the daily diet in the form of tea.

The action of thyme is so wide that it is used even in cosmetology in the manufacture of shampoos and conditioners against weakened, dry and falling hair.

Despite all beneficial features, it is necessary to remember about contraindications for thyme. It is not recommended to take it for diseases of the liver and kidneys, stomach ulcers, myocardial infarction and individual intolerance to the components. Also the herb should be used with extreme caution for the treatment of pregnant women in the later stages. Before using thyme, you should consult with a specialist.

Gallery: thyme (25 photos)

How to grow thyme from seeds (video)

Thyme in cooking

Today this shrub is cultivated in many countries of the world, including in the south of Russia. For what purpose? The fact is that thyme is a very fragrant herb, so it is actively used in the culinary arts as a spice that reveals and enhances the natural taste of dishes. Sometimes young greens are eaten, starting from the second year of the thyme's life. As mentioned above, tea made from fresh or dried leaves of the shrub is also very popular.

Thyme seasoning is quite spicy and bitter, so very little is added to dishes. However, even a small amount of healing spice will help the body better absorb fatty foods such as pork, lamb, game and lard. For the same reason, thyme is often used in smoking.

It is customary to put fresh thyme leaves in fish and chicken dishes and in soups with legumes. Besides, the spicy taste of thyme goes well with dishes of potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables. As a spice, thyme pairs well with parsley, bay leaf, and marjoram.

Today there is great amount recipes using this fragrant herb, ranging from snacks ( sauerkraut) and ending with desserts.

Thyme in garden decor

The plant has not only medicinal, but also highly decorative qualities, thanks to which it is often planted in borders and on rocky hills. Silvery leaves of some varieties will decorate any flower bed or will be a great edging for garden paths.

Thyme is recommended to be planted along paths, near benches and arbors, also because it emits a pleasant aroma. Besides, some creeping ground cover varieties can be used in place of traditional turf– thyme tolerates very well mechanical impact. The same applies to the space between the stones on the paths: the thyme will cover it with a dense, thick layer, and upon contact with the shoes it will smell stronger.

Thyme looks especially beautiful in rockeries when you need to plant trees on a vertical surface or build a cascading planting. The shrub is in harmony with undersized carnation and hyssop.

Where does thyme grow and what does it look like?

A herbaceous subshrub or shrub, thyme has spread around the world from North Africa. In total, the genus includes about four hundred species that today grow in Eurasia and Greenland. On the territory of Russia, thyme can be found in the Caucasus, the Urals and Siberia. The ground cover develops well in open areas, so savory is a frequent guest on forest clearings and edges, meadows; often grows in the mountains.

What are the characteristics of a plant? Usually thyme, a member of the mint family, looks like a creeping perennial shrub with woody stems, reaching a height of no more than 35 cm. This plant has small leaves (3-8 mm) and spike-shaped inflorescences with the same small flowers of lilac, purple, pink, violet or white shades. , decorating the area with its colorful dense carpet and attracting insects with aroma.

Description of types and varieties of thyme

Despite the impressive number of varieties in the genus, only a few of the species are successfully cultivated in areas for the sake of decorative properties. Below are the most popular thyme varieties in floriculture and their varieties.

Thyme officinalis (common)

A low semi-shrub with a tetrahedral, strongly branching ascending stem and ovate opposite leaves up to 10 mm long, dark green in color. Inflorescences - whorls of several five-membered small flowers of light purple, less often - white (Alba variety), or bright red (Splendens). This variety is decorated with them in June and July.

It is a subspecies of medicinal thyme. . Distinctive feature- aroma of lemon, giving it its name, and yellow young foliage, which subsequently fades to light green. Lemon thyme - decorative look, easily conquering territory with favorable conditions. For the density of the bush, it is recommended to cut the variety regularly, and cover it for the winter season. Demanded varieties: Golden Dwarf, Silver Queen, Golden King.

Thyme early

Groundcover low slow-growing plant with small light leaves and purple-colored flowers. In floriculture, two varieties of early thyme are widespread.: pubescent Minor with juicy foliage and Pseudolanuginosus, striking in the density of inflorescences, completely hiding the green from the eyes.

It was this variety that gave the second name to thyme, however, strictly speaking, thyme differs from other species: its height does not exceed 15 cm, the stems are cylindrical, creeping, with hairy shoots in the lower part. Petiolate, lanceolate leaves are attached to the stems, more than 1 cm long. In early July, pinkish inflorescences bloom on peduncles. Thanks to breeding, many varieties of thyme have been bred, including carmine and white flowers, as well as variegated leaf color.

Thyme subarctic

The natural distribution zone is the forests of Eastern Europe. It's undersized perennial shrub, forming sods and decorated with small lilac bells. Leaves and stems are pubescent.

Dorfler's thyme

In floriculture, it is used less frequently than relatives, since it is not very resistant to frost. It is found in the wild in the Balkans. Characteristic features: gray-pinkish inflorescences, blooming in May, and curved pubescent leaves.

Siberian thyme

A steppe variety common in Siberia and Mongolia. It is distinguished by a woody lower part of the stems and a creeping root. Inflorescences - numerous, pink, adorn the plant for almost the entire summer season.

Flea thyme

The main advantage of the variety is a modest but charming flowering.. In June, over the leaves of an elliptical shape, flowers of a delicate lilac-pink hue, collected in heads on the tops of the stems, bloom.

mossy thyme

An ornamental variety popular as a low groundcover: its small leaves are intertwined under lilac dense inflorescences, forming a dense carpet only 1-2 cm high.

The variety is an unpretentious semi-shrub with thin stems, small foliage and axillary semi-whorls-inflorescences with flowers up to 8 mm long. Gives off a strong, spicy aroma. Prefers slopes of mountains and rocks, sea and river banks.

Thyme Propagation Methods

Like many other plants, thyme can reproduce in three ways: by seed, vegetative (cuttings) and by dividing the bush itself. Let's consider these methods in more detail.

Technology of propagation by cuttings

The method is convenient in that it can be carried out at any time during the growing season of the shrub. It is enough to cut off the stalk from a young shoot and plant it in a greenhouse or on another bed under a jar for growing, monitoring the level of humidity. The cutting should take root in a couple of weeks.

Growing thyme from seeds

This method is used when a significant amount is required. planting material. Seeds can be sown both immediately in open ground, and seedlings can be planted first. When breeding seedlings, a substrate is taken with the same content of sand and peat; after the emergence of sprouts, you need to lower the temperature and regularly moisten the seedlings. Thyme will give the owner a flowering in the first year, if you resort to early sowing or seedlings.

Medicinal properties of thyme (video)

How to grow thyme at home in a pot

Thyme can be easily grown both in the garden or in the country, and at home.

To do this, you need a small pot - no more than fifteen centimeters in diameter - and the right soil mixture. The substrate for thyme should be well drained (at least 3 cm layer) and moistened. As a soil, a substrate for cacti with black soil added to it in a ratio of 1 to 3 is suitable.
Seeds are laid on the surface of the earth, and 5 mm of soil are placed on them.
Then the seedlings are sprayed from the spray gun and covered transparent material and placed in the southern part of the house in a place where direct sunlight does not penetrate.
After the guaranteed emergence of sprouts, the cover is removed and weak seedlings are removed.

In order for thyme to regularly give juicy foliage, you need to constantly cut it off, preventing it from blooming.

Growing thyme outdoors

thyme - extremely unpretentious plant, and there are almost no problems with it. However, like any other inhabitant of the garden, he loves attention and care. Here are a few rules that will help thyme flourish and grow rapidly.

Technology and planting dates

To make the thyme feel like in the conditions wildlife, for its landing choose enough sunny areas, sometimes with slight penumbra. The shrub will respond gratefully to light, fertile soils with good drainage and low acidity. It is also recommended to protect the plant from drafts. Technology immediate landing simple and does not require special skills. It is recommended to plant thyme in spring or autumn.

Spring day for planting thyme seedlings should be sunny, ideal temperature - + 13 ° С; there should also be no threat of frost. For a seedling, a hole is dug, twice the size of an earthen coma of a plant in a pot. Part of the pre-prepared mixture of earth and sand is poured into the hole in equal proportions. The seedling is removed from the container, its rhizomes should be straightened; then you need to plant thyme in the hole at the same depth as it was in the pot. The remaining mixture is poured into the pit, crushed and properly spilled with water.

Watering

Thyme tolerates drought much better than waterlogging, so the watering regimen should be extremely moderate, slightly increasing only during flowering and growing new shoots. In the case of a rainy season, the plant does not require watering at all.

top dressing

Thyme practically does not need fertilizer, since it can be done right at the time of planting by putting humus in the hole. Starting from the second year of life, thyme can be fed annually at the turn of spring and summer with any mineral complex diluted in water.

Protection against diseases and pests

As a rule, a medicinal shrub is very rarely infected with diseases or attacked by insects. The single most likely problem is root rot due to waterlogging. In order to avoid the death of the plant, the irrigation regime should be monitored and regular mulching, as well as loosening the soil. However, it should be taken into account that the plant may still be attacked by a meadow moth, sandy lingerling, weevil or aphid: in these cases, insecticides will come to the rescue.

How to propagate thyme (video)

Thyme is an easy-to-care, but very rewarding plant that can be grown in your apartment, house or garden. Thyme will become a reliable friend for various kinds of ailments and decorate any lawn with its colorful carpet.

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