Growing Thyme & Lemon Thyme

Organic Thyme Growing Guide.

 Why Grow Thyme?.

Thyme is one of those little herbs that doesn't ask for much but gives us so much in return. It's aromatic, useful in the kitchen, attractive to bees and other pollinators, and once established, it can happily grow away in the garden for years. I love having herbs like Thyme growing in the Organic Yarden because they're incredibly useful. You don't need to harvest a huge amount — just pop outside, snip a few sprigs, and you're ready to cook. And if you grow Thyme in a pot close to the kitchen, even better!

Fresh herbs just a few steps away — what's not to love? 

Where to Grow Thyme.

 Thyme loves sunshine, so give it the brightest position you have.

 It prefers well-drained soil and doesn't like sitting with wet roots, particularly through the winter.

 Good places to grow Thyme include:

🌱 Herb beds
🌻 Raised beds
🪴 Pots and containers
🌿 Rockeries
☀️ Sunny borders
🏡 A sheltered spot close to the kitchen.

If your garden soil is heavy or tends to hold lots of water, growing Thyme in a container or raised bed can be a great option.

Growing Thyme in Containers.

Thyme is an excellent herb for container gardeners.

It doesn't need a huge amount of space and can be grown quite happily in a pot as long as it has good drainage.

This makes it particularly useful if you're gardening on:

🪴 A patio
🌿 A balcony
🏡 A small yard
🌱 A windowsill or doorstep

I love the idea of having a little pot of Thyme somewhere close to the kitchen.

You can simply step outside and snip a few sprigs whenever you need them.

Growing Thyme From Seed.

 Thyme can be grown from seed, although germination can be slow and the seedlings can be very small to begin with.

 Sow according to the instructions on your particular seed packet and give the seedlings plenty of light once they appear. Because Thyme is a relatively slow-growing herb when young, don't be tempted to give up on it too quickly. Tiny doesn't mean unhappy!  Once established, your little Thyme plants will reward you for years to come.

Caring for Thyme.

Thyme is relatively low maintenance once established. Water young plants while they're getting established, particularly during dry weather. Once established, Thyme is fairly drought-tolerant and prefers not to be constantly wet.  

The biggest thing to remember is: Good drainage! 

Thyme would much rather have slightly dry feet than sit in soggy soil, so we use pot feet in Winter. 

Harvesting Thyme: 

You can harvest Thyme throughout the growing season once your plant is well established.

  You simply snip off the sprigs you need. You can use the leaves fresh or dry them for later use.

 Regularly harvesting the tips can also help keep the plant compact and encourage fresh growth.

 And there's something wonderfully satisfying about cooking a meal and realising: “I need Thyme!”

Then walking outside to get it. 

Let Your Thyme Flower.

 Please don't feel that you need to cut every flower off your Thyme.

 When Thyme flowers, it can become a fantastic little food source for bees and other pollinating insects. 🐝

The flowers may be tiny, but they can be surprisingly popular with garden visitors.

 So if you have more than one Thyme plant, why not let some flower?

 You get to enjoy the pretty little blooms and fragrance, while the bees get another source of food.

 That's what I call a good garden partnership! 

 Thyme Through Winter,

 Thyme is a perennial herb, so with the right conditions you can enjoy it year after year.

 In Ireland, the main thing I'd watch during winter is excess moisture.

 Cold weather combined with constantly wet soil can be much harder on Thyme than the cold itself.

 Make sure containers have drainage holes and avoid planting Thyme somewhere that regularly becomes waterlogged.

 A sheltered position can also help.

Pruning Thyme.

 Thyme benefits from a little gentle pruning to keep it tidy and encourage fresh growth.

 You can harvest the tips regularly throughout the growing season.

 After flowering, give the plant a light trim if it has become untidy.

 Try not to cut deeply into old, woody growth, as Thyme may not always regrow well from very old wood.

A little and often approach is usually best.

 Propagating Thyme. 

Once you've got an established Thyme plant, you can create more plants rather than buying new ones.

 Thyme can be propagated from cuttings, allowing you to make new plants from a healthy existing plant.

 It's a lovely way to expand your herb collection or share plants with friends and family.

 Thyme & Wildlife.

One of the things I really love about herbs is that they can be useful to us and the wildlife around us.

 When Thyme is flowering, those tiny blooms can attract bees and other pollinating insects. So don't be too quick to tidy every flower away.

 Sometimes the slightly wild-looking herb patch is actually doing a lot of good.

 A tidy garden isn't always the busiest garden. 🐝

Using Thyme in the Kitchen

Now we get to the really important part. 

Thyme is incredibly versatile and works beautifully in all sorts of vegan dishes.

Try it with:

🥔 Roast potatoes
🥕 Roasted vegetables
🍄 Mushrooms
🍅 Tomatoes
🫘 Beans and lentils
🥣 Soups
🍲 Stews
🌱 Vegetable casseroles
🥖 Homemade bread
🍝 Pasta dishes
🥗 Salads

Fresh Thyme is especially lovely with roasted vegetables. A little olive oil, some vegetables, garlic and a few sprigs of fresh Thyme...

Absolutely delicious. 

Drying Thyme: 

If you've got more Thyme than you can use fresh, drying it is a great way to preserve some for your kitchen.

 Harvest healthy stems and allow them to dry thoroughly somewhere warm, dry and well ventilated.

 Once completely dry, remove the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container away from direct light.

 Then you've got your own dried Thyme ready for cooking throughout the year.

Lemon Thyme.

We also grow Lemon Thyme here in the Organic Yarden, and it's one of those herbs that is impossible to walk past without giving it a little rub. 🍋

As the name suggests, the leaves have a lovely fresh lemony fragrance, combined with the familiar earthy flavour of Thyme.

 It's a beautiful little herb to have growing near the kitchen because you get that wonderful burst of lemon fragrance whenever you brush against it or pick a few leaves.

 Lemon Thyme can be used in many of the same ways as ordinary Thyme, but that lovely citrus note makes it particularly nice with:

🍋 Lemon-based dishes
🥕 Roasted vegetables
🥔 Potatoes
🍄 Mushrooms
🥗 Salads
🥣 Soups
🫘 Beans and lentils
🌱 Vegan Mediterranean dishes. 

And just like other flowering Thymes, don't be too quick to cut the flowers off. Letting it bloom gives bees and other pollinating insects another reason to visit your garden

Why I Love Growing Thyme. 

Thyme is one of those plants that proves you don't need to make gardening complicated.

 Give it sun, good drainage and a little room, and it will reward you with fragrant leaves, pretty flowers and plenty of Thyme for the kitchen. And when it flowers, you get the added bonus of watching bees buzzing around those tiny blooms. 

 It's useful.

 It's pretty.

 It's fragrant.

 It's perennial.

 And it doesn't need loads of attention.

 What's not to love about a little pot of Thyme?

Why I Love Growing Thyme. 

Thyme is one of those plants that proves you don't need to make gardening complicated.

 Give it sun, good drainage and a little room, and it will reward you with fragrant leaves, pretty flowers and plenty of Thyme for the kitchen. And when it flowers, you get the added bonus of watching bees buzzing around those tiny blooms. 

 It's useful.

 It's pretty.

 It's fragrant.

 It's perennial.

 And it doesn't need loads of attention.

 What's not to love about a little pot of Thyme?

🌿 Explore More Organic Herb Guides.

 Explore all our Organic Herb Growing Guides → HERE. 

Read our Organic Oregano Growing Guide → HERE

. Read our Organic Lemon Balm Growing Guide → HERE. 

Read our Organic Coriander Growing Guide → HERE

 Explore our Vegetable Growing Guides → HERE

Visit Our Little Vegan Kitchen →HERE