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Creeping Thyme Care. Creeping thyme plants grow best in soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, and this plant requires well-drained soil. Creeping thyme seems to crave poor soils, as do most herb plants. Grow them in full sun, although they will tolerate some shade.
Does creeping thyme need to be cut back?
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 ahead. Prune again after the flowers die back.
How do you prune creeping thyme?
In late fall, after the first frost, select one-third of the oldest and woodiest stems on your thyme plant. Using sharp, clean shears, cut these stems back by half. Repeat the process the next year until your thyme plant has returned to growing younger, more tender stems all over the plant.
How quickly does creeping thyme spread?
Generally, creeping thyme takes one year to get established, and then begins to spread in its second season. The herb thyme (Thymus spp.) All creeping thymes spread by sending stems along the ground’s surface to periodically grow leaves and roots.
Does creeping thyme come back every year?
Appears to have more flowers than foliage during its peak blooms. Covers the ground in color and breaks up all of the green. Is perennial, returning every year and requiring much less maintenance than grass.
Can you rake creeping thyme?
Rake the top of the creeping thyme lightly with a flexible yard rake. Collect all mowing debris from the top of the thyme bed that wasn’t collected by the lawnmower.
Can you walk on creeping thyme barefoot?
Choosing Groundcover That’s Walkable. Here are some good groundcovers you can walk on: Thyme (Thymus sp.) – Includes several walkable groundcovers such as woolly thyme, red creeping thyme, and mother-of-thyme.
Should you let thyme flower?
Thyme’s tiny flowers are pretty and white. Though you can pinch the flowers off to allow the plant to produce more leaves, the flavor of thyme really isn’t compromised by letting the plant bloom.
How do you care for outdoor thyme?
How to Cultivate Thyme Soil: Plant thyme in well-drained soil with an optimal pH between 6.0 and 8.0. Sun: Thyme needs a growing area with plenty of sunlight. Water: Most varieties of thyme are drought-resistant, so only give a thorough watering, when the soil is completely dry.
Does creeping thyme stay green in winter?
Thyme ‘Creeping’ A short-lived perennial herb, ‘Creeping’ thyme, is relatively easy to overwinter indoors. Grow it as a houseplant in a sunny window. In areas with cold winters, thyme is considered semi-evergreen, meaning that the plant will retain some of its foliage during winter but not all.
How do you plant creeping thyme as ground cover?
Scatter the Creeping Thyme ground cover seeds and press the seeds firmly into the soil. Keep the seeds consistently moist. If you want to get a jump start on the Creeping Thyme ground cover plants, sow the seed indoors 6 – 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant the young seedling into the garden 6 – 12 inches apart.
Will creeping thyme take over grass?
After doing much on-line research, I chose to replace half of my front lawn with Red Creeping Thyme in the spring of 2019. I liked its height (2”), the fact that it can tolerate moderate foot traffic, is drought resistant, spreads fast and chokes out weeks and attracts bees and butterflies.
Does creeping thyme need a lot of water?
Thyme Alternative to Grass A creeping thyme lawn is not only drought resistant, but it generally requires much less water than traditional turf grasses too. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, can be walked upon, and will rapidly spread to fill in a space.
Is creeping thyme poisonous to dogs?
“The creeping thyme does well as a dog-friendly ground cover. Irish Moss, Labrador Violet, Miniature Stonecrop (although invasive, so be careful where you plant it) as well as snow in summer are rather dog-abuse-tolerant and are non-toxic.”May 23, 2017.
Can thyme grow in shade?
Thyme. Most varieties of thyme will tolerate part shade. Let the soil slightly dry out between waterings. Try planting it with other flowers and herbs for a fragrant container.
How much creeping thyme seed do I need?
Seed Coverage Amount Recommended Coverage Packet Up to 80 Sq. Ft Ounce Package Up to 625 Sq. Ft 1/4 Pound Package Up to 2,500 Sq. Ft 1 Pound Sack Up to10,000 Sq. Ft.
How often do you water creeping thyme?
The small plants will tend to dry out in the first 3-6 months until the roots have grown. This means that it may need water as often as every other day, or if you’re experiencing very hot, drought conditions, every day watering may be necessary.
Does creeping thyme flower all summer?
Here are some other interesting facts about creeping thyme: Most varieties reach two to six inches in height and spread six to 18 inches wide. Their flowers appear during the late spring to early summer and last for a few weeks.
Does creeping thyme bloom all summer?
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Blooms all summer long. Will tolerate all soil types, is drought tolerant, rabbit and deer resistant.
Is creeping thyme invasive?
Though it creeps and grows fast, we can be confident to conclude that creeping thyme is not invasive. It is only a fast grower with a beautiful view and soft leaves to walk on.
What ground cover chokes out grass?
The Dragon’s blood sedum or Schorbuser Blut is considered the most versatile and toughest ground cover that can choke out weeds. Similar to creeping jenny, this type of ground cover also has stems that easily root, so it’s fast to proliferate.
How do you start a ground cover plant?
Planting groundcovers is easy. Simply pop them out of their pots and plant them at the same depth they were growing previously. If the plants look root bound (a solid mass of tightly packed roots) gently tease the roots apart before sinking the plants into the soil. Then, water the bed thoroughly.
