Thyme is well my favourite herb within the backyard. I like the flavour it provides to only about every part—soups, greens, roasted meats, even eggs. For years, I might by no means appear to develop sufficient of it. However over time, I’ve found out the secrets and techniques to rising thyme efficiently, even right here within the low desert. And right now, I’m sharing them with you.
This put up will train you methods to develop thyme, harvest it typically, and maintain your vegetation wholesome and productive for years. Whether or not you’re gardening in Arizona or wherever else, the following tips will aid you develop thriving thyme vegetation. And in the event you’re questioning what to do with all that thyme, don’t miss my Blue Cheese Thyme Scalloped Potatoes recipe—my favourite approach to get pleasure from this flavorful herb.
In case you’re simply getting began with herbs or wish to broaden your assortment, my Arizona Planting Information is a superb useful resource for timing, spacing, and suggestions tailor-made to the low desert.
Article Define:
Plant A number of (and Completely different) Thyme Crops
Time It Proper for a Head Begin
Give Your Thyme Some TLC
Harvest Typically for the Finest Thyme
Use Contemporary or Protect for Later
Tips on how to Develop Thyme in Arizona
1. Plant A number of (and Completely different) Thyme Crops
One of the best ways to develop thyme efficiently is to plant multiple. Having a number of thyme vegetation will increase your possibilities of success and ensures you all the time have one to reap from, even when one other is flowering, going dormant, or recovering from a trim. I prefer to unfold them all through the backyard within the corners of my raised beds.
Past amount, selection additionally makes a distinction. There’s multiple type of thyme, and every brings one thing distinctive to the backyard. Planting a combination means you’ll get pleasure from a wide range of aromas, leaf colours, and progress habits.
Listed here are a few of my favorites:
Widespread thyme – Traditional culinary thyme; about 16 inches (40 cm) tall; white or purple flowers.
English thyme – Softer, mounded type; barely milder aroma; purple flowers.
Lemon thyme – Sturdy citrus aroma; nice for cooking; 12 inches (30 cm) tall.
Creeping thyme – Vivid inexperienced leaves; low and spreading (4–6 inches / 10–15 cm); good for containers or pathways.
Golden thyme – Eye-catching gold leaves; about 6 inches (15 cm) tall.
Provençal thyme – Smaller leaves with a robust aroma; compact 12-inch (30 cm) progress.
By planting a number of thyme vegetation—each in quantity and selection—you’ll all the time have a wholesome plant prepared for harvest and guarantee your herb backyard is well-stocked all 12 months.
Need to broaden your herb backyard much more? Right here’s my information to rising oregano and methods to develop rosemary efficiently. Need a fast visible reference? My Visible Information for Low Desert Herbs makes it straightforward to see which herbs to develop and when at a look.
2. Time It Proper for a Head Begin
Thyme will be grown from seed, however I’ve had the very best luck with sturdy transplants. Beginning with a longtime plant offers you a head begin and earlier harvests.
In case you do wish to develop from seed:
Begin indoors 8–10 weeks earlier than your planting date.
Press seeds frivolously into moist seed-starting combine and barely cowl.
Preserve the soil round 70°F (21°C) for greatest germination.
When purchasing for thyme transplants, select:
Brief, bushy vegetation with progress spilling over the pot.
Keep away from dry, leggy, or discolored vegetation.
Plant thyme outdoor as soon as the chance of frost has handed and the soil has warmed. Area vegetation 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) aside.
Within the low desert of Arizona, the very best time to plant thyme is from October to April, earlier than or after the height warmth. The sooner within the planting window the higher. This offers the plant longer to grow to be established earlier than the warmth.
3. Give Your Thyme Some TLC
Thyme doesn’t want lots of fuss, however it does respect the correct rising situations.
Daylight:Thyme prefers at the very least 6 hours of full solar, however in scorching climates, it advantages from afternoon shade through the hottest months.
Soil:Properly-drained soil is important. In case your soil is heavy or gradual to empty, think about planting thyme in raised beds or containers stuffed with a high-quality potting combine.
Curious which herbs thrive in comparable situations? Finest Perennial Herbs for Scorching Climates highlights tried-and-true varieties that love the warmth, similar to thyme does.
Watering:As soon as established, thyme is drought-tolerant. Let the highest few inches of soil dry out earlier than watering once more.
An excessive amount of moisture = root rot. If stems begin to yellow or vegetation wilt regardless of moist soil, drainage is probably going the problem.
Fertilizing:Thyme doesn’t want a lot. A spring software of compost is often sufficient. Keep away from heavy fertilization—it reduces the flavorful oils within the leaves.
Mulching:Use a light-weight mulch like straw or wooden chips to manage soil temperature and suppress weeds. Keep away from thick layers that entice moisture.
Pruning:Common snipping encourages contemporary progress and retains vegetation bushy. You’ll be able to let a couple of stems flower to draw pollinators, however prune them again afterward to refresh progress.Don’t in the reduction of closely throughout excessive warmth or chilly—wait till new progress seems.
Propagation Tip:A easy approach to multiply your thyme vegetation is to bury a low-growing stem in a little bit of soil. It should type roots alongside the buried portion. As soon as rooted, snip it from the mum or dad plant and replant it elsewhere.
4. Harvest Typically for the Finest Thyme
As soon as your thyme is established—often 6 to eight weeks after transplanting—you can begin harvesting. Snip off the highest leafy parts of stems and depart the woody components behind.
For probably the most taste, harvest simply earlier than the flowers seem. The tiny flowers are edible too, however milder in style than the leaves.
Frequent harvesting encourages new progress and retains the plant compact.
5. Use Contemporary or Protect for Later
Contemporary thyme provides unimaginable taste to:
Roasted potatoes and meats
Vegetable dishes
Soups, sauces, and extra
Thyme grows practically year-round within the low desert, so I typically harvest simply what I would like. Nevertheless it’s additionally straightforward to protect:
Refrigerate: Wrap contemporary sprigs in a humid paper towel and retailer in a container. Lasts as much as 2 weeks.
Freeze: Strip leaves and freeze flat in a single layer, or use ice dice trays with a little bit of water or oil.
Dry: Air-dry or use a dehydrator. Rub the leaves over a display screen to separate them from the stem (image beneath). Retailer in a sealed jar in a cool place.
Need to protect herbs for optimum taste? Take a look at this put up on methods to freeze-dry herbs.
Tips on how to Develop Thyme in Arizona
Rising thyme within the low desert presents some challenges—however it’s completely doable with a couple of good methods:
Plant thyme from October to April to offer it time to settle in earlier than summer season. Keep in mind, the sooner within the planting window, the higher. This offers the plant longer to grow to be established earlier than the warmth.
Present afternoon shade as soon as temperatures warmth up.
Use raised beds or containers in case your soil doesn’t drain properly.
In early spring and late fall, give thyme a light-weight trim to stimulate new progress.
Harvest ceaselessly to stop blooming and encourage leaf progress.
Enable thyme to relaxation through the hottest months. Wait till temps cool and new progress seems earlier than pruning once more.
For much more recommendation on maintaining herbs completely happy via Arizona’s excessive temperatures, take a look at Tips on how to Develop Herbs in Scorching Climates—it’s full of sensible methods for fulfillment.
Closing Ideas
As soon as you determine what thyme wants, it’s probably the most rewarding herbs you’ll be able to develop. It smells wonderful, appears stunning within the backyard, and provides taste to so many dishes.
Have a favourite thyme recipe? Share it within the feedback—I’d like to attempt it. And don’t neglect to attempt my Blue Cheese Thyme Scalloped Potatoes recipe. I feel you’ll like it!
