How to Grow Thyme From Seed

Thyme is a hardy perennial that is easy to grow but slow to start from its tiny seeds, so patience pays off. Sow seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost for the earliest plants, or direct-sow outdoors once the soil has warmed and frost has passed. Transplant hardened-off seedlings out after the last frost. Once settled, thyme returns year after year and spreads into a fragrant, low mat.

Thyme seeds are extremely tiny, so sow them carefully. Sprinkle them thinly over the surface of a fine, moist seed-starting mix and barely cover them, or leave them on the surface, since they need light to germinate. Mist gently so you do not wash them away, keep the mix at about 65 to 70F, and cover with a dome to hold humidity. Germination is slow and can take 14 to 28 days. Thin or pot up the little seedlings, then plant out 8 to 12 inches apart in full sun and well-drained soil.

Thyme is one of the most forgiving herbs once it is going. It loves full sun and lean, gritty, well-drained soil, and it is quite drought-tolerant, so water only when the soil dries out. Avoid rich feeding and soggy ground, which weaken the flavor and invite rot. Trim the plant lightly after it flowers to keep it compact and stop it getting woody. Climate is where thyme shines: common thyme is hardy in about USDA zones 4 through 9, so it overwinters in the ground almost everywhere, from cold northern gardens in the Midwest and New England to the mild West Coast, needing no winter protection beyond good drainage. In hot, humid regions like the Deep South, its main enemy is soggy soil and poor airflow rather than cold, so raise it up in gritty soil or a pot.

Thyme is a wonderful companion plant: its scent deters cabbage worms and other pests, and when it flowers it draws bees and predatory insects that protect your crops. It thrives beside other sun-loving, dry-soil plants. These four make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

You can start snipping thyme lightly once plants are established and a few inches tall. Cut 4 to 5 inch sprigs as you need them, taking no more than a third of the plant at once, ideally just before it flowers when the flavor peaks. Regular trimming keeps thyme bushy and productive. Strip the tiny leaves from the wiry stems for cooking, or dry whole sprigs by hanging small bundles in a warm, airy spot.

Add thyme early in cooking, not at the end, since its warm, earthy flavor needs time to release, so toss whole sprigs into soups, stocks, beans, roasts, and slow braises and fish the stems out before serving. It is a backbone of a bouquet garni and herbes de Provence. Its low, spreading habit makes it a fragrant edging or ground cover between stepping stones, and the tiny flowers pull in honeybees.

• Seeds washing away: thyme seed is tiny and surface-sown. Mist gently rather than pouring water, and barely cover the seeds.
• Slow germination: thyme can take up to a month to sprout. Keep it warm, moist, and in light, and be patient.
• Woody, sparse plants: trim lightly after flowering each year to keep thyme compact, and replace very old plants every few years.
• Root rot: thyme hates wet feet. Grow it in gritty, well-drained soil and let it dry between waterings.