Skip to main content

How to plant, grow and harvest thyme, a versatile, savory herb

Thyme, or Thymus vulgaris, is one of the most ubiquitous herbs out there, so it can often be overlooked when people pick out herbs to plant. But given that it’s relatively easy to grow and versatile in the kitchen, this Mediterranean herb is definitely one that deserves a spot in your garden or on your kitchen windowsill. How can you plant and use this low-growing, woody perennial? Read ahead for everything that you need to know about thyme.

Thyme
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What you need to know about thyme

This modest plant doesn’t look out of the ordinary when compared to other herbs. It features small leaves on woody stems, sometimes pushing out small white, lavender, or pink flowers during the growing season. So what distinguishes it from other herbs? It features a warm, savory-sweet flavor that’s slightly earthy and minty. Its mild yet distinct flavor allows it to pair well with virtually any savory dish, whether you’re tossing it in with your meats, veggies, or mushrooms. (It’s occasionally found in artisanal desserts as well.) All you have to do is pluck off the leaves and use them fresh or dry them.

On that second note, thyme is easy to dry because it’s a woodier herb. Many varieties are actually ornamental, so make sure that you’re picking up culinary thyme. The most common types for cooking include the lemon, French, and Caraway thyme plants, so keep an eye out for these if you’re planning to use them in your recipes. Additionally, thyme, or rather its compound, thymol, is often found in personal care products due to its potential antimicrobial properties.

Girl plant thyme
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to grow thyme

Thyme is easier to grow from young plants than seeds, so start with a seedling from your local garden center or a cutting from a friend. As thyme is a perennial, it grows back year after year during the spring for plenty of harvests to come. You can grow it in your garden with about a foot or two of space around each plant. Alternatively, you can also keep it indoors in a large pot with ample room for the roots to establish. If you’re going down this route, a clay pot is best for wicking away excess moisture. In either case, your thyme will benefit from sandy soil that’s well draining. You can add compost to your potting mix at the beginning of spring, but it’s not strictly necessary to feed your thyme throughout the growing season.

Thyme prefers full sun, which helps promote growth and bring out its flavor. Keep indoor plants as close to a window (preferably a bright southeast one) as possible. Don’t overwater your thyme — it does best in dry, warm conditions, so let the soil dry out before you give it a good drink. Once your plant reaches eight to ten inches tall, it should be ready for harvest. While it’s a rule of thumb to harvest herbs before they flower, you don’t have to be too cautious with thyme since the flowers won’t impact the flavor much. The flowers, in fact, can actually help draw in beneficial pollinators such as bees. For the best flavor, consider picking your thyme in the warmer summer months.

Rosemary is an excellent herb to grow alongside thyme as a companion plant due to its similar needs. Plants such as strawberries, cabbages, and tomatoes can also benefit from the pollinators that thyme attracts.

Prune thyme
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to propagate thyme

Propagating thyme is easy. The simplest way to go about it is by cutting sprigs with new leaves. (You may have more difficulty growing plants when using woodier, older cuttings.) After snipping off a four- to six-inch cutting, remove the lower two- to three-inch set of leaves. Stick the exposed nodes into your soil and spritz it with water. Rooting powder may encourage growth, but it’s not strictly necessary for successful propagation. Another way you can propagate thyme, of course, is by way of root division. Propagated plants do best when the temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so start the process around spring or summer. As you harvest or propagate thyme, you’re also pruning it back, which will lead to a fuller plant. Just remember that you’re cutting thyme, you want to leave five to six inches of growth so that your plant can continue thriving.

One of the easiest herbs to grow, thyme deserves a spot in your garden, whether it’s in your kitchen or in your yard. Its earthy, savory flavor makes it versatile in a wide range of recipes, so it’s convenient to have on hand as a fresh or dried herb. Give it plenty of bright light and warm temperatures — it should be ready for snipping before you know it.

Editors' Recommendations

Stacey Nguyen
Stacey's work has appeared on sites such as POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles, Buzzfeed, The Balance, TripSavvy, and more. When she's…
The best Christmas herbs to grow to infuse the Yuletide spirit into your home
Your guide to choosing and growing delicious and fragrant holiday herbs
Sprigs of Christmas herbs next to holly and twine

Towering trees and bold poinsettias aren’t the only foliage plants that tell you it's time for the holidays. When it comes to channeling the Yuletide spirit, festive Christmas herbs and spices are great for brewing teas, garnishing dishes, and infusing the home with aromatherapy to counter holiday stress. If you’re wondering what kinds of herbs are hardy enough for the holiday season and how you can grow and use them, we’ve got you covered. 

Peppermint
Perhaps the most famous holiday herb of them all is peppermint, which is beloved for its fresh and cooling taste. We love a striped candy cane as much as the next person, but you can definitely go straight to the source if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Read more
Here’s how often you should be fertilizing your indoor plants
Here's what to know about fertilizing indoor plants
A person laying out all the materials to fertilize a houseplant

Many people use fertilizers to make up for poor soil or to give plants a boost right before blooming or fruiting. Using fertilizers in outdoor gardens can be fairly simple, but what about indoor plants? You can usually use the same fertilizers for both indoor and outdoor gardens, but that doesn't mean using them in the same way.

Indoor plants have less soil, so you might wonder if they need a different amount of fertilizer or a different fertilizer schedule. If you're asking, "How often should you fertilize indoor plants?" -- we have answers.

Read more
Use these tips to start a successful indoor vegetable garden this winter
Want to grow veggies indoors? Here's how to do it in winter
A container gardening display

Come fall when the growing season ends, a lot of gardeners will spend the winter prepping and thinking about what they want to grow next spring — all the while lamenting how they miss having fresh veggies and herbs around during the colder months. That doesn't have to be the case, though. You can easily grow some of your favorite veggies indoors, even without a greenhouse.

Although you can't grow everything, and the indoor harvests are often smaller, you’ll be able to have enough that you can still enjoy the feeling of preparing and eating something you grew. What's more, you can even use these tips and tricks to grow fresh veggies year-round if you don't have the outdoor space for a traditional garden!

Read more