Quendel: planting, cutting & Co of wild thyme

Quendel is also called sand thyme or wild thyme and is a popular medicinal herb. Here you can find out how to plant Quendel in the garden and what to consider when caring for the so-called sand thyme.

Quendel (Thymus serpyllum) is a wild relative of the Real thyme (Thymus vulgaris). The vigorous herb is often used by many as a fragrant ground cover on which bees and other insects feast. But wild thyme can also be used as a medicinal and aromatic plant. In this article we will tell you everything about the origin, different varieties, plants, care and the use of sand thyme.

Quendel: origin and characteristics

Quendel belongs to the genus of thyme (Thymus) and belongs to the mint family (

Lamiaceae) at. It is also known under the names of sand thyme, field thyme, wild thyme, field cumin or rain cumin. The wild thyme is originally native to Central Europe. He feels particularly comfortable there in sunny, warm and stony places such as on dry sand grass, in pine forests and on dunes.

Quendel is an evergreen, ground covering subshrub that can grow two to ten centimeters high. It is a great ground cover and can form entire, densely vegetated carpets. The leaves of the plant are lanceolate, smooth, green and fragrant.
The flowering time of the sand thyme extends from June to September. Quendel then forms countless small, depending on the variety, white, red or pink to purple flowers, which smell strongly spicy even from a distance. The flowers are liked by Bees and other insects and serve the helpful ones Beneficial insects as a source of food.

Tip: If you can't get enough of humming and humming animals in the garden and have a heart for bees, butterflies and insects, we recommend our Plantura organic seeds "Beneficial magnet“, „Butterfly meeting" or "Bee pasture“. The special, insect-friendly seed mixtures offer a habitat and a source of food for numerous little helpers in the garden.

The best types of sand thyme

The different types of sand thyme differ mainly in their flower color.

Some recommended Quendel varieties:

• 'Albus': White field thyme
• ‘Coccineus’: Red sand thyme variety
• ‘Creeping Red’: Red sand thyme variety
• ‘Gregor’s White’: White flowers
• 'Lemon curd': Robust, lemon aroma, pink flowers
• "Magic Carpet": Blooming violet
• ‘Pink Chintz’: Forms dense carpets, flowers purple
• ‘Purple Beauty’: Flowers purple
• 'Wild Magic': Flowers purple

Plant Quendel

Sand thyme comes into its own in rock gardens and is suitable for planting paving joints. Quendel is also a real feast for the eyes as a green roof and of course in the herb and scented bed. In the following section, we explain when and where you can best plant sand thyme and how to do it correctly.

When to plant sand thyme

• Move forward on the windowsill in March
• Plant out at the end of May

Where is Quendel planted?

• As sunny and warm as possible
• Loves sandy soils
• Prefers nutrient-poor and dry soil
• Avoid soils rich in limestone

Tip: Sand thyme is also wonderfully suitable for Planting dry stone walls.

If you don't want to buy plants, you can sow sand thyme. It is worthwhile to prefer the herb on the windowsill in spring, as the very small and fine seeds make it difficult to sow direct in the bed. Quendel is also a light germ and should not be covered with more than one centimeter of soil. We recommend ours for sowing Plantura organic herb & seed compost, which should be thinned a little with sand for the sand thyme.

From the end of May you can plant the early or purchased plants outside in the bed or in the pot. In the bed, too, it is important to lean excessively heavy, loamy soils with sand in order to create good growth conditions for field thyme. For planting, dig out planting holes that are twice as wide in diameter as the plant pots. Now the sand thyme plants are only planted as deeply as they were in the pot. The planting distance in the bed should be 20 to 30 centimeters. Fill the planting holes with soil and water well.

When planting in the pot, first lay a drainage layer made of potsherds or expanded clay so that the water has the opportunity to drain off well and no waterlogging occurs. Now fill the pot with a good herb soil that you mix with sand. Our Plantura organic herb & seed compost offers the best growing conditions for herbs of all kinds. After planting, water the Quendel well, but remove all excess water from the planter.

Quendel plants at a glance:

• Loosen up the bed and remove weeds
• Lean heavy soils with sand
• Dig out planting holes
• Plant spacing: 20 - 30 cm
• Put the plants only as deep into the holes as they were in the pot
• Pouring on

Tip: Quendel goes well with savory in mixed-culture beds (Satureja), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Lemon balm (Melissaofficinalis), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and sage (Salvia). He doesn't like to stand next to marjoram (Origanum majorana) or peppermint (Mentha x piperita). which Herbs still go well together, you can look up in our overview table.

Maintain sand thyme

Quendel is an extremely easy to care for and undemanding plant. Once planted, it practically grows by itself and you hardly have to worry about it.

Water and fertilize the sand thyme

Wild thyme tolerates drought without any problems. Even long periods of drought do not bother him. That's why you basically never have to water the herb. For occasional gifts of compost or a fertilizer with organic long-term effects, the Quendel will thank you with a lush growth. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer contains all the important nutrients that field thyme needs and releases them gently and slowly to the plant. So there is no risk of over-fertilization.

Quendel care at a glance:

• Also tolerates longer dry periods without problems
• No watering necessary
• Occasionally fertilize with compost or a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect
• Plantura organic universal fertilizer is ideal for fertilizing field thyme

Cut sand thyme

Sand thyme can be pruned and should be cut back radically once a year. This stimulates strong growth and prevents lignification. In the spring before the new shoots, cut the subshrub vigorously down to the woody part. In addition, you can cut off the shoot tips after flowering.

Wintering wild thyme

Since it is native to Central Europe, sand thyme is hardy and can overwinter in the garden without special protection. Only potted plants need frost protection, as the soil in the pot can easily freeze through. To do this, protect the pot from below by placing it on a wooden plate. The pot is insulated with coconut mats, bubble wrap or jute sacks. The plant can be protected from above with brushwood. It is important to put the sand thyme in the pot in a protected place where it does not get any water. Alternatively, your Quendel in the pot can survive the winter well in a frost-free shed or in the cool stairwell.

Increase Quendel

Field thyme is easy to propagate using three different methods.

Ways to propagate sand thyme:

• division
• Self-sowing
• Head cuttings

Quendel reliably seeds itself. To do this, you just need to let the plants bloom undisturbed.

Tip: If you do not want the sand thyme to spread uncontrollably in the garden, cut it back before it blooms. That way he cannot sow himself.

Quendel can be divided and thus increased every three years. To do this, take a spade and dig up the plant. Then use the spade to cut the root ball into two equal parts. For the vegetative reproduction By cuttings from the head, cut woody side shoots about ten centimeters long in early summer. The best place to root the cuttings in potting soil in a mini greenhouse you have made yourself.

Harvest & store sand thyme

Quendel is mainly harvested before it starts to bloom, i.e. from spring to June. But sand thyme that blooms from June to September can also be harvested and used in the kitchen or as a medicinal herb. However, the flowering herb has significantly less aroma. To harvest, pluck a few shoots from the plant by hand as needed or cut entire clusters with sharp scissors.

Field thyme only keeps fresh for a few days. The most common method of storage is drying. To do this, the harvested stems are gathered in bundles and hung upside down in a dry place at least 20 ° C until the leaves can be easily rubbed with a finger. Alternatively, the herb can also be dried in the oven. Quendel can also be preserved by freezing it or soaking it in oil or salt.

Use of wild thyme as a medicinal plant

Is sand thyme edible? Yes, wild thyme can be eaten just like its “real” relative. The aromatic herb is mainly used to flavor Mediterranean dishes. It goes well with meat, soups, hearty stews or potato dishes.

Quendel was already used as a medicinal herb in ancient times and in the Middle Ages. Hildegard von Bingen used field thyme to relieve colds and coughs. Field thyme can be used as a medicinal herb in a similar way to real thyme. The herb is said to help with respiratory problems, flu-like infections, stomach and intestinal diseases, flatulence and heartburn. In addition, the Quendel is said to have an antibacterial effect; thus it also strengthens the immune system.

Further 11 herbs that strengthen the immune system, can be found in our special article.