table of contents
- When thyme blooms
- Cut before flowering
- Missed flowering?
- frequently asked Questions
Thyme is a valuable culinary herb, not only in Mediterranean cuisine. Both the leaves and the flowers of this aromatic herb are edible. But what happens when the thyme blooms?
In a nutshell
- Thyme flowers do not need to be cut off
- the herb can be used before, during and after flowering
- Flowering time varies depending on the variety, earliest flowering from May
- Aroma most intense before flowering
- it is better to cut shoots before flowering to preserve them
When thyme blooms
Thyme (thymus), also known as quendel, can be harvested most of the year, regardless of whether it is in bloom or not. Both the shoots with their leaves and the small pink or purple inflorescences can be used.
- most sorts bloom between June and July
- some even in August
- depending on Location and weather conditions even until October
- Can be enjoyed with and during flowering without problems
- flowering thyme is neither inedible nor poisonous
- Aroma no longer as intense as before flowering
- Essential oils content decreases with flowering
- Flowers and leaves are also good aromatic herbs when dried
As a result, you can also harvest this herb without any problems and, if necessary, dry it when it is already in bloom. Then it can be used, for example, as a seasoning herb or to garnish dishes. It is best to always use thyme flowers fresh or to dry them accordingly.
Tip: It is best to choose a dry and sunny day for harvesting. The best time of day is noon, the flowers are open and the sun provides an intense aroma.
Cut before flowering
If you cut thyme in spring shortly before or at the beginning of flowering, it is, as already mentioned, the most aromatic. This is particularly important if you want to dry the herb or otherwise preserve it. In this case, pruning before flowering makes sense. You can cut it down by up to two thirds without any problems, but without cutting into parts that are already lignified, because here it will not sprout again.
After the cut you can Crop Bundle into small bunches and hang to dry in a dark, dry and well-ventilated place. It is dry within eight to ten days and can be stored accordingly.
Missed flowering?
Regardless of whether the thyme flowers are cut or not, thyme can and should be cut regularly. If you do without it, the bushes will become more and more bald and soon no longer provide any significant yields. If the time before flowering was missed, you should make up for it immediately after flowering.
- Cut off wilted and faded shoots immediately after flowering
- leave healthy shoots
- This allows the plant to put more strength into the herb
- definitely don't cut too much
- generally no longer cut at all from August onwards
- also no longer fertilize
- anything else would affect winter hardiness
If you wait too long with the cut, this would encourage the plants to form new shoots again. This in turn would mean that these fresh shoots cannot mature in time for winter and usually freeze to death. In addition, the resulting wounds can no longer heal. Because of this, a radical pruning before flowering makes the most sense. If in doubt, it is better to wait until spring.
Tip: In spite of everything, do you still want to harvest or harvest thyme in autumn? cut off, you should limit yourself to a few herbaceous tips.
frequently asked Questions
On the one hand they can be used as an edible decoration for bread, salads and other dishes and on the other hand they can be used together Soak with leaves in vinegar, oil or honey, for example, and make your own thyme oil or delicious thyme honey produce. In addition, the flowering herb also makes a very aromatic and healthy tea.
Blossoms are best harvested shortly before serving, because they wither very quickly. Most of the time, you don't just harvest the flowers, which by the way are very small, but also small flowering branches, they are particularly decorative.
This is of course possible, but especially not worthwhile for sowing, because thyme sows itself and is much easier to propagate using cuttings. However, the seeds are edible, so it may make sense to leave some flowers standing. Like the seeds, they are no longer quite as aromatic as the leaves. In addition, thyme blossoms are a popular pasture for bees, so they also do something good for the insects.
