Carpet thyme, thyme minor: care from A-Z

Carpet thyme (Thymus praecox 'Minor') is an easy-care evergreen perennial and as such forms dense mats. With its aromatic flowers and leaves, it invigorates the senses. In summer, countless violet-pink flowers emerge from the green foliage.

Location

The sun-loving carpet thyme feels at home in sunny and dry places, e.g. B. in

• rockeries
• gravel beds
• herb spirals
• slopes

Due to its small size, it is perfect for planting in wall joints, stone cracks and many other planting concepts.

The soil should be permeable, rather lean and dry. Thyme minor does not tolerate waterlogging. It thrives best in stony and rather sandy soil with a light humus content and a neutral to basic pH between 6.5 and 8.0. High proportions of sand or gravel are important.

Plant

prepare ground

If the soil in the garden is not optimal, you can prepare it accordingly before planting. Incidentally, the pH value can be checked with commercially available test strips and processed accordingly. To prepare the soil for carpet thyme:

• First mark out the area to be planted
• Dig up the soil in the planting area to a depth of at least 20 cm
• because of long taproots, the deeper the better
• Mix the excavated earth with sand and gravel in equal parts
• mix in expanded clay if the soil is heavy
• Fill in the planting area with substrate mixture
• loosen everything up again
• add some lime if necessary

Tip: The addition of coarse components improves the structure and water drainage of the floor, so that waterlogging can be avoided.

planting

Thyme minor can be planted from the end of March to October, depending on the weather. In the case of very young or home-grown plants, you should wait until mid-April or until after the ice saints in mid-May, as they are more sensitive to frost. This is important to consider when planting carpet thyme:

• Dig appropriately sized planting holes
• more deep than wide
• Loosen the soil in planting holes well
• Put plants in the middle
• best in small tuffs with up to 10 pieces
• about 23 to 27 specimens per square meter
• planting distances of approx. 20 cm recommended
• fill with excavated earth, press on the earth and water

When planting in a tub, thyme must be planted as deep as the roots require. A loose, permeable substrate mixed with coarse sand or gravel and good drainage at the bottom of the pot are also important here. Commercial herbal soil, for example, is well suited.

Pour

Even if carpet thyme prefers dry soil, it cannot do without additional watering. Freshly planted thyme must first form new roots and therefore be watered regularly in the first few weeks. Once it has established itself at its new location, this is only necessary in exceptional cases, especially when it is extremely hot and dry. Due to their deep reaching taproots, older plants can take care of themselves with everything important. Only specimens in the pot have to be watered more often, since the substrate dries out much faster here.

Fertilize

Thyme minor is also very frugal when it comes to nutritional requirements. How to proceed when fertilizing:

• only fertilize sparingly
• give occasional compost deliveries
• ideally at the beginning of the growing season
• also nettle manure well suited
• covers the nitrogen requirements of thyme
• Dilute the slurry accordingly beforehand
• Give potted plants a lightly dosed complete fertilizer every six weeks
• Stop fertilizing from July

Cut

Pruning is an important part of thyme care and should be done regularly, especially for containment. The best time is direct after flowering. The shoots are shortened without cutting into the old wood. Such a care cut is advisable, especially for older plants that have not been cut for a long time. You could stimulate it to sprout again and increase the number of flowers by pruning it back.

However, you should not cut too late, because that would encourage the plants to form fresh shoots. These could no longer mature before the first frost and would freeze to death. As a result, no more pruning should be done from about mid-August.

Tip: If thyme is cut back to the old wood, it only grows back sparingly or, in the worst case, dies. Then even the best care is useless.

hibernate

Carpet thyme has good winter hardiness, although it belongs to the Mediterranean plants. Older specimens are well protected from cold and frost thanks to their dense, evergreen foliage. On the other hand, young plants and those in the tub are much more sensitive to frosty temperatures. You should take these protective measures:

• Cover the plants in the bed with fir branches
• Place pot cultures in a sheltered place
• place on a wooden pallet or styrofoam plate to protect against ground frost
• Wrap the bucket with garden fleece
• Cover the root area with straw or dry leaves
• as soon as no more frosts are to be expected, remove winter protection

Tip: If the plant is in a sunny spot without protection, it can dry out quickly because thyme is evergreen and photosynthesizes even in winter. If the ground is frozen, it can no longer absorb water and dries up.

multiply

In principle, you have four methods to choose from for the propagation of Thymus minor, which we will present to you below using brief instructions.

sowing

Basically, the seeds of carpet thyme can be sown directly into the bed from around April. However, a preculture in the house is recommended. This is possible between March and May. You should know that the seeds of thyme belong to the light germs and are extremely fine. How to sow:

• first fill the seed tray with potting soil
• Mix growing substrate with some sand
• Lightly moisten the soil
• Distribute seeds evenly on top
• then press lightly
• cover with glass or cling film
• Keep the substrate evenly moist until germination
• ideally using a sprayer
• Seeds could otherwise be washed away
• avoid too much moisture at all costs
• Germination within a maximum of two weeks
• remove cover after germination

After about four to five weeks, the young seedlings can be pricked out. To do this, place three to four plants in a pot. If they are at least three to four centimeters tall and have several leaf axils, they can be planted in the garden while observing the planting distances. This assumes that no more night frosts are imminent, i.e. from around mid/end of May.

cuttings

Propagation via cuttings is much easier. The best time to do this is just before flowering, between May and June. Cuttings should only be taken from healthy plants. We show you how to do this correctly:

• Cut shoots about 10-15 cm long
• Make the cut at a slight angle
• facilitates cutting water absorption
• completely remove lower leaves
• fill small pots with potting soil
• Insert cuttings in the middle
• one cutting per pot
• Press the substrate lightly and moisten
• repot after the first new leaves appear
• Care corresponds to that of adult plants

offshoot

Propagation via offshoots is also possible, because shoots that run close to the ground often form roots all by themselves. You can take advantage of this by digging a small hollow in the ground next to the plant and looking for a side shoot in the immediate vicinity. You bend it down and put it in this hollow.

Then the shoot is covered with soil so that only the tip of the shoot looks out of the ground. So that the shoot remains in the ground, you can fix it with pegs or stones. It can take about three to four months for the offshoot to root. Then they are separated from the mother plant and planted in their final location.

division

The easiest way to propagate is by dividing in spring or autumn. It is recommended every two to three years anyway. This promotes both growth and flowering of the plants. First you dig up the plant, if possible without damaging the roots too much.

The loose soil is then removed from the bale and divided into two or more sections with a sharp knife or spade. Each newly gained section should have roots. So they can be replanted directly on the spot and watered thoroughly. Regular watering is recommended until growth.

diseases and pests

Carpet thyme is very resistant to diseases and pests. An infestation is usually not to be feared as long as the location and care are right. Due to its ethereal ingredients and the associated intense scent, it can defend itself very well against pests.

frequently asked Questions