Types of cuts and dates
In addition to regular harvesting, you should subject your thyme to maintenance pruning. A simple plant pruning ensures compact, richly branched growth. Without a cut, lignification and scaling gain the upper hand, which gives rise to a rejuvenating cut. All important Types of cuts for a thyme in premium quality this overview summarizes:
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| Cut type | Goal / occasion | best date |
|---|---|---|
| Plant pruning | compact growth, rich branching | in the spring after planting |
| Conservation cut | Containment of lignification, continuous rejuvenation | Spring or summer |
| Taper cut | Revitalize neglected thyme | Late February to early March |
Plant pruning stimulates branching
With one plant cut, you direct thyme into the desired growth form as a compact, lusciously branched herb plant. It is mainly small, weak young plants that come from the tried and tested
Cut type benefit. The best time for the prologue in the pattern care is between March and May. This applies regardless of whether you have decided to plant in autumn or spring. How to do it right:- Remove initially damaged or frozen shoots
- In the next step, cut back all shoots by a third or half
- Rule of thumb: the weaker a shoot, the stronger the cut
If thyme finds its way into your garden as a vigorous young plant, you can reduce the pruning to pruning. No scissors are required for this. Grasp the tip of the shoot above the next promising pair of leaves between your thumb and forefinger and snap off the herbaceous piece. Plant pruning or stripping are at the expense of the first flowering period. The reward for the little effort is a steady, lush branching.
Tips
If the plant pruning takes place before the ice saints in mid-May, protect your young thyme from belated ground frost with fleece. If meteorologists announce nocturnal temperatures below freezing point, throw the warming, breathable cover over the young plant. During the day, the little sun worshiper should not be covered.
Maintenance cut prevents lignification
For thyme to meet high expectations, it is not enough for you to prune the plant in conjunction with the harvest. Only an annual maintenance cut prevents progressive lignification, promotes the growth of aromatic annual shoots and guarantees the advantageous hemispherical growth form. The best time is in spring. If you miss this appointment, you will cut the Mediterranean herb plant after the flowering period. That is how it goes:
- Sharpen the scissors, clean them with hot water and disinfect them with alcohol
- Cut back the shoots by one to two thirds all around
- Leave the shoots a little higher in the center to create a hemispherical shape
- Caution: always cut in the leafy area
Are you cultivating a flowering thyme without using it as a culinary herb? Then cut off withered flowers after the main flowering period. In suitable weather conditions and in a sunny location, the Mediterranean beauty puts on her flower dress again. After the second flower pile, there is no further maintenance pruning so that the plant reliably matures before winter and is prepared for frost.
Cut thyme back up to two-thirds each spring. Avoid cutting into the wood. The hemispherical shape ensures a light-flooded, richly leafed growth.
Digression
Cut the thyme with rose scissors
Rejuvenate aged thyme
If the pruning of thyme is limited to the occasional harvest, massive lignification of the shoots is inevitable. This is not a reason to grub up a well-established plant. As long as thyme has leafy, herbaceous areas, tapering pruning can fix the problem. How to properly revitalize thyme in beds and pots:
- The best time is at the end of February / beginning of March when the weather is mild and overcast
- Grasp a woody shoot with a heavily branched, leafy head and bend to one side
- Place the scissors in the leafy area, as close as possible to the beginning of the bare wood
- In this way, intersect each individual ground shoot
Clear out completely lignified and dead branches at the base. Ideally, pay attention to a hemispherical shape for light-flooded growth. With a little luck, the radical cut elicits fresh ground shoots from the rhizome for a new growth of the subshrub. Then you administer an organic fertilizer that supports the revitalization.
background
Never cut subshrubs into the wood
frequently asked Questions
Is thyme hardy?
The most popular thyme species are all reliably frost-resistant, provided the location is sufficiently sunny and permeable and dry. These include real thyme (Thymus vulgaris), scented thyme (Thymus odoratissimus), cushion thyme (Thymus doerfleri) and field thyme (Thymus pulegioides). Sand thyme is the most robust species with up to - 30 degrees winter hardiness. The winter hardiness of lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) is limited. The garden treasure cannot do without extensive winter protection in the bed. Frost-free winter quarters in the pot are strongly recommended.
When is the best time to prune thyme?
Shortly before the beginning of the flowering period, the sap pressure in all herbal plants pulsates at a maximum level. At this time, the aroma content of the leaves is also at its zenith. Thyme lovers prefer to harvest whole shoots just before the flowers open. The best time of day to cut the harvest is late in the morning, when the morning dew has evaporated. Anything the kitchen cannot use freshly harvested is dried upside down as a small bundle in an airy place.
I keep real thyme in the balcony box. Can the herb plant overwinter outside?
By nature, thyme is reliably hardy in our regions if it thrives in the bed. In the tightly dimensioned substrate volume of a balcony box, however, the Mediterranean plant is vulnerable to severe frost. Equipped with a winter coat made of jute, foil or Garden fleece thyme can overwinter outside. However, then, as a rule, no harvest is possible. If you want to continue harvesting, move the box to the window sill, for example in the kitchen.
In my rock garden, dwarf thyme 'Minor' thrives as a ground cover. Is this variety edible?
As long as the consumption is kept within limits, dwarf thyme is not poisonous. The variety does not come close to the aromatic flavor of real thyme. With a height of 5 to 10 centimeters, there is hardly any material available for use as a culinary herb anyway. The primary aim of the cultivation was a decorative function as an extensive flowering and scented shrub.
Does thymus vulgaris form runners? Should I plant the plant with a root barrier to prevent it from spreading throughout the garden?
Primarily real thyme and all varieties derived from it tend to form runners. For this reason, the herb plant is often used as a decorative ground cover in rock gardens and on dry stone walls. Where expansion is not desired, we recommend opening the planting pit with a Root lock to undress.
Our thyme bloomed splendidly in the garden for four years. Recently the plant seems to be dying off in the middle. What to do?
Many thyme species tend to have a compacted growth in the center. The high pressure causes the plant to bald at this point. A split solves the problem. In the spring, dig up the root ball extensively. Divide the plant in half or more. Take this opportunity to cut off the bald, compacted areas. Then plant the root ball pieces at the previous or new location.
The 3 most common mistakes
Thyme has an aversion to pruning in wood or in late autumn. In the worst case, the Mediterranean herb plant reacts to these cardinal errors in pruning with total failure. The following list names common cutting errors by name with recommendations for skillful prevention:
| Cutting errors | Damage image | prevention |
|---|---|---|
| cut into the wood | sparse growth or total failure | Always cut thyme in the leafy area |
| Bed thyme radically blended in autumn | massive frost damage | Rejuvenate bedding varieties in spring |
| never cut | premature lignification, declining crop yield | Cut back vigorously once a year |
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Tips
The air is the ideal preservation medium for thyme in the bed and Lemon thyme in the pot. Shortly before the start of flowering, cut off a whole group of aromatic shoots and bundle the harvest into small bunches. Hung upside down in the dark, airy attic, stems and leaves dry within 8 to 10 days.
