Hello, human gardener. We are the thyme plants you wish to cultivate. To help us thrive on your patio, please listen to our needs. A happy container of thyme is a fragrant, resilient, and bountiful one. Here is what we require from you.
Our roots despise being waterlogged. Therefore, our container must have excellent drainage. Please ensure there are ample holes in the bottom. A pot made of terracotta or clay is ideal, as it allows our root zone to breathe and helps excess water evaporate. While we are not giants, we do appreciate room to stretch. A container at least 6-8 inches deep and wide will accommodate our root system comfortably as we mature.
We originate from the dry, rocky hills of the Mediterranean. We crave a growing medium that mimics this well-draining, lean environment. A standard potting soil is too dense and moisture-retentive for our tastes and will lead to root rot. Please provide us with a mix specifically formulated for cacti and succulents, or create your own by blending a quality potting soil with sharp sand, perlite, or fine gravel. This gives our roots the sharp drainage and aeration we need to stay healthy.
Our most common plea is: do not love us to death with water. We are drought-tolerant plants. Before you reach for the watering can, check the soil. The top inch should feel completely dry to your touch. Then, provide a deep, thorough drink until water flows freely from the drainage holes. Then, leave us be until the soil dries out again. As for food, we are not heavy feeders. A half-strength dose of a balanced, organic liquid fertilizer applied once in the spring and once in mid-summer is more than sufficient. Too much fertilizer dilutes our potent essential oils and weakens our flavor.
We are sun worshippers. To produce the robust oils that give us our wonderful aroma and taste, we require a minimum of six to eight hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. Place our container on the sunniest part of your patio. Without adequate light, we will become leggy, weak, and our growth will be sparse. The more sun you provide, the more compact, bushy, and flavorful we will become.
Do not be timid about harvesting from us; it is how you help us grow denser. Regularly snipping our stems encourages branching and prevents us from becoming woody and sparse. Always use clean, sharp scissors and make your cuts just above a set of leaves. Never remove more than one-third of our growth at one time. This regular trimming is the secret to maintaining a lush, productive thyme plant throughout the growing season.
