Common Thyme
Common Thyme: 90-95 days to harvest, 14-28 days to germinate, 9-12 inches between plants, pH 6.0-8.0, hardy in zones 5-9. Fruit runs to about Tiny leaves, 0.25-0.5 inch long. Give it full sun (6+ hours) and low water needs, very drought tolerant once established water. It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Seeds are tiny and slow to germinate. Easier to propagate from cuttings or plant divisions.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low water needs, very drought tolerant once established
- Soil
- Well-drained, sandy or rocky soil, lean to moderately fertile
- Soil pH
- 6.0-8.0
- Spacing
- 9-12 inches
- Height
- 6-12 inches
- Season
- Perennial
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Gray-green leaves with pink or white flowers
- Size
- Tiny leaves, 0.25-0.5 inch long
- Shape
- Low, woody shrub with small linear leaves and clusters of tiny tubular flowers
- Flavour
- Earthy, minty, and slightly floral with warm, pungent undertones
In the kitchen
Herbes de Provence, roasted meats, soups, stews, marinades, herb butter, bread
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Spider mites, aphids (rarely serious problems)
- Diseases
- Root rot in poorly drained soils, botrytis in humid conditions
- Resistance
- Very disease resistant when grown in well-drained conditions
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | March – April | May – June | — | June – October |
| 6 | March – April | May – June | — | June – November |
| 7 | February – March | April – June | — | June – November |
| 8 | February – March | April – May | — | May – December |
| 9 | January – February | March – April | — | April – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 101
- Protein (g)
- 5.56
- Fat (g)
- 1.68
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 24.4
- Fibre (g)
- 14
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 238
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 160
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.348
- Folate (µg)
- 45
- Calcium (mg)
- 405
- Iron (mg)
- 17.4
- Magnesium (mg)
- 160
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 106
- Potassium (mg)
- 609
- Zinc (mg)
- 1.81
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Common Thyme?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other herbs with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Common Thyme suits these too.
- German Thyme 90 days
- Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' 90 days
- French Lavender 90 days
- Orange Thyme 90 days
- Lemon Verbena 90 days
- Creeping 90 days