MOTHER OF THYME (Thymus serpyllum) aka Creeping Thyme
Biology Season: Perennial USDA Zones: 4-8 Height: 4-6 inches Width: 12-18 inches Bloom Season: Late spring to early fall Bloom Color: Lavender Growth Rate: Moderate Environment: Full sun to partial shade Soil Type: Well-drained, ph 5.8-6.8 Deer Resistant: Yes Drought tolerant, suitable for xeriscaping
Fertilizing Fish fertilizer or any type of liquid plant food can be used to feed creeping thyme. The best time to fertilize is during the late spring and early summer.
Propagating Seed spring - sow in a cold frame; autumn sow in a greenhouse. Divide in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted directly into the new positions. Cuttings of young shoots, 5-8cm with a heel, May/June in a frame. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5-8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Layering.
SEEDS There are approximately 170,000 thyme seeds per ounce. Thyme seeds retain their germinating power for three years. Because the seeds are so tiny, thyme seeds should be sown very shallowly or pressed into the soil with a fine layer sprinkled on top. Better to plant seed in a nursery bed where more attention can be paid to the tiny plants. In the seedbed, plant thyme seeds in early spring with the drills 4 to 6 inches apart with 5 or 6 seeds per inch. If planting in volume, mix sand with the seed to prevent overplanting. Some farmers use as much as 4 parts sand to one part seed.
Division
Cuttings The three types of hardwood cuttings are straight, mallet, and heel. A straight cutting is the most commonly used stem cutting. Mallet and heel cuttings are used for plants that might otherwise be more difficult to root. For the heel cutting, a small section of older wood is included at the base of the cutting. For the mallet cutting, an entire section of older stem wood is included. Straight Heel Mallet Heel
LAYERING
Root Heaving Too much water and heavy soil cause thymes to rot. When planting, add sand or gravel to the soil to improve drainage. A top dressing or mulch of sand or gravel helps to thwart frostheaving of the plants in winter, and diverts water away from the stems and leaves.
companion planting Cabbage Eggplant Salad burnet Strawberries If you wish to attract more honeybees and beneficial insects to your garden, grow thyme among your garden plants. Thyme is also credited with repelling cabbage worms and flea beetles.
Harvesting Leaves Harvest alternating plants in late August or early September. Harvest plants from alternating rows around three weeks later and the final crop of thyme should be harvested in October. If harvesting for drying, it's best to harvest thyme just as they come into flower.
Harvesting Seeds While cutting the ripening tops is one way to obtain seeds, use of cloths, sheets, or paper bags may prove more productive. Around noon and again in late afternoon, gently shake the plants to encourage the ripe seeds to fall onto the sheets or into the bags. Collect the seeds and spread them in a warm, airy room to finish drying. Do keep in mind if the plants are wet or damp the tiny seeds may stick to the leaves and flower heads.
Overwintering Thyme In colder climates, mulch with leaves or other garden litter to prevent undue thawing and freezing. A simple pine needle or bark mulch will do. In the spring, for best results; dig the plants, divide and plant in a new location. Trim plants back in the spring and summer to curb woody growth. Cutting in the fall will encourage tender growth that the winter will only destroy.
The Other Thyme Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Will mix perfectly with almost anything. This is an herb for cooks who don t know quite which herb to use. It is a very elegant, small garden shrub. It grows nicely as a hedge around any herb or vegetable garden. These small, twelve-inch plants produce quarter-inch leaves and delicate, edible flowers. There are about 350 species in the Thymus (Thyme) genus. Many of these are cultivated varieties of hybrid origins and some are very dense and mat forming in habit.
Culinary Uses???Creeping thyme for cooking??? (less likely) Common thyme is essential in the classic blend of herbs called bouquet garni. The flavor of thyme is more delicate than sage and as such finds a home with meats, eggs, poultry, fish, vegetables, soups, chowders, cheeses and green salads. Thyme is said to be as useful as salt and without the worries.
Culinary Uses Continued Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g. in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork. Leaves are often chopped. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme. Thyme retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs. As usual with dried herbs, less of it is required when substituted in a recipe. As a rule of thumb, use one-third as much dried as fresh thyme - a little less if it is ground. As with bay, thyme is slow to release its flavors, so it is usually added early in the cooking process.
Medicinal Uses Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), contains 20-54% thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in various mouthwashes such as Listerine. Thymol has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails. Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers.
Medicinal Uses Continued A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis. Because it is antiseptic, thyme boiled in water and cooled is very effective against inflammation of the throat when gargled three times a day, with the inflammation normally disappearing in two to five days.
Making an herbal Infusion 1. Boil water in a pot. Enamel and stainless steel pots lessen the metal interaction with your herbs. 2. Place the herb in a glass jar (or other pot). Use approximately 1 cup or 1 oz of herb for a quart or liter jar. 3. Fill the jar to the top with boiling water, place the lid on tightly and allow the herbs to steep from 30 minutes up to 8 hours, depending on the herb. Longer steeping time makes stronger, more nutritious or medicinal teas. Roots are usually steeped longer than flowers and leaves. 4. Strain and enjoy! Stores fresh in the fridge for a day or two.
Household Uses The dried flowers have been often used in the same way as lavender, to preserve linen from insects. All the different species of Thyme and Marjoram yield fragrant oils extensively used by manufacturing perfumers for scenting soaps. When dried and ground, they enter into the composition of sachet powders.
Sources http://www.victoryseeds.com/thymus_serpyllum.html http://www.humeseeds.com/efcthym.htm http://www.garden-helper.com/learn/plant_pages/thyme.asp http://www.outsidepride.com/seed/ground-cover-seed/creepingthyme/creeping-thyme-mother.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/thyme http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=thpr http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/74663/ http://herbgardening.com/growingthyme.htm http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history/thyme.html http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thygar16.html http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-urban-herbalist/
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