How Long Before Roots Develop When Propagating Thyme Cuttings

Presentation

• Mature English thyme shrubs (Thymus vulgaris) get just about big enough in USDA zones 5 through 9 to provide cover for a blackbird, but creeping varieties are even lower to the ground; those termed prostrate grow less than 3 inches high. Thyme makes up for its small size with a bounty of sensual delights: a fragrance that is both woodsy and romantic, miniature flowers in delightful off-shades, and touchable gray-green leaves on flexible stems.

Growth Requirements

• Thyme is one plant that seems happy to be invited into your garden. Give this shrub sun, dry conditions and normal garden soil and it will thrive to such an extent that certain varieties can become invasive. The drier and poorer the soil, the more vigorous and aromatic the herb. Direct sun is best for most thyme varieties, but a few thrive in partial shade. Once the shrub is established, you don't need to water or fertilize it, so keep your hands off mature plants unless you want to harvest some aromatic leaves. Or just give the shrubs a pat.

Propagation

• If you just don't have enough thyme, you have many options for getting more: seeding, clump division and rooting cuttings. If you opt to root cuttings, poke them into pots filled with sand and keep them out of direct sun. Roots grow within four weeks as long as you keep the sand moist. Once roots develop, the cuttings are ready to be planted a foot apart outside. It is a good idea to start new plants from cuttings every three or four years since the old clumps can get leggy and unattractive.

Locating Cuttings

• If the soil is dry and the area sunny, your thyme cuttings will probably thrive there. Thyme fits well into rock gardens or herb gardens, but some also work well in patios, along walkways or cascading down stone walls. Some cultivars are low and tough enough to serve as a carpet on footpaths, releasing their spicy fragrance as you take each step. Each herb gardener has her own favorites of the over 400 varieties of thyme. Try lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) if you want 12-inch upright growth and powerful citron smell, or golden lemon thyme (Thyme x citriodorus "Aureus") for the same odor in a creeping shrub. The plants thrive in USDA zones 5 through 8 and USDA zones 6 through 8 respectively.