How to Grow Creeping Thyme With Companion Plants

Sowing Creeping Thyme Seeds Directly into the Garden

• 1

  Remove all weeds and stones from the area you wish to cover with creeping thyme. Plan the sowing for anytime between May and August.

• 2

  Mix compost into the garden soil to create a mix of approximately 50 percent compost and 50 percent soil. Work the compost into the soil to a depth of 6 inches.

• 3

  Mix the creeping thyme seeds with sand to better spread the seeds.

• 4

  Spread the seeds-and-sand mix over the prepared area.

• 5

  Water the planted area thoroughly. Continue to water regularly as the seeds germinate.

• 6

  Thin seedlings to a spacing of 12 inches when they have grown to a movable size.

• 7

  Plant the removed seedlings in bare areas.

Sowing Creeping Thyme Seeds Indoors

• 8

  Plan to start creeping thyme indoors in early spring or mid to late autumn when the temperature is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 9

  Spread the seeds on the surface of a tray or pot filled with compost. Press the seeds lightly into the soil, but do not cover them.

• 10

  Place a clear plastic cover over the tray and place the tray where it will be exposed to diffused sunlight.

• 11

  Allow air into the covered tray gradually as the seeds begin to germinate. Creeping thyme seeds germinate within 15 to 30 days.

• 12

  Water the seeds lightly on a regular basis.

• 13

  Plant seedlings in potting soil in 3-inch pots when they are large enough to move safely.

• 14

  Acclimate the seedlings to the outdoors over the course of 10 to 15 days — beginning after the risk of frost has passed — before planting them.

Planting Creeping Thyme Bedding Plants

• 15

  Plant creeping thyme plants at least 8 inches away from each other; 10 to 12 inches is ideal. This allows room for the young plants to spread.

• 16

  Use a trowel to dig a hole in the soil 2 inches deeper than the pot containing the creeping thyme.

• 17

  Mix compost with the soil.

• 18

  Place the creeping thyme plant into the hole. Make sure the base of the plant is at or just barely below the current ground level.

• 19

  Fill in the hole with the remaining dirt-and-compost mixture.

• 20

  Tamp the dirt down around the plant.

• 21

  Water the plants thoroughly and continue regular watering throughout the first season as the plants establish themselves.