Creeping thyme is a perennial evergreen that blooms with attractive and wonderfully fragrant purple flowers. Creeping thyme can be used for various purposes. It's a plant that stays low and, if in a good spot, is very tough so that it can even be walked on. It doesn't grow very fast, but it spreads and forms dense cushions, so it can also be used for larger pieces of ground cover. It's important, however, to make the conditions for the plant as good as possible. For tips, see the sowing instructions. Use the leaves of this thyme in sauces, stews, stir-fries, pasta dishes, soups, marinades, salads, with potato dishes, in dishes with egg (e.g. omelette) and in herb butter. Creeping thyme is also delicious with lamb, beef and cheese.
Place this plant in a sunny spot with good drainage and possibly limey soil. This ground cover is very attractive to bees. Also suitable for rock gardens. It flowers from June till August. Protect especially the young plants against frost by mulching them. Harvest the leaves from March till October from the 2nd year after sowing. Planting advice per square meter: 8 - 11 plants. Hardy perennial. Height: 5 - 10 cm, width 25 - 30 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - end of April or September - November
Outdoor sowing: middle of May - August
Germination: 15 - 30 days
Germination temperature: 13 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: shallow
Planting distance: 30 cm
Plant position: sunny with good drainage
Flowering period: June - August
Harvesting period: March - October (from the 2nd year after sowing)
If creeping thyme is to be used to cover large areas, the best method is to sow the plants indoors and later in the year, after there is no more frost, to put them outside after a hardening-off period of 10 - 15 days. Sow the seeds in a seed tray with well-moistened potting soil in the spring or possibly in the autumn. Sow the seeds superficially and don't cover them with soil because they need light to germinate. Provide sufficient light, but don't place them in direct sunlight. Keep them moist by covering them with cling film, for example. Once most of the seeds have germinated, the cling film can be removed. Once the plants are large enough to handle, they can be planted outside once the frost has passed, or repotted into larger pots and grown further before being placed outside. Remove the top leaves from each plant to ensure that the plants grow more sideways than upwards. Keep the plants 30 cm apart. Provide a sunny location with good drainage and calcareous, compost-enriched soil. Keep well weeded and moist.
It is also possible to sow directly outdoors, but the results may be disappointing. We therefore recommend the above sowing method. This method is particularly suitable if creeping thyme is used to fill small gaps in a border or other small spaces. Sow the seeds from May till August outdoors in a sunny spot with good drainage and calcareous, compost-enriched soil. Make sure there is no more frost expected. Because the seeds are very fine, it is useful to mix them with some dry sand so that the seed can be spread more easily and it is also visible where it has been sown. Don't cover the seeds because they need light to germinate. Keep the area weed-free and moist. Thin out the seedlings to 30 cm as soon as they are large enough to handle. If necessary, the thinned-out plants can be moved to another location.
Cover the young plants with mulch during the winter months to prevent frost damage. Don't prune the plants in the first year, but wait until the second year to prune carefully. Never prune too deeply, as thyme will not grow back if pruned too deeply. Make sure that new buds are always visible and don't prune below this new growth. Older plants can be dug up and divided from March till May.
