It's hardy in USDA zones five through nine, and can even tolerate light frosts. You have to plant the seedlings about 8 to 12 inches apart, in soil that drains well. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone and plant it in a pot with well-draining soil. Thyme is one of the European herbs that evolved in the rocky, sandy coastal climate of the Mediterranean Sea. Soil should be kept moist but not wet, as the growing creeping thyme plant is susceptible to root drowning and edema. Prune creeping thyme ground cover in the spring to maintain a compact appearance and again after the small white flowers are spent if additional shaping is preferred. Tiny 2-lipped tubular flowers appear in summer and are attractive to bees. Creeping thyme is a low growing perennial herb from northern Europe. It enjoys hot summers and is hardy enough to survive through relatively cold winters. Creeping Thyme (Thymus Serpyllum) - Would you like a perennial ground cover plant that is an evergreen and very little maintenance? Sow seeds in containers, taking care to cover the seeds lightly with soil. Buy thyme plant seedlings from a nursery. In early spring fill small pots with seed sowing compost and scatter a few seeds lightly over the surface. Remove a piece of the plant with budding growth on it. Plant the seedlings in full sun, and when the ground is warm. Creeping thyme thrives in warm temperatures and is suitable for growing in USDA hardiness zones 4-9. This hardy plant tolerates some traffic and produces a light lemon aroma. You’ll usually propagate cuttings during the summer months because this is the season of new growth for creeping thyme. Two varieties of Creeping Thyme filling the French drain . Sign up for our newsletter. The plants should grow 6 to 12 inches in height. Just 8 inches tall, Creeping Thyme ground cover plants are completely covered in 1/4 inch bells of carmine-pink for months on end. Your email address will not be published. While cutting the ripening tops is one way to obtain seeds, use of cloths, sheets, or paper bags may prove more productive. You wouldn’t usually mulch creeping thyme when you planted it. 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. Keep in mind that thyme has a few windows of opportunity for planting and transplanting - the ideal time is in June or earlier, when the ground is warm but there's some rain in the forecast, with dull days. Growing it from seeds is challenging because germination is often uneven and sluggish. Make sure the soil is loose and free of weeds before you plant. 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Creeping Thyme Planting, Care, and Propagation Tips It should get at least four hours of direct sun a day. 4. While you can plant thyme at any point during the growing season, spring and fall are best. Start seeds when growing creeping thyme indoors or they may be sown in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. T. serpyllum is another creeping thyme variety. Plant them in spring, two to three weeks prior to the last frost. To harvest creeping thyme ground cover, either remove the leaves from the stems or dry by snipping from the plant and hanging upside down in a dark, well aerated area. Brilliant sunshine is great for established plants, but young ones don't like it much. Therefore, a plant like this Creeping Pink Thyme with almost an inch of stem between its sets of leaves grows much more quickly than say a Pink Chintz Thyme or a Woolly Thyme whose leaves are very close together. It has strongly scented flowers that are 4-6 mm long and produced in clusters. 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