Anywhere that is clean and dry, where they won't be disturbed, will do. I hang them from cup hooks in the ceiling of my pantry, which is quite dry. Tie the bunches at the base with ordinary string, leaving long tails to hang them upside down with. I have had great success drying thyme to use in the winter when the plants here die back.Ĭut bouquets of stems early in the morning, when it is freshest, but after the dew has dried off. Thyme dries and freezes very well - but nothing compares with Fresh. Other replies are correct - harvesting for use, and pruning, should be one and the same thing. It loves full sun and plenty of heat - the more heat, the better the flavour. The important thing for it is to provide excellent drainage, so that excess water can drain away - it won't abide constantly wet feet. I've actually found that it can be quite a thirsty plant. Only a mature thyme plant can tolerate drought conditions. Which is just as well, because in my subtropical part of the world, thyme can flower for much of the year! However, thyme does NOT lose its flavour once it has flowered. Just remove all the dead bits and the plant(s) will grow where you want them to.įor medicinal purposes, thyme should be harvested just before flowering, in summer. This is a result of the layering abovementioned. Thyme is a short-lived perennial, and after about 3-4 years or so it will begin to die in the middle, and only the outer parts will look healthy. It's easy just to cut off the baby from the mother and move it somewhere else. If a branch can stay permanently touching the soil, it will grow roots at that spot, and will become a new plant. One of the reasons for the saying quoted above it that it propagates itself by layering. Thyme will only get to about 20cm tall, so it's not a problem letting it grow to optimum height.
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