Magic Carpet Thyme Growing Tips and Benefits

Magic Carpet Thyme Growing Tips and Benefits

Magic Carpet Thyme is an easy-to-grow, ground-covering perennial that has a variety of uses. Thyme is used in cooking, perfumes and medicines, making it one of the more handy plants you can grow in your garden. It adds beauty to landscapes, and can be harvested at any time, as long as it’s established—talk about convenience! Here are some tips on how you can grow and use thyme at home, and why you should.

Growing Tips

Thyme grows well in a sunny, dry climate. It needs well-draining soil because it doesn’t need much water in order to grow. In fact, the less attention you pay to your thyme crop, the more it will produce, so it’s best to let it be.

You’ll want to start your thyme plant outdoors early, usually in late March or early April (or 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost). The hole you dig needs to have enough depth for the roots of the plant to grow properly, so dig roughly 4-6 inches. Thyme has vigorous root growth, so plant 10-12 inches away from each other in order to promote proper root growth. If you’re growing in rows, keep the rows 1½ to 2 feet apart.

Benefits

When your thyme is ready to be harvested, either in spring or summer, you’ll be able to enjoy it in many different ways. Thyme is a useful herb in cooking because of its many different flavors (lemon or honey, for example), and it is complementary to other herbs, such as basil and tarragon. Thyme is especially useful in flavoring soups and sauces.

Thyme has medicinal purposes, as well. Early Sumerians and Egyptians used thyme for its antiseptic properties. Thyme oils are also used as a treatment for asthma via aroma therapy.

As you can tell, thyme is an invaluable herb and a must for any gardener wanting to add some versatility to their garden.