Gray mold can occur if the plant gets too wet too frequently – remove any affected stems.Rosemary beetle is a possibility – if present, you need to remove them by hand before they strip the plant.However, there are a few potential issues to be on the look out for. Thyme is rarely susceptible to pests or problems.
#Propagating thyme in water how to
See: How to grow lemongrass Issues to look for But if there is still a problem, thyme can be dug out and replanted in a deeper hole.' The best way to avoid this is to cut plants back hard after flowering. To prevent this, protect the plants with fleece during the coldest months, or in particularly cold climates, bring potted plants indoors. 'The main problem with thyme is that it can die during a cold, wet winter,' says Hann. 'The more you pick herbs the bushier and healthier they will grow, but don’t remove more than half the plant at any one time,' says Clapp. If grown in the ground, you can avoid fertilizing altogether, although the occasional spring feed can be beneficial to potted plants. Within about a year, this stem will have its own established root system and can be removed from the parent plant and planted into its own spot.Ĭaring for a thyme plant is very easy, as it requires minimal watering or fertilizing.Tie the tip of the stem (with the top leaves still intact) to a small cane, to allow it to grow upwards.Using a piece of wire, peg the wounded section of stem into the trench and cover with the soil.Using a sharp knife, make a small cut on the stem on the node, and apply hormone rooting powder. Bend the stem to see where it touches the ground – this needs to have a node or leaf branching point.Strip off the leaves, leaving just a few at the end. Choose a healthy, young stem from the outer part of the plant.You can layer thyme from spring until fall.It involves bending existing stems down into the ground, which enables them to become their own new plants. Layering thyme uses the same principles as mound layering, except the parent plant is not sacrificed. At this stage, you can remove them from the parent plant and pot them on or plant out. Come mid to late summer, the individual stems – or layers – should have grown roots.Add more compost mix if the rain washes it away. You want to see the tips of the shoots still coming through the top of the compost mix. Simply, take a 1:1 mix of compost and sand, and use it to cover, or 'mound', the existing thyme plant.Mound layering is best carried out in the spring.
However, before disposing of thyme, you can use the old plant to propagate several new ones through the mound layering technique. Thyme is prone to becoming woody after a few years, and then is usually replaced with a younger plant.
Strip off the leaves from the bottom half, and push this part of the stem into a pot or tray filled with gritty potting mix.Cut just below a branching point, or node. Using sharp, clean secateurs, take cuttings of around 2-3 inches in length.Softwood cuttings are best taken in late spring or early summer, before the plant has flowered.Not all species of thyme can be grown easily from seed, so for quicker results propagate plants from softwood cuttings. See: How to grow rosemary How to grow thyme from cuttings When planted in the ground, established thyme plants won't require watering or feeding.When the seedlings are 2-3 inches tall, harden them off and plant into their final positions.Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, transfer to 3 inch pots.As soon as the first seeds begin to germinate, remove the cover and ensure the soil stays lightly moist while the seedlings grow.This will help to retain the moisture in the soil. Place the tray in a propagator, or cover with a polythene bag.Cover the seed with a very fine layer of potting mix, or even none at all.When sowing fine seed, a good tip is to use the crease of your palm's heart line to funnel them. Thyme seeds are very small, so try to scatter them finely across the growing medium.Either liberally use a mister spray or place the seed tray in water for 10 minutes, and it will soak up the water through the drainage holes at the bottom. To grow thyme from seed, prepare a seed tray using free-draining potting mix, and dampen – but don't over-wet – the soil.
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