Can I Grow Thyme Indoors In Winter?

A bright windowsill that receives eight hours of sun per day is ideal, but if your home is rather shaded or you’re looking to keep your thyme thriving through the darker winter months, a snug spot under some florescent grow lights will work too.

How do you grow thyme in the winter?

Plant cuttings or young thyme plants any time after the ground temperature reaches 70°F. This is usually 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost in well-drained soil about 9 inches apart. Space young plants 12 to 24 inches apart, depending upon the specific variety. The plants should grow 6 to 12 inches in height.

Can I grow herbs indoors in winter?

Many cooks grow herbs indoors during the winter when it’s too cold outside or too wet to dig in the dirt, but you can grow herbs inside any time of year. Indoor herbs prefer the same temperatures that most people do—around 65 to 70 degrees F—so if you’re comfortable, they probably are.

Does thyme grow better inside or outside?

In early spring, you may fertilize with organic matter, like compost, but not much soil amendment is necessary. Sun: Thyme needs a growing area with plenty of sunlight. Indoors, find a sunny window for your thyme. In the garden, intersperse among other drought-tolerant perennials in an area that receives full sun.

Will thyme grow back after winter?

Some cold hardy herbs (mint, thyme, oregano, sage, and chives) are very well adapted. In areas with frost, they grow as perennials, going dormant in the winter and coming back with new growth in the spring.

Can you grow thyme indoors?

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a useful herb that can be used in a variety of ways. It adds a delicate aroma and almost grassy spice to any dish. Growing thyme indoors requires plenty of sunshine and well drained soil. Growing thyme inside is one of the easiest indoor herbs to cultivate.

Will thyme survive winter?

Herbs like bay, sage and thyme are hardy enough to survive the winter outside, but will not grow. If you want to harvest from them, protect them against the coldest weather. You can move plants into a coldframe, or an unheated greenhouse or conservatory. Make sure to ventilate them on milder days.

How do you keep potted herbs alive indoors?

Indoor herbs need both high humidity and excellent air circulation. Mist your herbs once a week or set them on a tray of pebbles filled with water to keep the humidity up. If you find your herbs are affected by mildew, you may want to consider adding a fan to keep the air circulation consistent.

What is the easiest herb to grow indoors?

Basil, oregano, mint, chives, sage, rosemary, and thyme are the easiest herbs to grow indoors, whether you have them in the garden already or wish to plant them now.

Why is my indoor thyme plant dying?

The most common reasons for thyme dying are: Thyme has root rot or fungal disease due to consistently damp soil. Thyme that is drooping and turning yellow because of damp soils or excess nitrogen in the soil due to additional fertilizer. Thyme plant that is turning brown, dry and dying back.

How long do thyme plants live?

Thyme is a perennial herb that often only lives for 5 or 6 years even with good care. After 3 years thyme plants growth tends to slow down and produce less leaves with a weak aroma and inferior flavour compared to younger thyme plants.

Can I grow thyme in containers?

Thyme might sound fancy, but it’s an easy-to-grow, hardy herb and does very well in pots and container gardens. Grow thyme in a pot on your deck along with basil and oregano for your own little pizza garden. The tiny leaves smell so good and partner well with other herbs both on the deck and in the kitchen.

How do I keep my thyme plant alive?

Watering. Once established, thyme plants are drought-resistant and often prefer to be under-watered rather than over-watered. Wait until the soil is completely dry, then saturate your thyme plant, allowing it to dry out again completely before giving it another watering.

How often should you water thyme?

every 10–15 days
Thyme. Thyme is an herb that can thrive with very little watering. You should only have to water this herb every 10–15 days.

Should I let my thyme flower?

Thyme’s tiny flowers are pretty and white. Though you can pinch the flowers off to allow the plant to produce more leaves, the flavor of thyme really isn’t compromised by letting the plant bloom.

What do you do with potted herbs in the winter?

Just be sure to bring your potted herbs indoors before a hard freeze descends. Once inside, place the potted herb in a sunny window and keep the soil slightly moist. Herbs like rosemary, sage, sweet bay, lemon grass, and lemon verbena do well as winter houseplants or even year-round houseplants given enough light.

How cold can thyme tolerate?

-30 degrees F.
Culinary or English thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is hardy to zone 4 (temperatures down to -30 degrees F.).

Do you have to replant thyme every year?

A majority of herbs are perennials throughout most of the United States. That means they come back year after year and usually get bigger or spread in territory each year. Some of our most-used cooking herbs are perennials, including sage, oregano and thyme.

How do you overwinter thyme indoors?

As long as you give it a minimum of indirect light (the more light the better) and don’t overwater it, it should survive and continue to give you fresh thyme to use over the winter.

How much sunlight does thyme need?

Thyme plants need the equivalent of 5+ hours of direct sunlight [DLI of 15+ mol/m²/day] to grow their best. In order to provide an equivalent amount with a grow light, it needs to be pretty bright!

Should I start thyme indoors?

Thymus vulgaris, common thyme is a shrub-like perennial. Easy to grow from seed though germination is slow taking from 14 to 28 days. Seeding best started indoors in a flat where temperature can be kept around 70°. Thyme seeds are very small, 170,000 to the ounce.