About Thyme zone
Thyme in the mild spring weather will help the plants get established before the mercury starts to rise.Amend your native soilYou can grow red creeping thyme just about anywhere in Texas, but you’ll have the most luck when you grow the plants in nutrient-poor, well-draining soil that has a neutral pH. Red creeping thyme will adjust quickly to Edwards Plateau and Post Oak Savannah soils. These nutrient-poor soils are sandy in texture, so they drain well. Red creeping thyme also tends to grow well in Blackland Prairie soils, which have a higher clay content and moderate nutrient availability. However, if your native Texas soil is extremely clay-rich, or if it has a particularly acidic or alkaline pH, then it should be amended before planting. Add sand and compost to loosen up compacted soils and encourage good drainage. If your soil is too acidic, raise the pH with lime or wood ash. And, if your soil is too alkaline, add sulfur or oak leaves and pine needles to neutralize it.Amending your soil to improve drainage will make it much easier to grow red creeping thyme in Texas.Make sure the plants get enough sunlight, but not too muchRed creeping thyme needs 6 or more hours of direct sunlight every day to grow well. The cooler your growing zone, the more sunlight the plants will need. But the farther south you move, the hotter the climate gets. And even though red creeping thyme can withstand high heat, if it gets too hot, it will become stressed and won’t grow well.If your growing zone is particularly dry, and if the temperatures regularly reach the 100s in the summertime, then you should plant your red creeping thyme in a location where it will receive some afternoon shade. This will help the plants conserve moisture during the hottest part of the day, which, in turn, will support continued growth and ample flower production. If you want to grow red creeping thyme in Texas, plant it where it will receive some dappled afternoon shade. Water the plants regularly, but don’t overwater themWhether you’re growing red creeping thyme in Texas or anywhere else, these plants do not like to sit in muddy soil. That said, you’ll find your red creeping thyme grows best when the soil can be kept uniformly moist to the touch. Check the soil often, especially in the two weeks following transplanting, and water the plants regularly to keep the soil damp. You may need to use lawn clippings or wood chip mulch to prevent the young plants from drying out too quickly in between waterings. Keeping the soil moist encourages the plants to grow strong root systems. Summers in Texas are hot, hot, hot, so you may find you need to water your red creeping thyme more often than most garden sites and/or nurseries recommend. As time goes on, you’ll get a better feel for how much water your thyme needs to grow well. Once your thyme has become established, it will act as
Key features of the Thyme zone that are enabled through these drivers include:
- When Can I Plant Thyme in Zone 4a
- When Can I Plant Thyme in Zone 9a
- Exploring The Benefits Of Creeping Thyme In Zone 6 Gardens
- When Can I Plant Thyme in Zone 9b
- When Can I Plant Thyme in Zone 8b
- The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best Thyme Varieties For Zone
- When Can I Plant Thyme in Zone 8a
In rock gardens, wooly thyme (Thymus praecox subsp. britannicus) reigns supreme. This tiny-leafed plant is a perfect ground cover variety and can tolerate poor soils.Growing thyme amongst your stepping stones is a great choice. While only tolerant of occasional foot traffic, it lets off a faint but beautiful aroma when stepped on. If planted out of the range of feet, it can also be used as a culinary herb.Let’s explore this edible landscaping plant in a bit more detail! Plant Overview Plant Type Herbaceous perennial Family Lamiaceae Genus Thymus Species Thymus praecox subsp. britannicus (syn Thymus pseudolanuginosus, previously Thymus languinosus) Native Area France, Great Britain, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden Exposure Full Sun to partial shade Height 3-4” Watering Requirements Average Pests & Diseases Spider mites, powdery mildew, root rot Maintenance Low Soil Type Well-draining, sandy Hardiness Zone 4-9 What is Wooly Thyme?Not as pungently-scented as other thymus species, wooly thyme is still wonderful. Tiny, hairy leaves and woody stems give it its common name. These wooly creeping thyme plants stay very low to the ground, forming a dense carpet.Native AreaThe herbaceous perennial is native to Europe.The origins of this fuzzy thyme are indistinct, but are believed to be in Europe. At this point, it’s grown worldwide. It can be used culinarily as well as grown for the delicate foliage.Thymus pseudolanuginosus has many different names. Let’s begin with the botanical names. Once called Thymus languinosus, it was later adapted to Thymus pseudolanguinosus. It has now been named Thymus praecox subsp. britannicus. Commonly called wooly thyme or woolly thyme, it’s occasionally referred to as wooly creeping thyme. The latter is mostly due to its affiliation with the praecox species. But it’s true that wooly thymes do creep!CharacteristicsThis plant has leaves with fine white hairs and pinkish-purple flowers.In the late
