Thyme or thyme, which in Rus' was called Bogorodskaya grass, takes root on rocky slopes and grows in forest clearings, meadows, and sands. In the wild, the shrub is found in all countries of Europe and Asia, in the north of the African continent. In the Moscow region, thyme is often planted as an ornamental plant.
The perennial stems creeping along the ground form a green carpet strewn with purple, pink or lilac inflorescences. Such beauty pleases summer residents all summer. The buds on thyme appear as soon as the snow melts.
Features of growing thyme in the Moscow region
Among the three hundred varieties of aromatic shrubs, more than a hundred are found in Russia, but creeping or common thyme is most often planted. Summer residents and gardeners know where thyme grows best and what kind of soil it prefers. In the Moscow region, perennials are grown:
- in the open;
- on the windowsill;
- in a container.
Grass seeds are added to fish and meat, used in salads and sauces. To provide your family with aromatic seasonings or herbs, you don’t need a lot of space for thyme - a window sill on the south side is enough. To decorate flower beds, thyme is planted in containers. In open ground, thyme grows on alpine hills, along paths.
In areas where there are slopes and rises, creeping thyme descends beautifully, purple or pink inflorescences blending in an original way with the leaves. To overwinter a perennial in the Moscow region, there is no need to cover the roots. Thyme does not tolerate dampness, does not like heavy soil, but is resistant to frost.
How does this plant reproduce?
Thyme stems quickly take root; every year it occupies an increasing area of the site, drowning out the flowers in the flower beds, and summer residents sometimes have to fight it. Thyme reproduces:
- on one's own;
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- dividing bushes.
When the earth warms up to at least 15 degrees, peat and sand are poured into the container in equal proportions. The soil is watered and thyme seeds are placed in it to a depth of 5 cm, covered with soil, and covered with film on top. The container is transferred to a warm place. After 2 weeks, shoots should appear. When the sprouts emerge, place the container on the windowsill, where there is light. The seedlings need to be thinned and watered, and after 70 days sent to the garden. The distance between seedlings should be 2 cm, between rows - no more than 25.
For propagation by cuttings, choose strong shoots, the length of which is at least 10 cm. Before the thyme begins to bloom, the young stems are cut with pruning shears and placed in wet sand, covered with film. When roots form, which usually happens after two weeks, the thyme is transplanted to a new location in open ground.
To propagate thyme, dig a bush from the ground, carefully separate the part with the roots from it, place it in the soil, cover it with film or a jar. Transplantation should be done in early spring or October. The plant takes root better if the cuttings are treated with the growth stimulator Kornevin, and the roots are not shaken off the soil.
How to choose a landing site?
Although thyme is considered an unpretentious crop, in order for it to please with its bright inflorescences, certain conditions must be observed. The subshrub should be planted in an area where the sun's rays fall all day. In the shade, the shoots stretch out, few buds appear, and the decorative qualities of the crop deteriorate.
When growing thyme in a house or apartment, place it in a south window.
Choosing soil for thyme
The subshrub does not take root well on heavy lands where water stagnates, does not like acidic soil, and loves sandy soil. In the wild, it is found even in rocky areas, but does not grow in wetlands. Such features of thyme need to be known to summer residents who have decided for the first time plant thyme in open ground.
The crop normally tolerates long-term lack of watering, but when moisture stagnates, the roots rot. To prevent this from happening, after planting the bush in dense soil, sand is poured on top with a thin layer.
Grass care
Thyme will delight you with a lush carpet and aroma if the necessary conditions for its growth are provided. When growing thyme in a garden or summer cottage, the main attention is paid to:
- land preparation;
- hydration;
- weeding;
- pest control.
In autumn, the soil is dug up to a depth of at least 20 cm, and weeds are pulled out by the roots. Add sand to heavy soil or mix it with peat. Adding ash helps reduce acidity. They feed the soil with organic matter. Manure is suitable for this purpose, compost is suitable.
Landing
In the spring, the area chosen for thyme is dug up again. Sow thyme in the soil when it warms up to 13 degrees. The dense sprouts that appear are thinned out, leaving about 30 cm between them. When growing thyme in open ground, first prepare the seedlings. To do this, the seeds are placed in a container or tray in which the soil is constantly moistened. Cover the container with glass. At the age of a month, the box with seedlings is taken out into the air, and after 2 weeks the hardened seedlings are sent to a permanent place.
Watering
Thyme is not afraid of drought; the soil only needs to be moistened during prolonged heat. To prevent water from evaporating quickly, straw, compost, river sand or expanded clay are poured around the bush. Thanks to mulching, thyme is not suppressed by weeds, and moisture is retained in the ground longer. During heat and drought, watering is necessary once a week, sometimes twice, after which the soil needs to be loosened.
To give thyme a beautiful shape, the stems are shortened in the spring, and then the young shoots form a lush green cap. Old branches are cut off with pruning shears in the fall.
Top dressing
If organic matter was added to the soil before planting, in the spring, before emergence, the thyme is fertilized with urea and ash.The next year, the shrubs are fed with organic matter during pruning. The plant reacts negatively to fresh manure.
Diseases and pests
With proper care and compliance with agricultural practices, thyme does not suffer from insect invasion. They do not like the smell of essential oils present in the plant. The subshrub is resistant to diseases, but sometimes the stems and leaves serve as food for pests in the form of:
- weevil;
- aphids;
- meadow moths.
You can fight insects using traps, however, you can often deal with them only by spraying the bushes with insecticide solutions.
When moisture stagnates, which happens when the soil is heavy and it rains constantly, thyme is affected by fungal diseases. Loosening the soil and adding sand to it helps prevent their development.
Collection and storage
Thyme in the Moscow region is often grown to decorate alpine slides and decorate flower beds. Dry shoots of the plant are used to make tea and decoctions. To prevent the smell from disappearing, you must follow the rules when collecting and storing thyme.
Leaves and stems are harvested when the bush is covered with flowers. Young shoots are cut off and consumed fresh.
To prevent the thyme from rotting, it is not washed with water before drying; it is laid out evenly on paper. Timely collection and storage are the main conditions, compliance with which guarantees the aroma of both leaves and flowers.
Landscape designers use thyme for arranging flower beds and gardens and value it for its high decorative qualities. Owners of country and country plots plant thyme not only to decorate their work, but also to obtain spices and medicine.. When collected and stored in a timely manner in compliance with the basic rules, neither the leaves, nor the stems, nor the flowers lose their beneficial properties.
