- 1). Start planting the seeds indoors in early spring to achieve optimum growth before the coming winter. Though these are perennials and will grow back after the winter, poor growth in their initial year will permanently stunt the growth of the plant throughout its entire lifespan.
- 2). Lightly scour one side of the seeds with sandpaper to remove the waxy protective outer layer that can inhibit initial growth.
- 3). Soak the seeds in warm water for 20 minutes to aid germination.
- 4). Fill the Styrofoam cups with plain sand and place a mesh screen over the top of each. Press each screen down into the sand to create a small sand-filled depression in the center of each screen. It is imperative that the screens be fine enough to prevent the thyme seeds from passing through. Place one seed in the sand atop each screen and water them lightly. Thyme seeds are very small and will often work their way so deeply down into the soil that their sprouts don’t reach the surface, resulting in the death of the seedling from lack of sunlight. The screens prevent this.
- 5). Place the cups in full sunlight on a window sill or beneath high intensity lights from dawn to dusk, watering lightly every third day. The seeds should germinate within three weeks and will be large enough to transplant after another five weeks.
- 6). Plant the seedlings in your yard or garden in an area that receives as much sunlight as possible and very little water. Dig holes at least a foot apart and less than four inches deep. If the soil is particularly rich, damp, or has a great deal of clay, you will need to mix it with a generous amount of sand to help it dry out more quickly.
- 7). Plant the seedlings at ground level and water them lightly. The thyme plants have most likely intertwined their roots with the mesh screens. This will not inhibit the plants’ growth. Do not try to remove the screens as it will only damage the plants’ root systems. Simply plant them, screens and all, in the ground.
- 8). Water the thyme plants only when the surrounding soil becomes completely dry or the leaves and stems of the plant begin to turn brown. Thyme is very drought and disease resistant, but can be killed quickly by overwatering. Also if the soil pH is neutral or acidic, you may have to use an alkaline fertilizer to correct this problem once every two months. The leaves of the thyme plants should be well developed enough to use for seasoning by early summer.
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