When should I sow thyme?

In a typical UK garden, sow indoors early February to early March, plant out mid-April to mid-June, and harvest late March to late November. Later in Scotland, the north and frost pockets; earlier in the south-west and near the coast.

How far apart should I plant thyme?

25 cm apart in the row, with rows 30 cm apart. In a square foot garden, that's 4 per square.

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

In a typical UK garden, sow indoors early February to early March, plant out mid-April to mid-June, and harvest late March to late November.

When to sow, plant and harvest

Frost dates

Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.

Sow indoors: early February to early March
Plant out: mid-April to mid-June
Harvest: late March to late November

Spacing: 25 cm apart, rows 30 cm apart
Square foot: 4 per square (30 cm squares)
Sowing depth: 0 cm
Ready in: 30 to 60 days from planting out
Grows to: 30 cm
Hardiness: Hardy to about -15 °C
Sun: Full sun
Crops for: Several years (perennial)

Growing tip

Give it full sun and sharp drainage, trim lightly after flowering, and replace plants every few years once they turn woody.

Neighbours

Grows well with

Herbs are one crop rotation group. Try not to grow them where any of the family grew in the last two or three years. How crop rotation works

More herbs

Where these figures come from

Every crop in VegLog was checked against published growing advice. Dates are worked out from average frost dates, so they shift with your garden. For thyme, we used:

Grow thyme with VegLog

Add thyme to a bed and VegLog reminds you when to sow, plant out and pick, timed to your own town's frost dates.