Up for sale is one pack of 1000+ Purple Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) flower seeds. Creeping Thyme make a dense ground cover or garden edging topped with purple flowers.
PLEASE NOTE: You can not sow creeping thyme in hot weather. Sowing in hot spring/summer/fall weather will ensure your seeds will not germinate. Creeping Thyme is challenging to germinate and successful germination rates are usually below 50%. Please read the directions below before ordering.
We offer flat rate combined shipping on all orders, no limit on the amount or type of seed packets.
CULTURE
Soil temperature: 70 degrees MAX
Germination lighting: Light
Germination days: 14-21 days
Weeks indoor: 4 Weeks
Seed Depth: 1/8"
Seed Spacing: N/A
Plant spread: 12"
Plant height: 6"
Plant type: Perennial
Maturation days: 60 days
For zones 3-9 Purple Creeping thyme is easy to sow if you follow one rule - only sow them when your temperatures will be in the 60 - 70 range. Thyme will not germinate in temperatures much above 70 so it's best to sow them in very early spring or over winter in pots. Also thyme likes moist soil while germinating so don't let your soil dry out (water from below and cover pots with plastic wrap). These germinate very slowly and the difficult part is keeping them cool, moist, and exposed to light (during the day) for 30 days. Letting them get too hot, or letting your potting soil dry out, sends a message to the seeds that it's not time to germinate.
These seeds are very tiny so it's best to use the shaker method and mix your seeds with sand to spread, or mix your packet with 4 cups of peat and spread in your garden area.
If direct sowing, in very early spring enrich your garden soil 6" deep and distribute your seeds and top with a very light dusting of peat as creeping thyme needs light to germinate. Keep moist until germination.
You can also start creeping thyme in pots 8 weeks before your last frost in the spring and transplant into your garden after your last frost. As above spread on the surface of your potting material and lightly dust with sand or vermiculite. Keep your pot/tray (with holes in the bottom) in a tray containing about 1" of water and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Keep your pot/tray under lights until germination. Thyme need a cool and moist environment to germinate.
ONCE AGAIN - Thyme will not germinate in hot weather so if you miss a winter or early spring cut off save them and sow them once your weather stays near 70 degrees for a couple of weeks. If it is summer, and you want to try to germinate them, your will have to sow them in pots under lights inside your house in temps between 60-70.