How to Grow Creeping Thyme Successfully From Seed

Last spring, I decided to fix up one of the gardens in the front yard as well as make an additional garden with a slate rock walkway. One of the issues I faced with the new walkway has been a major overtaking of weeds. In order to make this space a little more manageable and aesthetically pleasing, I decided to add creeping thyme (Thymus praecox). I planted the seeds directly into the soil, but I couldn’t keep track of its growth. The creeping thyme I had planted was now competing with the weeds and I was concerned about removing the new growth of creeping thyme along with those dreaded weeds.

Back in May, I started a few of the seeds indoors in egg crates. You can read all about that here. I purchased a packet of 10,000 seeds from MySeeds.Co and have been using Black Gold all purpose potting soil. I discovered using larger containers worked better than the egg crates and I was able to extract the new growth easier and transplant them into the ground more efficiently. If you would like to try growing creeping thyme yourself, here are a few helpful tips.

Instructions for growing creeping successfully from seed:

1. Sow seeds in containers, taking care to cover the seeds lightly with soil.

2. The soil should be kept between at 64-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Germination will take place between 14-21 days.

4. The soil should be kept moist, but not too wet. I use a small spray bottle and this seems to give a nice amount of control in order to prevent over watering.

5. As the plants get bigger, you can proceed with regular watering to maintain proper moisture.

The following photographs are from my experience of growing creeping thyme seeds:

Young creeping thyme started from seed growing in clear plastic containers.

A hole dug for planting creeping thyme in the ground.

Freshly planted creeping thyme in the garden pathway.

Here is creeping thyme that I planted earlier in the season with the instructions I had mentioned above.

This is creeping thyme that I had planted last summer.

A close-up view of creeping thyme that I planted last year.

Creeping thyme grows well in USDA hardy zones 4-9. Make sure to plant creeping thyme 8 to 12 inches apart to allow for proper spreading. It will grow in well-drained soil and thrive in full sun to light shade areas. Creeping thyme should be pruned in the spring in order to maintain a compact appearance and again after the small white flowers are done blooming if additional shaping is preferred. It can be walked on and does well as a lawn replacement, among stepping zones and pathways. It is also edible with a flavor and scent similar to that of mint.

I’m hoping by next spring to see the whole path covered with this beautiful creeping thyme. We will have to see what happens next year!