I had success with plants, none at all with seeds. I got most of mine from Bluestone and was able to get some locally at a reasonable price as well. I also like to mix Mother-of-thyme with woolly thyme. Another benefit is an extended blooming time since they don't bloom at the same time.

In my experience with growing herbs it has been best to start them from plants and not seeds. Best of luck to you.

I bought 4 (healthy and full)plants from a reputable nursery. Then divided each with a knife into 4 plants and put them in a small nursery bed ammended with good compost. Grew those 16 plants last year. And split in half in late summer to 32 plants and trimmed the edges of the runners. This year in late spring, I cut them into 2x1 inch sections (you can do 1x1) with a knife and planted my entire path with it. All from 4 little plants. (and had some left over!)

Thyme is notoriously hard to start from seed. Better to get plants. There is also a variegated and lemon thyme that you might want to try.

I've left about six inches of soil between a boulder retaining wall and my lawn as a kind of "mow strip" and thought I might put creeping thyme in there (mmm, the smell of fresh cut grass mingled with thyme) but then wondered with only that much space whether it would encroach into the grass?
Kate

I think the grass encroaching is more likely, at least in my experience.

I've had really good luck with starting creeping thyme from seed. I have trays and trays of it waiting to go outside...once our contractors finish our new retaining wall.

I ordered the seed from Outside Pride.

Now I'm just hoping it transplants ok! ;)

Can you tell me how the creeping thyme 'spreads' ? I want to use landscape fabric in a lot of the area I want to also put this as a groundcover, but I am concerned about stifling its growth if it grows underground.....how far apart should I place plants?

StLouisGardener have you planted your thyme yet? I also have trays and trays yet to plant. I also bought from Outside pride, mine are growing great so far but still have get them out of the basement. Please let me know how yours did. I'm planting instead of grass, my family thinks I'm nuts. I have bought them from plants also and they are doing wonderfully, hope the seedlings will do also.

Thanks.

Deb

I ordered some from outsidepride too and it is growing well. I haven't planted it outside yet. How tall do you think it needs to be to survive outside in July?

I have planted Mother of Thyme, Lemon Thyme, and Elfin Thyem. The plants get started just fine, but every year I have large areas that die. I don't know why. Could it be a fungus or mold? We have very wet winters here and hot summers. I understood that thyme was drought resistant.

If you get Mother-of-Thyme, give it plenty of room. I've found it tends to crowd out other kinds of thyme. I have elfin thyme, mother-of-thyme & wooly thyme all in different beds.

Wet roots is a common reason for creeping thyme death.

I am a very new gardener. Earlier this summer creeping Thyme as a ground cover in flower bed with Peonies. The Thyme seems to be doing well, until this fall it was invaded by what look like clover, does anyone have any tips for getting rid of the clover? Hand weeding is difficult because he clover is intermixed with the Thyme.

Thyme is pretty resilient. You may be able to lift up a large clump at a time, pluck out the clover, then lay the thyme back down. You might also consider just digging the thyme out, dealing with the weeds, then replanting it. This would give you an excuse to divide the plants if you want some for another location.

Can you put plugs of thyme in existing grass and the thyme will take over the grass??

Probably not. The thyme will spread, but will not completely choke out the grass. It's best to completely kill the grass before you start.

I've got a very large slope to cover...can creeping thyme be sowed directly into the ground, or must one start the plants in flats?

I live in zone 8 in CA & broadcast seed into the soil of my slope in March. It took a while but it is doing nicely. I have a good thick crop & it is growing on both the upper and lower sections of the slope and doing super on the flat areas. I think it is an amazing ground cover and not nearly as hard to start from seed as indicated in some of the posts. Got the seed from outside pride. $20 did surface area of 1000 sq feet. Have a few weeds, but not many. Now that is has completly germinated I'm going to put down some pre emergent. Hope that stops any more weeds from germinating.

I too am looking to convert turf to thyme. Any weed control strategies I should be considering before and after the plants fill in?

I have other perenials that will stay green year round if I cover them during our few freezes. Can I do that with creeping thyme or does it automatically go dormant in the winter?

In SF Bay Area, when will be the right time to plant them? Would planting them the next 2-3 weeks as we head into wet winter or better off doing it in Spring?

Sorry for digging up an older thread.

What is the best time of year to plant these ground cover plants?
I am establishing a new lawn and would like to have some of this take up some of the lawn area.

About to get a bunch of seeds and trying to decide if I should start them in trays or directly into the soil. Which one had the best luck for everyone?