Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: EzLou on January 19, 2008, 10:11

Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: EzLou on January 19, 2008, 10:11
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l220/EzLou/thyme.jpg)

I bought it at end of autumn - it was green and healthy etc. Left it in pot as wanted to put it in between paving stones of a path and not sure where path was going excatly - figured it was evergreen and would be ok.

Looks a bit rough now though - you reckon it will die? If I put it in the ground now will that save it?
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Rob the rake on January 19, 2008, 10:14
It looks quite healthy to me Ezlou. Iwould pop it in the cold frame for now, and put it out when it warms up a bit ( the weather, that is).
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Selkie on January 19, 2008, 10:15
I'd snip it back a little bit
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: EzLou on January 19, 2008, 10:20
It was much thicker when I got it - a big rug of healthy thyme. There's a lot of dead brown thyme in there now - is that normal? I've got an upright growing [note the use of technical gardening terms] thyme outside on a pt stand which looks as fab as it did in the summer.

Guess I could trim it but we haven't got a cold frame up anywhere at the moment. I could bring it indoors...
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: gobs on January 19, 2008, 10:26
Thyme should be hardy, if it was outside, I would not make the move of bringing it in, pruning I tend to do with herbs that need it in the beginning of spring.

It looks OK to me too. Water logging can be a problem with a lot of herbs. Try to place it in some rain shadow or improve drainage.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: DD. on January 19, 2008, 10:30
Damnit, Damnit, Damnit, Damnit,

Why must I keep agreeing with gobs.:lol:  :lol:  

It is hardy, it has been out all winter, don't put it anywhere sheltered to make it weak. Come the spring, it'll be off again.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: gobs on January 19, 2008, 10:34
You should think of something now. :lol:

It's getting annoying. :lol:  :lol:
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: EzLou on January 19, 2008, 10:34
Gobs remark bout water logging made me think - just realised [you can see in the pic] that its standing on a rubber kneeling pad. Lifted it up and little pool of water underneath - moved it onto the bricks.

Doh
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: WG. on January 19, 2008, 10:47
I agree with gobs - no reason to take any plant inside now unless it is dying and your thyme looks very good to me.

You can gradually cut out the hard brown stems as new growth emerges in spring / summer.  A rough guide is to cut back no more than 1/3rd of the plant.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: mashauk on January 19, 2008, 12:30
I'd chop it back and eat what I'd chopped, yum.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Annie on January 19, 2008, 17:06
Thyme likes a good haircut after flowering,it always looks drastic but it soon thickens out and then does well over winter.Yours looks OK,wait for warmer weather and then as WG says and thin out the brown bits and trim the long bits,if you put the ends in water they will root and you will have more free plants.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Selkie on January 19, 2008, 17:12
:oops: I forget that not everywhere is as mild as it is here..
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: WG. on January 19, 2008, 17:18
Quote from: "rosemarycallsthegoddess"
:oops: I forget that not everywhere is as mild as it is here..
I'd estimate that we've had maybe only 4 or 5 days above freezing point in the last 6 weeks. :wink:
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Selkie on January 19, 2008, 17:22
Quote from: "WG."
Quote from: "rosemarycallsthegoddess"
:oops: I forget that not everywhere is as mild as it is here..
I'd estimate that we've had maybe only 4 or 5 days above freezing point in the last 6 weeks. :wink:


Well we've had frost too (once)
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: Lynne on January 19, 2008, 17:37
The thyme looks fine to me too. Cut it back and maybe plant in the ground in a few weeks, it will probably do a lot better.
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: mdueal on January 20, 2008, 14:41
my thyme looks sorry for its self every year at this time - mine looks way worse than your - other half keeps threatening to throw away my 'dead' herbs but they come back in the spring
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: splodger on January 20, 2008, 15:10
thyme can often look straggly

this is what mine looks like

(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb202/titchandsplodge/DSCN0238.jpg)
Title: Sorry looking Thyme
Post by: mashauk on January 20, 2008, 16:49
Mine looks rough too, probably because I keep eating it, d'oh :lol: