[shokkyy]

My main thyme and oregano clumps are looking a bit leggy and woody at the moment. Does anyone know if the best thing is to chop them right down so they'll put up nice new growth? Or is it better to just chuck them and start new plants from seed? And if I should chop them down, is it best to do that now or after winter?

[mumofstig]

I chop my thyme and oregano down short after they've flowered.

I wouldn't do it now, cos any new growth will be too soft to survive the winter, so I'd leave the pruning to spring 

[shokkyy]

I chop my thyme and oregano down short after they've flowered.

I wouldn't do it now, cos any new growth will be too soft to survive the winter, so I'd leave the pruning to spring 

Thank you. Wish I'd asked that question a couple of months ago, because if I've got to chop them in the spring I might be short on herbs next summer. Still, I did plant 80 creeping thyme and orange thyme plants in the conifer bed this year, so if they can just survive through the winter I should be all right for thyme at least

Can I ask one on bay as well? I've got quite a big plant (couple of feet tall) which I'm really hoping I can keep alive through the winter this time. Is it better to give it a last feed of BFB now, or just leave it be till the spring?

[arugula]

Thank you. Wish I'd asked that question a couple of months ago, because if I've got to chop them in the spring I might be short on herbs next summer.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Two years ago I chopped and divided thyme, along with sage on that occasion. I did it in April when there were signs of improvement in weather and temperatures and they flourished the same summer.

[JayG]

Light trim after flowering for thyme, bit more brutal for oregano.

This spring I stuck a few sprigs of thyme in the soil next to the "mother" plant, and also layered some of the trailing shoots still attached to it - they all grew so I now have what looks like one much larger plant which will probably be several individual ones if I ever get round to investigating!

I wouldn't feed a bay at this time of year - you may produce a flush of soft growth which will not be frost-hardy. Cold winds seem to do more temporary damage to mine than low temperatures, although waterlogging will see them off quite quickly.

[shokkyy]

I was worried about taking the thyme right down to the ground because I thought it didn't grow back if you cut past the woody bits. Trouble is, if you don't chop it past the woody bits the woodiness gets worse and worse.

[JayG]

That's what I would have thought Shokkyy, although Mumofstig seems to think you can (I don't have an answer based on my own experience because I've never risked cutting it back that far - easier to propagate new plants when it starts getting a bit messy and unproductive.)

[mumofstig]

Before I get the blame for killing the plants    .............................

you can cut back hard to the lowest leaf buds after flowering or in spring - but don't literally chop them to the ground,  because they won't regrow from the roots

[JayG]

Ah yes, "right down to the ground" does sound a bit excessive (only just noticed that!)   

[shokkyy]

Okay, well it does sound as though I need to think about replacing the thyme then. If I can't cut back past the woody bits there's really no way to reduce the woodiness, what I need to do is start with new plants and next time be better at trimming back each year so they don't get woody again.

[gavinjconway]

A month ago I chopped my Thyme down to the woody bits as it was looking straggly.... not much has re-grown yet... Oooops..

[NeilH]

Hello I'm new to the forum.  I was just going to post a question, but I can help with answer here so here goes.  I've found all my herbs go woody and then die.  The secret is to generate new plants by putting part of the plant under the soil, a tent peg works well.  After a few months you have a new plant and can detach it.  This works with thymes and oregano and I think with sage.    My oregano has gone mad this summer in the very unmediterranean weather.  Some has also seeded itself so I have new plants this way as well.  Hope this helps.

[gavinjconway]

Thanks Neil - I normally do this with my Thyme but I forgot and just gave it a hair cut!! But  a bit too short this time..

[missycat]

If you dig up the woody plant and replant it deeper....would that work in the same way as  layering individual stems?

[JayG]

Like your lateral thinking Missycat (or is it vertical thinking?!  )

It might work - trouble is if it doesn't you'll probably finish up at the garden centre rather than having another chance to propagate from the parent plant.