Lemon thyme - planting and care in a pot

Thyme is a wild plant belonging to the family of Lamb, or Lipoids. Among its "relatives" are basil, rosemary, sage, mint, lemon balm, oregano. The people call it thyme or Bogorodskaya grass because in Russia it was customary to decorate the icons of the Mother of God with twigs of this half-shrub. In recent years, gardeners do not collect it in the wild, but plant lemon thyme in the garden of their summer cottage.

Thyme varieties

Thyme is a perennial shrub. According to various sources, there are more than two hundred varieties of wild thyme and about four hundred domesticated ones in the world. Thyme is distributed almost throughout Eurasia, North America and Greenland. About two hundred species of this dwarf shrub grow on the territory of Russia.

Thyme in the landscape of a country house

The most popular of the thyme genus is the citriodorus thyme, commonly called lemon or lemon-scented thyme because of its distinct lemon aroma with caraway-aniseed notes. Its leaves are dark green, ovoid or oval in shape, with a white or slightly yellowish edging. For this color of leaves, lemon thyme is often called variegata, that is, variegated.

Lemon variegata thyme

The most common varieties of lemon thyme used in decorating flower beds and garden interiors are the following varieties:

• Bertram Anderson is a shrub with golden foliage;
• Spicy Orange - has flowers of a light purple hue and long leaves;
• Gold Edge - has a pleasant smell and is used in cooking;
• Golden King - the leaves have a yellow border;
• Donna Vale - small yellow specks are present on the leaves of this variety;
• Silver Queen (silver queen) - blooms lilac-pink, leaves are small, silvery-white (which gave the name to the variety).

History of the use of thyme

The origins of the practical use of thyme are lost in the mists of time. Even the ancient Sumerians for 3 thousand years BC. used thyme as a powerful antiseptic. In Ancient Egypt, it was added to solutions when embalming mummies; in Ancient Greece, temples and dwellings were fumigated with it to drive out evil spirits. The Romans called thyme thymus, literally translated as "incense, fragrant substance", emphasizing its specific aromatic properties.

Due to its many useful qualities, thyme conquered medieval Europe in the 11-12 centuries. He is mentioned in all medical treatises, and the respectful queen, the king, was often added to his name. He was credited with magical properties, instilling courage, and the ability to heal from the bites of poisonous insects.

Thyme uses today

Currently, varieties of thyme are cultivated in many countries. Thyme users are interested in this plant in the following qualities:

• as a food product - as a seasoning and preservative;
• for therapeutic and prophylactic and antiseptic use;
• as a raw material for the cosmetic industry;
• for technical purposes - for the production of essential oil;
• as an ornamental plant - in flower beds, gardens, personal plots.

fishplate

In cooking

Thyme is readily used by home cooks as a seasoning:

1. Young shoots and leaves give the dishes a specific spicy aroma and pungent bitter taste. Chopped leaves or young shoots are put in soups, salads, vegetable dishes, pickles and marinades.
2. Usually cooks like to work with freshly picked top shoots of lemon thyme, but if this is not possible, dry thyme can be used. A teaspoon of dry spice is a worthy substitute for a tablespoon of freshly ground thyme.

3. Thyme is ideal for meat dishes, especially fatty ones, it goes well with cheeses and cottage cheese, as well as with poultry and fish, perfectly emphasizing their taste.

For conservation

Thyme is a good natural preservative, therefore it is often used for the preparation of marinades and food additives, specifically to extend the shelf life of products. Many housewives add thyme to the pickle of cucumbers and tomatoes - fresh thyme leaves give the marinade a special unique taste and smell. Winemakers willingly use the leaves of lemon thyme - a small amount of fresh leaves gives the drink a special unique taste and smell of lemon.

For cosmetics

The beneficial properties of thyme essential oil are widely used in the cosmetic industry. Thyme oil is added as a perfume to toilet soaps, lipsticks, creams, toothpaste, and bath products. The essential oils contained in the leaves and stems of thyme will be absorbed through the pores of the skin into the body, making it healthy.

Healing properties

Plant phytoncides have a beneficial effect on the human body, thyme is endowed with antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. In folk medicine, it is used in the treatment of:

• colds;
• heart disease;
• respiratory and nervous system;
• insomnia;
• peptic ulcer;
• pain in the abdomen.

It also has a diuretic and expectorant effect. Tea with thyme soothes, improves mood, relieves daytime fatigue. In everyday consumption, infusions and decoctions are used. Traditional healers take only the ground part of the plant, specifically the leaves and stems, saturated with essential oil. The oil is endowed with high antimicrobial and antifungal qualities, it is used externally, used in aromatherapy. Thyme extract loosens phlegm and promotes rapid coughing. In terms of its therapeutic effect, the oil successfully competes with expensive syrups and potions.

Infusion of thyme

Home Thyme Care

The lemon-scented aureus thyme, called Aureus in Russian, is gaining more and more popularity among home-breeding enthusiasts. The shrub itself is unpretentious, the lemon-smelling thyme planting and leaving the lemon variety does not require much effort, the benefits of it are obvious.

Thyme is an unpretentious plant that feels comfortable in indoor indoor conditions. The root system of thyme is of a surface type, so it can be grown in shallow pots.

Growing thyme at home does not require special conditions of detention, it is not difficult to care for it. When thyme has already been planted in a pot, home care requires only adherence to a few simple rules in terms of ensuring:

• the required temperature and humidity of the ambient air;
• full lighting;
• correct watering and spraying;
• the required soil composition and top dressing.

Temperature and humidity

In its natural environment, thyme does not grow in dry and open places, excessively warmed by the hot sun. In conditions of home cultivation of this spicy plant, the following temperature and humidity regimes are recommended:

1. The optimal temperature is considered:

• in summer - in the range from 18 to 22 degrees, maximum - 25 degrees;
• in winter - from 6 to 13 degrees.

2. Thyme is not particularly picky about the degree of humidity, 70-80% is quite "satisfied". Often, a plate of water is placed next to the flower pot so that the evaporating moisture helps to maintain the humidity at the required level. To improve the appearance in the summer, it is recommended that the plant be periodically sprayed once or twice a day with water from a conventional spray bottle. The bush will be more branched.

Potted thyme

Lighting

Thyme is very fond of the sun and grows on the slopes of the mountains or in the steppe open spaces, open to sunlight. In the apartment, he needs to provide daylight for at least 6 hours a day. The lack of lighting is compensated by special phytolamps. In the shade, the plant withers, the stems stretch, the aroma is lost.

Watering and spraying

Thyme is adapted to drying out the earth, so moderate watering is enough for it:

• in the summer - daily in small portions of soft and well-settled water, or more abundantly once every 3 days;
• in the autumn-winter period - twice a week.

Since waterlogging of the soil is undesirable for thyme, it is preferable to use daily spraying.

Soil and top dressing

Thyme grows well in light, loose soils. When growing thyme in a pot on a windowsill, the following soils are recommended for planting:

• purchased soil such as "Everything for cacti" with the addition of black soil in a ratio of 1/3;
• universal soil mixture mixed with 1/3 part of fine sand;
• a mixture of peat, turf and sand in equal proportions.

Thyme can do without additional fertilization, but if it is fertilized with liquid fertilizer once a month, it will not get any worse. Feeding with small amounts of mineral-organic complexes is advisable only for weakened plants.

Blossom of lemon thyme

The flowering period of Thymus citriodorus spans all three summer months. The flowers of lemon thyme are of the two-lipped type, the corolla of which is characterized by the following features:

• the upper lip, consisting of two teeth, is bent upward;
• the lower lip is wide, with three teeth at the apex, slightly curved downwards.

Two-lipped thyme flower

The flowers of the plant are inconspicuous and small, painted in different shades: from pinkish-white to purple, depending on the variety. The flowers are collected in spherical capitate inflorescences located at the ends of the stems. The cups of the inflorescences have a narrow bell-shaped shape. At the beginning of autumn, in place of faded inflorescences, tiny capsules with four fruit-seeds in each appear.

Propagation of thyme by seeds

Seed propagation is used when it is necessary to obtain seedlings as planting material. How to grow thyme and rosemary from seeds at home? Florists recommend:

1. If you want the thyme to bloom in the year of planting it in open ground, then:

• planting seeds is necessary at home;
• landing time - late autumn.

2. If the timing of the flowering of the shrub is not fundamental, then the planting is carried out in early spring. Before transplanting into open ground, the seedlings will have time to grow and get stronger, but they will bloom only the next year.

Choosing a soil for planting seeds

Growing thyme seeds is best done in commercially available potting mix or cactus growing medium. To the prepared soil mixture add 3 volumetric parts of chernozem.

When using garden land, the following components are added to it in small quantities:

• fine river sand;
• ash;
• fertile black soil.

Rules for growing thyme seeds in a pot

For a plant such as lemon thyme, planting seeds in a pot is performed according to the following universal algorithm:

1. A flower pot or other container with a height of no more than 5 cm is selected.

Planting pots

2. At the bottom of the pot, a layer 1-3 cm thick of washed medium-sized pebbles is laid out, which is assigned the role of a drainage system. The use of expanded clay, slate or crushed red brick is allowed. The drainage hole must let excess water pass freely and not be clogged with soil.
3. The prepared soil composition is poured into the pot and compacted.
4. The seeds of the plant are planted. It should be borne in mind that the seed of thyme is so tiny that it is simply unrealistic to sow the seeds in the prepared soil one at a time. They are evenly distributed over the covered soil and sprinkled with a layer of earth up to 1 cm thick.
5. Before the first shoots appear, the soil is periodically moistened with a spray bottle, making sure that the soil is constantly moist.

Potential Problems When Growing Thyme

When plants are cultivated in living quarters, a full-fledged imitation of the natural conditions in which they grow comes to the fore. Failure to comply with this requirement leads to sad consequences for the plant. For those planted with lemon thyme, the cultivation of this crop can be accompanied by the following problems, of which the main ones are:

1. Lack of lighting, as a result of which the peduncles are forced to stretch upward. The foliage of the bush turns pale. The aesthetic appeal of the bush is lost due to the lack of succulent leaf mass.
2. Waterlogging of the soil, leading to plant diseases.
3. Failure to comply with the temperature regime. When the temperature drops, the thermophilic thyme dies.

Thyme diseases

Thyme is susceptible to fungal ailments that affect the aboveground and root systems of the shrub.

Aboveground parts of thyme

The most common fungal disease of thyme growing on open garden ground is rust caused by rust fungus. Rust affects the aerial parts of thyme: leaves and shoots. In a diseased bush, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, the foliage loses moisture, the growth decreases sharply. If you do not fight the disease, then the fungus will spread to the entire plant, which will lead to its drying and death. A distinctive feature of rust is the presence on the affected areas of red oval pustules (tubercles-bubbles), in which the spores of the fungus-causative agent of the disease ripen. When the shells crack from the pustules, the spores spill out into the environment. Outwardly, they resemble fine rust.

Thyme growing in apartment conditions does not get sick with rust. However, there are cases when, after placing a diseased plant brought from the garden on the balcony next to a healthy thyme, the rust infection spreads to it.

Thyme

Thyme root system

Several dozen varieties of fungi are causative agents of thyme root rot, which results in:

• decay of plant roots;
• wilting of the aerial part and subsequent complete death of the plant.

Root rot is equally dangerous both for thyme growing in open ground and for domestic shrub, since an excess of moisture and temperatures exceeding 20-25 degrees are ideal conditions for the development and intensive reproduction of fungal infections.

Thyme pests

Garden insect pests cannot stand the lemon scent of lemon thyme. However, a weakened bush harm is caused by the following insects:

• Aphids that feed on leaf juice;
• A sandy slug striking the ground part;
• Weevil, laying its larvae in flowers and eating buds;
• Meadow moth, whose caterpillars gnaw on a leaf of thyme;

Meadow moth

• A spider mite, braiding all parts of the plant with cobwebs. The accumulated mite individuals are able to quickly devour the greenery of the entire bush.

In the wild, this thyme looks like a nondescript shrub. Through the efforts of gardeners-breeders, many varieties of thyme with the original color of leaves and flowers have appeared. At the same time, garden thyme has retained all its useful qualities, being a home doctor, culinary specialist, and cosmetologist.