How To Grow Thyme Indoors From Cuttings

Welcome to this post about all the stuff you could possibly want to know about growing thyme from cuttings. My favorite way of growing thyme actually. I have always found this to be the most effective and the quickest way of getting from sowing to harvesting.

.

If you want to learn even more about growing thyme then read our comprehensive guide here, How To Plant, Grow And Care For Your Thyme.

How To Grow Thyme Indoors From Cuttings

Growing thyme from cuttings is like I said in the beginning the best way of getting larger amounts of thyme. Once you have a good established thyme bush then it can go really quick multiplying that amount.

.

If you want to know about the best way to take care of cuttings and then showing them, then let’s get started. It all really starts with cutting the thyme. Here you want something that has had the time to grow out a bit and is showing signs of new offshoots. I tend to cut it below these so that I make sure the spring will have good development. These pigs usually grow in pairs of two so look for them and make sure you have at least 4 new shoots in the spring, ideally 6 would be even better.

.

After you have identified them and have cut them then prepare a glass and fill it with water. Put the thyme in. The glass should not be more than maybe one fifth or so. This is to not drown too much of the spring. You want the lower parts to develop the new roots. Too much water will drown and cause root rot.

.

Let it stay in the water for at least two weeks indoors. The best way of keeping a newly cut thyme sprig is indoors where it is most likely warmer and drier. This is the ideal climate for new thyme. The amount of water should not concern you. As if you would have sown the sprig in soil immediately and not let it form new roots then it would most likely die out. I have tried and tested this method many times and it is the one that seems to always work.

.

It will take about 2 weeks for it to form any significant roots. After this you can put in a new pot or on freeland, the choice is yours. At this point it’s healthy enough and developed enough to manage on its own. You can care for just the way you do for your already existing thyme plants.

.

Curious about the best way to trim an cut thyme so it can continue growing and provide you with harvests? Then we have out together the perfect guide just for you, find the article here, How Do You Trim Thyme So It Keeps Growing.

Growing Thyme Indoors In Winter

Growing thyme indoors during the winter is a pretty slow process but a good one as you can harvest some of your own even when the land outside might be covered with snow. I do this almost every year. If I already have some thyme in a pot or container of some sort then it’s really simple to just move it in. I either keep it under a UV light or next to a window. Note then of course that it will get less sunlight during the day then during the summer. But since the plant is taking a break from growth now that should not be an issue.

.

I like to think of the winter as the time where the herbs can finally relax a bit and not be so tense. It rests them and prepares them for the next season. If you grow your thyme on freeland or anything that isn’t a pot or container of sorts then you should not move it. Let it be and it will freeze during the winter and stay good for the next year.

.

If you want to grow thyme from seeds indoors during the winter then I would actually advise against this. It won’t get the sufficient amount of sunlight that it needs. I like to do it in spring instead of very late winter. I do this to get a headstart and have some developed seedlings when the frost finally is over and they can stay outside.

.

Want to learn how you can grow thyme from seeds? It might take some thyme but it will let you put your esthetic touch on it. Find the article here, How To Grow Thyme From Seed.

How To Propagate Thyme From Cuttings In Water

Propagating thyme from cuttings in water is just like any other herb out there really. If you can master them then you can master any of them. I like to cut off the sprigs below where new shoots are coming out. I like to have at least 4 of these on it for me to be comfortable leaving it in water and forming a root system.

.

Note that you should not cut off any thyme from a plant that has not yet developed any form of bark on the lower part of the plant. Otherwise it might be too fragile to trim and take cuttings. But once you have your cutting then carefully pick off some of the lower leaves on it. They won’t bring anything so might as well take them off. They will just be under water anyway.

.

I hope this gave some answers to your questions about growing thyme from cuttings. I want to reiterate again on growing in water. Make sure that the glass or container is not filled with too much. It will drown the spring. I usually fill a glass by about one fifth of the way up, so not a large amount.

.

Would you like to know more in detail about how long it take thyme to root. We have written an article dedicated to this. Find it here, How Long Does It Take For Thyme To Grow Roots.