How Do You Trim Thyme So It Keeps Growing

Welcome to this post about how to trim thyme the best way it can keep growing. Here we will cover some of the best techniques that you can use to successfully make your thyme thrive in your garden.

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

How Do You Trim Thyme So It Keeps Growing

So how do you trim thyme so it can keep growing and produce a bountiful harvest throughout the year? The most important part is making sure that you don’t get too aggressive. I go by the rule of never trimming more than 30 % of my plant. This will make sure that the plant is no longer stressed and will continue spreading out and becoming more bushy.

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But when choosing which places you can trim then you need to look at how the new offshoots are coming out. I always go by the rule of cutting above new offshoots. They always grow in two, or at least for the most part. With this technique you cut off one and two new growths. So you can see the rapid progress that can happen if you keep this up. I also never try to cut off any sprig or part that has formed bark. This is because it will be harder for the thyme to grow from these places.

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Looking at the conditions that the thyme plant grows in is also very important if you want to really secure the future growth of your thyme plant. The soil needs to be very well drained and the plant needs a good amount of sunlight every day. Otherwise the growth might be slowed down. As for having a nutrition rich soil, don’t worry about that as they don’t like too much of it. It likes dry and almost dead soil. Obviously there’s a limit for that but that’s the general rule I like to follow.

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In the summer is the time when thyme grows the fastest so this is when I trim the most also. I tend to water about every two weeks or so, never watering if the soil is still a bit moist. Having the right environment and setting up your thyme for success is equally as important as knowing how to trim the plant.

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To reiterate again on how you should trim. Do it where new shoots are coming out never more than 30 % of the plant. I like to cut only the top parts of the plant since I find that they grow back the quickest. Also never cut any parts that have formed bark, because it will be very difficult for the plant to regrow these parts.

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If you are curious about growing thyme either indoors or outdoors then we have actually put together such a guide that you can find here, How To Grow Thyme Both Indoors And Outdoors.

Does Thyme Grow Back After Cutting

Thyme will grow back after you cut it and it will grow back in large numbers too. I like to cut back my thyme the most at the end of the summer so it can have a couple of months of growth before the snow hits.

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But there are a few things worth knowing about cutting thyme and what to consider. When you cut off a sprig of thyme, most likely two new off shoots will grow from there. But only if you do it right. Before cutting you need to look at the plant to make sure that there are actually new offshoots coming from there. Otherwise it might be worth holding back a bit.

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I follow the rule of never cutting more than 30 % of the plant. Doing more than that will stress the plant and you run the risk of it dying instead. If you want to cut back your thyme too, do it with the top part of it. These are most likely the newest ones and these can handle being cut off. If you look closely at the bottom part you will see that it has formed a bark around it. This part you will want to avoid cutting any from since they are the foundation for the plant surviving.

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So to reiterate again, thyme will grow back after you cut it. In large amounts too. Just make sure that you don’t cut too much and you leave some room for new growth and you will have a very happy thyme plant at home.

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Would you like to learn even more about growing thyme from cuttings succesfully? We have actually put together a pretty comprehensive guide that covers a lot of this topic, find the article here, How To Grow Thyme Indoors From Cuttings.

Should I Cut Back My Herbs For The Winter

If you should cut back your thyme for winter will depend on how the plant is looking right now. If you have already taken a lot of harvest at the end of summer like I do then you might not need to cut any back. I have in recent years tried to do the most cutting at the end of summer so the plant can have a few months or so of growth before winter hits. Because they are growing outside on freeland for the most part then I feel like they get a headstart for the next year and will provide even more harvest.

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If you happen to grow your thyme in a pot and keep it outside during the summer then you don’t have to cut it back for the winter. I would instead just recommend that you bring it inside if possible. Just treat it like it’s still growing and cut when you need to. Of course the growth will slow down during the winter because it can’t get the same amount of sunlight during the day, which is one of the factors to having a fast growing thyme plant.

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So whether you should cut thyme comes down to how you have kept it. On freeland I would recommend doing the largest amount of cutting at the end of summer to give room for some more growth. If you are growing it in a pot then just bring it inside and take off it like you normally would. No larger cutting back needed.

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Want to learn how you can promote your thyme to grow very bushy? In this article we discuss exactly that topic. Find the article here, How Do You Make A Bushy Thyme.