How to Fertilize Thyme Plants

Thyme is a Mediterranean herb grown for its culinary, medicinal and aesthetic qualities. Plant thyme in a sunny location with good drainage and natural shelter from cold winter winds. It's a hardy, perennial plant requiring a minimal amount of care, but mulch and the right amount of fertilizer will help it remain healthy for years to come.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Fertilize herbs sparingly once or twice during the growing season. Since thyme isn't a heavy feeder and grows in most well-drained soils, an excess of nutrients can decrease the concentration of flavorful oils and cause lots of foliage with very few flowers and seeds.

2. Decide what type of fertilizer best suits your growing style. Organic is available commercially, or make your own through composting. If you have access to livestock manure, add a heaping dose to your compost heap.

3. Work composted fertilizer into the soil around your thyme. Start about an inch from the base and work towards the edge of the plant. If the roots are shallow, just add a 2-inch layer on top of the soil.

4. Mulch your thyme to retain moisture during the hot summer months and to protect the roots from heaving during freezing and thawing in late winter and early spring. Good mulch, especially if you've composted it yourself, adds valuable nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.

5. Use commercial fertilizer according to the package directions. Buy the kind made specifically for garden plants and flowers. A general 5-10-5 fertilizer used sparingly once during the growing season will be sufficient, unless the soil is extremely poor. The numbers indicate the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash.

6. Add liquid fertilizer to your containers of thyme at half the recommended strength about every three weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• When making your own compost, avoid waste from carnivorous animals because of the possibility of the transference of diseases.