Herb / Shoulder season
Common Thyme
Permanent herb edges, patio pots, and dry pollinator plantings.
Resinous, savory leaves for roasting and soups.
Seed spacing and maturity
- Days to maturity
- 90
- Germination temperature
- 60-75F
- Seed depth
- 0.125 inches
- Spacing
- 10 inches
- Row spacing
- 18 inches
- Start method
- Start indoors
Frost-date timing
- Indoor start
- 8 weeks before last frost
- Transplant
- 14 days after last frost
Action plan
- Can I plant this now?
- Use your local last-frost, first-frost, and soil-temperature checks before treating this crop as plantable today.
- Start indoors or direct sow?
- Start indoors, harden off, then transplant into the final bed when local timing is safe.
- How much space?
- 10 inches in-row spacing, 18 inches between rows, and 0.125 inch seed depth.
- Best companions?
- Use this as part of a diverse flowering or herb planting, and treat companion claims as site-specific rather than guaranteed pest control.
- Common failure modes?
- Wet heavy soil shortens plant life. Low to moderate water after establishment. Lean, sharply drained soil.
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate water after establishment.
- Soil
- Lean, sharply drained soil.
- Watch
- Wet heavy soil shortens plant life.
- herb
- perennial
- dry-soil
- pollinators
Browse context
- Herb Catalog Category collection
- Mint Family Rotation and family context
- Shoulder Season Seeds Season collection
- Start Indoors Seeds Start-method collection
- Container-Friendly Seeds Practical trait collection
- High Pollinator Value Seeds Practical trait collection
Related varieties
- Crimson Clover Cover Crop Legume family · Shoulder season · 90 days
- Greek Oregano Mint family · Warm season · 90 days
- Munstead Lavender Mint family · Warm season · 90 days
- Broadleaf Sage Mint family · Warm season · 75 days
- Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Carrot family · Shoulder season · 75 days
- Common Lemon Balm Mint family · Warm season · 70 days
Source: Seed Savers seed saving guide