Four times since the middle of May I have mixed Creeping Thyme seed with fine sand, spread and gently raked it in bare soil in a small area exposed to full sun. It has received plenty of water this year with all the rain and is coming along, but very very slowly. I have been constantly pulling weeds to give it a chance to get established.
I have plenty of Thyme growing in many other areas throughout my yard, so I’m unsure why this area is struggling. The soil is the same as in other areas throughout the yard where the Thyme is more established. I was thinking it was a bad batch of seed, but I have been using Thyme from two different seed packs from OSG.
I want to replace the lawn above my septic tile bed with Thyme, but if Thyme normally takes an entire season to get established it will be impossible to compete with the weeds that spring up daily.
Does Thyme normally grow slowly from seed? Should I keep the soil wet for the first few months? What would be the best strategy to use Thyme seed as a lawn replacement in a large area overgrown with weeds? Should I consider an alternative low growing ground cover for full sun that can take light traffic.
Thank you for your time,
You have asked a very interesting question. Not having grown thyme from seed, I have gone to the internet and have found several sites which provide good information.
It takes thyme seeds 14-28 days to germinate. The general recommendation is that the seeds be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and then the young seedlings be transplanted out.
The links below should help you.
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/how-to-grow-guides/grow-thyme/
/www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/thyme/tips-for-growing-thyme-in-your-garden.htm
Good luck.