Question by Stephanie B.
Hi Sarah, I hope that you can help me. when the first lockdown started here in Sydney, I planted all my favourite herbs in small planters. They all looked and tasted wonderful back then. Life got quite busy and I never got the chance to transplant them to a proper raised garden bed until now. The roots of my thyme now takes up all the space in the planter and although the plants seemed to have died off during the winter, little green leaves are appearing. Should I plant them as they are, should I plant only the sections with a large concentration of green leaves or should I throw this one away and start from scratch with a new plant?
Sarah's answer
Hi Stephanie,
It would seem that thyme really likes growing in your conditions. Ordinarily, if a woody herb like thyme, rosemary or sage looks like it is getting really large, then it can be given a hard prune in the autumn to knock it back into a manageable shape. For the health of the plant though, it should only be done to a third of the plant at any given time so it can take a few years to rejuvenate the whole plant. In the future, only a maintenance trim is required at the end of summer to prevent it going woody again. Regular harvesting will also help it keep its shape.
Having said that, thyme plants live on average for 5 or 6 years, and after three years, their vigour and aromatic qualities decline. Given the fact that thyme is readily available at garden centres as an affordable seedling with loads of tender young growth, it is probably worth starting from fresh with a new plant. There are several varieties out there that can offer different growth habits and flavours that may suit you better.
All is not lost with the old plant – pop it on the compost or dry the woody stems and use them for a lovely smokey flavour in your summer BBQs.
I hope this helps.
Cheers Sarah
