When to sow Thyme in the UK
Thyme is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Thyme is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| East Anglia | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Northern England | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Northern Ireland | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to mid April | early January to late December |
Growing notes
A woody evergreen sub-shrub, normally bought as a plant rather than sown each year, and best planted out from mid-spring to early summer 20-30cm apart. Winter wet, not cold, is what kills it: grow it in a pot or raised bed if your soil stays damp, and trim lightly in late spring or after flowering.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 25 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 12
- Yield per plant
- 0.1 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 3 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 15 cm
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
How long until it crops
Expect the first worthwhile pick about 1 year after planting.
What usually goes wrong
- rosemary beetle
- sage and Ligurian leafhopper
- root rot in wet soil
- slugs
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for thyme.