9/20/2023 0 Comments Growing thyme![]() ![]() Typically, this indicates that the soil is too wet or contains high amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. Damping off is caused by a fungus that is active when there is abundant moisture and soils and air temperatures are above 68 degrees F. The seedling emerges and appears healthy then it suddenly wilts and dies for no obvious reason. Contact your Cooperative Extension Service for fungicide recommendations.ĭamping Off: This is one of the most common problems when starting plants from seed. Make sure plants have good air circulation. ![]() Burpee Recommends: Remove affected plant parts, avoid watering at night and getting water on the plant when watering. It thrives in cool wet weather conditions. Contact your Cooperative Extension Service for fungicide recommendations.īotrytis: This fungus causes a grey mold on flowers, leaves, stems and buds. Remove infected plant parts and do not work around wet plants. Burpee Recommends: Avoid getting water on the foliage. This disease is worse in warm, wet or very humid weather. The lesions may encircle the stems and cause wilt. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.Īlternaria Leaf Spot: Small, round reddish brown spots with white to gray centers form on the upper surface of the leaves. If you notice the plants are beginning to deteriorate, prune the existing plants back hard to rejuvenate them. The lifespan of thyme plants averages about 5-6 years.If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. It’s best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. Plants need about 1 inch of rain per week during the growing season. Keep plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells.Always keep mulches off a plant’s stems to prevent possible rot. For herbs, an organic mulch of aged bark or shredded leaves lends a natural look to the bed and will improve the soil as it breaks down in time. Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures.Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating. Keep weeds under control during the growing season.Thoroughly water and apply a light mulch layer on top of the soil (1-2 inches) to conserve water and reduce weeds.Use the plant tag as a location marker.Fill with soil to the top of the root ball. Place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil.Carefully remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen the root ball with your hands to encourage good root development.Dig a hole for each plant large enough to amply accommodate the root ball.Level with a rake to remove clumps of grass and stones. Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 8 inches.Select a location in full sun with well-drained soil.This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Before planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”.If you are growing in small cells, you may need to transplant the seedlings to 3 or 4 inch pots when seedlings have at least 2 pairs of leaves before transplanting to the garden so they have enough room to develop strong roots.Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions.Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night.Sow seeds ¼ inches deep in seed-starting formula.Sow thyme seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost in spring using a seed starting kit.Thyme may be grown from seed sown early indoors or as a potted plant. ![]()
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