Home»Companion Planting
Thyme is an redolent herb that we all love for its unforgettable tone in various dishes . If you ’re like me , you do n’t care picking these herbs at the grocery memory . or else , you want your own homegrown , constitutive herb .
So , I like maturate my own thyme , but I ca n’t just plant it on its own . I ’ll have too much of it . Interplanting and paring thyme with other herb and veggie is ideal . So , what companion plants do I recommend ?
Good companions for thyme include brassicas , shallots , eggplant , tomatoes , corn , lavender , strawberry , rosemary , and sage . forefend pairing thyme with chive , cilantro , and basil , as these do not opt similar mature conditions as thyme .
Below , I ’ve explained why the select associate are worthy and why you should avoid interplanting thyme with some plants – all from a master nurseryman ’s degree of sentiment .
Best Companion Plants for Thyme
Thyme can be interplanted with unlike types of plants , including vegetables , fruits , and herb . These associate plants divvy up similar environmental preferences with thyme or gain from its power to deter pests and attract good insect .
I like the fact that thyme require very small garden space to expand . It carries a face pack of benefits , too : deters bug , attracts beneficial dirt ball , and provides ground cover .
The convention of quarter round is to take plant that wo n’t compete too firmly with thyme for nutrients , sunlight , body of water , and other resources . I ’ve seen thyme struggle when interplanted with tall plant or heavy feeders .
That said , here are some of the good flora to pair with thyme :
Brassicas
Thyme has a warm scent that deters common brassica pests such as cabbage looper , Brassica oleracea worms , and aphid . plant it in your brassica garden will facilitate protect the vegetable works from these pets .
Thyme does n’t need much outer space to fly high . It nicely fills in narrow gaps in my brassica garden , so I do n’t have to give too much of the distance for vegetables .
Cabbage , for instance , is n’t a magniloquent plant , so it makes sense to grow it together with thyme .
Brassicas develop beautiful flowers but will still need insect pollinators.[1]The beautiful blush on thyme also draw good insects to the garden , which help to pollenate the brassicas . However , notice that most thyme change only take off flowering from the 2d time of year onwards .
illustration of brassicas to copulate with thyme are :
Shallots
Shallots are also skilful companion plants for thyme since they boost flavor when pair with the Mediterranean herbaceous plant . Moreover , thyme is also a pest deterrentand will keep shallot free of insect and aphid .
Meanwhile , red thyme is a assortment known to attract hoverflies . This beneficial insect feed on common shallot pests such as aphid , thrip , and onion maggots .
Worley ’s pro tip : If you have a pocket-sized garden , consider complementing your multiplier onion with thyme to keep on space , as thyme does n’t call for much space to flourish .
Eggplant
Thyme arrest thymol , a mixture of compounds with insecticidal properties . eggplant bush are highly vulnerable to moths and aphid . By plant eggplants alongside thyme , you may keep these pesky pest aside .
Eggplants are also occasionally vulnerable to a fungous disease called phomopsis blight ( see details byDr . Ronald French of Texas A&M here . )
This disease assail the eggplant fruit and stems , induce the latter to break off . you could protect Solanum melongena from this disease by inter - planting them with thyme , as thymol also has anti - fungous properties .
Tomatoes
To boost the look of your tomatoes , consider using thyme as a companion plant . This fragrant herb will also dissuade tomato plant hornworms from invading the tomatoes .
Hornworms flow on love apple foliage , circumscribe the plant ’s power to photosynthesize .
Corn
Thyme has a potent smell that deters corn pests like clavus earworms . The larvae of these pestilence feast on maize foliage , resulting in a reduced capacity to photosynthesize , as well as scrawny growth .
When pairing corn with thyme , do n’t grow the taller Indian corn plant on the northerly side of the thyme plants . Doing so will ensue in maximum shading of thyme in the afternoon , thus forbid the sun - make out herb from flourishing .
Lavender
Lavender and thyme are both redolent herb that grow comfortably when inhume - constitute in a polyculture system . to boot , both of these industrial plant bloom in the bounce and summertime , filling the garden with a mixing of red , pink , and regal blooms .
pair lavender and thyme is a great style to make your garden more vivacious during the growing season .
you could also pair thyme and lavender in a container and grow them indoors , provided the precondition are favorable . Use a well - draining , flaxen filth mixture and put the container next to a cheery windowpane .
Worley ’s advice : The combination of lavender and thyme help to protect other plant in the garden from pests since both herb have strong fragrances .
Strawberries
twin thyme with strawberry for a big strawberry mark yield harvest . Thyme produces cherry-red , bloodless , or pinkish bloom in the fountain / summer , which last for about a calendar month .
These colorful salad days draw in honeybees and other pollinator insects that cross-pollinate the strawberries , resulting in higher fruit yield .
Strawberry industrial plant have a low growth visibility and thus cater excellent groundcover , prevent the territory from dry out too fast .
to boot , they direct out runners which suppress any pot that could contend with thyme .
See morecompanion plant for strawberry mark .
Worley ’s take : ‘ Creeping thyme ’ is a thyme miscellany that we use in landscaping as a groundcover plant . It also send off out lateral ball carrier that originate very cursorily , forming duncish groundcover . When this type of thyme is inter - planted with strawberry , you get a reliable ground cover ‘ rug ’ to protect against soil eroding and loss of moisture .
Rosemary
Rosemary and thyme are both Mediterranean herbs , so they thrive in similar environmental conditions . Plant them together in well - draining garden soil and countenance the ground appease dry for a while in between watering sessions .
Moreover , both rosemary and thyme are perennial herbs . When paired in warmer climates , they remain green throughout the year , thus keeping your garden looking green .
Sage
Thyme and sage have interchangeable requirements and environmental preferences . They do n’t like wet antecedent and opt tight - draining soil . In fact , if you have a garden with flaxen soil , consider pairing thyme with sage , as they ’re both relatively drouth - tolerant .
Additionally , both sage and thyme are perennial . They reseed themselves and come back every year . This companion plant duo , therefore , make for a low - maintenance garden that does n’t require to be reseeded every season .
Plants NOT to Pair with Thyme
Plants that do n’t partner off well with thyme include cive , cilantro , andbasil . These plants flourish in moist soil condition , whereas thyme opt to stay on the dryer side .
If you pair schnittlaugh , cilantro , or basil with thyme in dampish soil , the thyme plant will hurt from tooth root rot disease .
On the contrary , if you couple them with thyme in dryer soil atmospheric condition that are only favourable to thyme , they ’ll fight to grow .
You should also avoid couple thyme with common fennel since the latter typically contend for imagination when paired with other garden flora .
My final thoughts
So there you have it , my weft for the good companion plants for thyme . Remember , thyme is a hardy little herbaceous plant that gives so much to the garden . geminate it with industrial plant that wo n’t compete too hard for sunlight and nutrients and avoid interplanting it with moisture - loving herb like chive , cilantro , and basil .
FAQs
Is thyme a good companion plant for cucumbers?
No , cucumbers and thyme are not idealistic companions . Cucumbers take frequent lacrimation while thyme expand in desiccant condition , so their lacrimation indigence are too different .
What are common issues with thyme?
Thyme is prone to rout bunkum if overwatered . It also attracts wanderer pinch in hot , dry conditions . Prune this herbaceous plant on a regular basis to foreclose it from becoming woody and unproductive . Also , avoid growing it next to works that are prone to spider mites and aphids .
Will thyme choke out weeds in my garden?
Thyme can suppress gage when planted densely as a ground cover . Most thyme varieties spread steadily in dense , depressed flatness that cross the soil surface . As the thyme meet in , it crowds out space , so weeds have difficulty establishing themselves . I advocate planting thyme densely and giving it time to unfold into a deep matte for in effect weed ascendance .
If you have questions , contact me at alex@gardenine.com
register more : How to Grow Thyme Indoors .
