Even the brightest grow lights pale in comparison to the sun. Hardening off is important for seedlings started indoors since they’ve only been exposed to artificial light. Hardening off is the process of gradually increasing exposure of an indoor seedling or overwintered plant to outdoor conditions. It’s recommended to harden off overwintered thyme when taking it outside. Do I Need to Harden Off Overwintered Thyme? Thyme is frost hardy, but going from a constant room temperature to a sudden frost can shock the plant. You can take overwintered thyme back outside after the threat of frost has passed. When Should I Take My Overwintered Thyme Outside? ![]() You also don’t need to prune thyme after taking it outdoors in the spring. You can prune down to a few inches before overwintering or you can keep it unpruned and just keep harvesting fresh cuttings for the kitchen over the winter. I’ve successfully overwintered thyme either way. Unlike overwintered peppers, thyme does not need to be pruned when brought indoors or taken outside. Do I Need to Prune Thyme Before or After Overwintering? If you are repotting your thyme before bringing it inside, water it well after repotting and avoid adding any fertilizer for a few weeks. When overwintered, thyme will grow more slowly, needing even less fertilizer, and will also require less water because of the more controlled climate and less sunlight indoors. The only time I fertilize my thyme is after a big harvest early to mid season. In fact, if you’re growing in even moderately fertile soil, you don’t need to fertilize it at all. Thyme is a hardy, Mediterranean herb, so even when grown outside it can tolerate poor soils and dry conditions. Fertilizing is also not necessary, but if you do want to give your thyme a boost over the winter, use quarter strength fertilizer once or twice over the winter. Water when the top inch or so of soil is dry. You do not need to water thyme often inside. Watering and Fertilizing Overwintered Thyme ![]() However, thyme can easily tolerate indirect light, so next to any window will suffice. The ideal location for thyme is by a sunny north-facing window. As long as you give it a minimum of indirect light (the more light the better) and don’t overwater it, it should survive and continue to give you fresh thyme to use over the winter. If you do keep your thyme in the garage, make sure the garage is insulated or heated if you live in Hardiness Zone 5 and below, and that your thyme is still getting indirect light. I never got around to bringing them in (they were buried between a bunch of other overwintered plants), however, both managed to survive, although one which was completely shaded ended up dying after taking it outside. I would rather save the grow lights for more light-hungry plants such as peppers (which you can also overwinter indoors).Īnecdote time: Last year I kept two thyme plants overwintered in my insulated garage, with very little indirect light. ![]() Grow lights are not necessary, but you can use them if you want. Any window will work, but if you have a north-facing window, it will not only survive but thrive well into spring. Thyme will easily survive the winter with indirect sunlight. However, thyme is also a notoriously hardy plant, and can tolerate indirect light, making it ideal for overwintering indoors or even keeping it as a permanent fixture on a windowsill herb garden. Thyme is native to the Mediterranean region, so it thrives in full, direct sun. If you do decide to keep your thyme outdoors and you live in Zones 5-6, cover with mulch or garden fleece for added protection. Furthermore, if your thyme is in a small pot, the roots will be more vulnerable to frost. However, overwintering is recommended if you live in Zone 6 or below, unless extra winter protection is provided.Įven if you live in Zone 5, I would overwinter thyme indoors, as depending on the local microclimate and where you’re keeping your thyme, it could be more vulnerable to fatal frost damage even at 0☏ (-18☌), especially if you have a freak spring frost like in 2021. Most thyme varieties are frost hardy, down to USDA Hardiness Zone 5, which corresponds to an average extreme minimum winter temperature of -10☏ to -20☏ (-23☌ to -29☌). Thyme Temperature Tolerance – Should You Overwinter It? Do I Need to Harden Off Overwintered Thyme?.When Should I Take My Overwintered Thyme Outside?. ![]() Do I Need to Prune Thyme Before or After Overwintering?.Watering and Fertilizing Overwintered Thyme.Thyme Temperature Tolerance – Should You Overwinter It?.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |