Thyme is a beautiful pungent herb, worthy of a spot in your garden. Like other woody plants, Thyme performs best when it‘s pruned properly. A good hardcut back after winter and after the frosts have finished, will encourage new growth and remove dead wood. Select one third of the oldest and woodiest stems and cut these back by one half. Try to do this prune each year.
At the end of summer and after flowering, a lighter prune will ensure the plant stays healthy. Again, this prune will help the plant from becoming too woody. Spring is the ideal time to shape Thyme and it’s better to trim off small amounts until you have reached your desired shape.
Harvesting the fragrant leaves can be done anytime during summer and spring. Try not to harvest just before the on-set of winter as the young shoots need time to harden off before the colder weather sets in and there will be less die back on the plant over winter.
You can also grow Thyme indoors on a sunny windowsill and just pluck the leaves as you need them.Yum!