Marshall's Thyme: variety description, planting and care with photo

In nature, there are more than 400 species of thyme, in Russia creeping thyme and Marshall's thyme, used in traditional medicine, are common. These are beautiful semi-shrubs with purple flowers in capitate inflorescences.

Features of the variety

Thyme is a semi-shrub 10-35 cm high, leaf blades are oblong-elliptical in shape, it has a finished inflorescence with spaced rings of intermittent shape. Air corollas perennial produces a lavender tone. After the end of lush flowering, fruits ripen - miniature nuts. The total height of the shrub is 10-35 cm.These are the general characteristics of the life-giving thyme variety.

Term of beautiful flowering: from half of warm May to the end of sultry August. The area of distribution of life-giving thyme is the Far East, Western Siberia, the European part of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine. Perennial prefers rocky slopes, found among shrubs in illuminated forests, on picturesque edges, spacious steppes.

Benefits of Thyme Marshall

This life-giving herb is often used in folk recipes. The ground part of the perennial is collected. Natural perennial infusions based on skimmed milk are used for diagnosed amenorrhea, in the presence of acute respiratory infections, severe toothache.

In sunny Bulgaria, natural herbal infusions in the form of small lotions are used as an excellent wound healing composition - from bad breath, with diagnosed stomach cancer.

In Kyrgyzstan, a fresh infusion of life-giving thyme is drunk internally as a remedy for radiculitis, to quickly relieve spasms.

Externally, a decoction of fresh thyme is applied in the form of light lotions, aromatic baths are taken on the basis of life-giving infusion, and healing compresses are made. In Altai, people know that the fragrant infusion of thyme helps with severe headaches and fever. On the territory of the Middle Volga region, this healing agent is actively used as an expectorant during whooping cough, a progressive respiratory infection.

Based on thyme Marshall, a light essential oil is made, suitable for further use in perfumery and cosmetology, it is also used as a fragrant spice when frying fish.

Features of growing thyme

Growing this perennial doesn't require much effort, any beginner gardener can handle it.Fresh thyme perfectly tolerates the conditions of dry summers and harsh winters. In order for the perennial to grow and develop intensively, it needs a sufficient amount of moisture. Fresh thyme is unpretentious in terms of soil composition, it does not grow well on clay soils with a high level of acidity.

Date of planting

In the garden plot, selected thyme seeds are sown in the spring and autumn. The optimal time for planting ripened perennial seeds is spring, after the end of frost. On the day of planting, the weather should be sunny, warm. To keep perennials indoors, ready-made cuttings and seeds are planted in the ground at any time.

Preparing the landing site

Before planting seeds, the site should be prepared, actions are performed:

• Dig a hole, the optimal size of which exceeds the diameter of the pot by 2 times.
• Prepare a suitable soil composition: earth and sand are mixed in equal proportions, part of the finished mixture is poured into a pot.
• Carefully remove the finished seedling from a plastic pot, fluff up a strong rhizome.
• The thyme is placed in a hole, the permissible depth of the initial planting is the same as in a pot.
• Sprinkle the pit with the nutrient mixture, trample it down and water it abundantly.

Landing

During the initial planting, unpretentious thyme does not require special conditions. In order for the life-giving plant to grow and develop well in a new place, the following conditions are met:

• Choose the right place to place it.
• Meet the stated time of first boarding.
• Water and feed.

For the initial landing, choose a sunny place, not blown by crosswinds. Thyme is afraid of constant drafts. The selected soil on the site for the normal development of the plant is light, drained, with a neutral level of acidity. If the soil in the horticultural area where the primary planting is planned is heavy, with a high moisture content, then it is diluted with sifted sand.

Care

Caring for an unpretentious thyme is simple, just follow the rules of watering, periodically loosen the near-stem circle, weed weeds.

Irrigation

Thyme is drought-resistant, it will not survive stagnant moisture - the roots will begin to rot, be affected by various diseases. In the dry period, young thyme is provided with moderate watering, dry in spring and during active growth, it also needs moderate moisture.To avoid stagnation in rainy times, the trunk circle is sprinkled with fine gravel.

Feeding

Thyme does not require constant application of nutrient formulations. Before the initial planting, high-quality humus must be introduced into the selected soil. In this case, the seedling does not need additional feeding for a whole year. In late spring or early summer, a liquid mineral composition is applied annually.

Diseases and pests

During the vegetative development, the perennial is weeded, the near-stem circle is loosened, the tender soil around is mulched so that moisture stagnation does not happen, so detrimental to it. Fresh thyme exudes an aroma that repels insects. In case of violation of the basic rules for the care of fragrant thyme, pests may attack:

• Meadow moth spoils fresh leaves and buds, when the slightest sign of damage appears, it is treated with an insecticide solution.
• Sandy lingering - affects the aerial parts of the perennial. To fight it, poison baits are successfully used.
• The dangerous weevil prefers young greens and fresh buds. The method of disposal here is similar, only treatment with potent insecticides is additionally done.
• Aphids spoil fresh leaves, immature stems, die after careful treatment with potent insecticides.

Following all the recommendations for care, you can grow he althy thyme, which is then harvested for the winter.

Harvest and storage of crops

When a lot of purple inflorescences appear in thyme, the collection and preparation of medicinal raw materials begins.Herbs are harvested during warm, dry weather, from morning to 5 pm. The plant must dry out from the dew, otherwise mold will form on it. Immediately after harvesting, a life-giving tea is made from the collected herbs. For this, they do not wait for flowering, because thyme leaves also have a unique aroma.

Dry the collected material in a ventilated area, in the attic or veranda. After complete drying, the finished collection is packed in cotton bags.

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