Thyme: cultivation in the Urals, features of planting and care

Thyme, thyme, oregano are the name of one plant. Many gardeners today are trying to plant a garden plant in their own backyards, which is due only to the large number of useful properties of the plant and the pleasant aroma of the bushes. For the successful cultivation of thyme in the Urals, it is recommended to learn in advance about the features of planting and care.

Features of growing thyme in the Urals

Thyme is able to grow as a wild crop in the conditions of the Southern Urals. A wild plant grows where there is rocky, sandy soil, soil rich in black earth.

To be able to grow in more northern regions, it will be necessary to provide the bushes with the necessary conditions. If you want to plant a plant in the garden, it is recommended to consider the following features of the plant:

has good drought tolerance, so it doesn't require watering;
tolerates stressful situations well;
demanding about the sufficiency of light, therefore, for planting it is necessary to choose sunny open places;
capable of germinating on any soil except clay;
propagates well by seeds or division of bushes.

This herb is used as a tea, seasoning, fragrance, and cosmetic ingredient. Due to its bactericidal and expectorant properties, the plant is often used as an ingredient in traditional medicine recipes.The inflorescences of bushes have the ability to attract bees, so the plant is an excellent honey plant.

Date of planting

The timing of planting depends on the chosen method of growing the plant. Work with seeds to obtain seedlings is carried out in March. When sowing seeds in the ground, the best time is considered to be the moment of sufficient heating of the soil, when the soil warms up to positive temperatures. In the conditions of the Urals, the seedling method is the most popular.

Soil preparation

Thyme loves nutritious light soils that don't have high levels of acidity. The plant looks great on alpine slides, as a frame for paths and near artificial ponds. Vegetable crops are considered the best predecessors. It is recommended to choose a separate area for growing thyme, since an average of 5 years pass until an adult plant is obtained.

Soil preparation is as follows:

in autumn, the planting site is carefully dug up, removing weeds and remnants of foreign crops;
fertilize in the form of rotted manure and superphosphate;
in the second half of April, the soil is carefully dug up, leveled so that there are no lumps, fertilizer is applied in the form of urea.

Then, landing is carried out by any of the selected methods.

Landing

Planting can be carried out by sowing seeds into the ground, seedling method of dividing the bushes. Thyme seeds germinate slowly and the plant grows for a long time, so the second option is more often used in the Urals.

Seeds are sown directly into the ground, leaving 40 cm between rows.Seeds do not need to be buried, it is enough to sprinkle 1 cm of river sand on top. +20 C is considered the optimal temperature for germination. In connection with this feature, after planting, the sowing place is covered with a film, thus ensuring better seed germination. The first shoots appear together after 15 days.

When choosing a seedling method, seeds are sown in mid-March, covered with a small amount of sand on top. For the possibility of planting seedlings in the ground, the age of the bushes should be 70 days. Leave a distance of at least 30 cm between rows.

Reproduction by dividing the bushes is carried out before the onset of cold temperatures. To do this, the plant is completely dug up and divided into parts. The size of each of them must be at least 5 cm. Each individual bush is rooted under a jar or in a greenhouse. Planted in the desired place after the formation of the root system.

Care

Care consists in carrying out periodic loosening of the soil, weeding and watering. When pruning thyme bushes to the stiff part, the formation of shoots will be better, and they will be more compact. The decision on the need for top dressing is made individually, depending on the quality of the soil and the he alth of the plant.

Once every 2 years the plant is seated, otherwise the flowers become much smaller in size. Recommendations for planting and soil selection are similar to the method of propagation by division.

Despite the good qualities of resistance to winter frosts, in the conditions of the Urals, planting is recommended to be closed during this period. Before the onset of a cold snap, the bushes are watered and covered with lutrasil, cardboard, peat, and fallen leaves. In the spring, the protection is removed, with the help of a secateurs, frost-bitten and dried branches are cut off.

Irrigation

The nature of watering should be moderate. Thyme does not like excessive waterlogging and does not tolerate acidification of the soil. With sufficient natural precipitation, soil moistening is not carried out. In hot summers, it is enough to water no more than twice a week.

Feeding

The plant does not need a large amount of top dressing, but additional fertilization into the soil has a positive effect on the formation and flowering of the plant. For such purposes use:

ammonium;
potassium s alt;
ammonium nitrate;
superphosphate.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil when preparing the soil for future planting in the fall and spring.It is enough to add in the fall for 1 m² a glass of wood ash and 40 grams of superphosphate. Immediately before planting, the soil is carefully loosened to a depth of 10 cm and a teaspoon of urea is added for every 1 m^2.

After cutting, you can feed the plant with a solution of liquid mullein or a complex of mineral fertilizers, which can be applied from the second year of life of a horticultural crop. Thyme does not tolerate the introduction of fresh manure into the soil.

Pests

Thyme is resistant to various pests. The spicy smell of the plant repels many harmful insects, so the plant is often used for such purposes in home gardens. The main pests are considered to be weevil, aphids, meadow moths. Most often the bushes are affected by aphids. For prevention, the following solution is used:

soda ash 1 tbsp. l.;
liter of water;
laundry soap.

The affected bushes are treated with this tool.

Diseases

Diseases rarely affect thyme and their appearance is mainly due to non-compliance with the rules for caring for the plant. Excessive watering and untimely removal of grass lead to the appearance of fungal diseases. Prevention is the introduction of lime or alkaline fertilizers into the soil.

Harvesting

Harvesting Thyme for medicinal use is harvested at the time of flowering, which continues through August. To do this, the aerial part is cut off with scissors or secateurs, placing it in a basket. In most cases, the method of natural drying is used for storage. The use of special dryers is not recommended, as this causes the volatilization of essential oils.