True thyme and its pithy subspecies can even stand up to frost down to -30 degrees Celsius. The question arises, does this also apply to herbal treasures, such as lemon thyme? Read here about the frost hardiness of Thymus x citriodorus. This is how the aromatic and herbal plant gets through the winter safely.
Lemon thyme is not as hardy as common thyme
In the bed not without winter protection
As a hybrid, lemon thyme does not have the robust frost hardiness of the pure species, even if common thyme is one of the parent plants. If you take care of the evergreen subshrub in the bed, you can only overwinter it with the help of these precautions:
- Cut back the plant by half before the first frost
- The root disc and shoots cover with a 30 cm high layer of foliage
- Lay fir fronds or brushwood over it to fix it
A breathable garden fleece, which is spread over the planting site and weighed down with stones at the edges, also offers reliable protection against frost and snow. Don't worry if the above-ground branches freeze back. As long as the roots in the ground survive the winter, they will sprout again in the spring.
Arrange better in the herb pot
In pots with a diameter of less than 30 cm, there is a risk of frostbite in the root ball. It therefore makes sense to give lemon thyme as a container plant in a winter quarters. Of course, the plant is out of place on the warm window sill in the kitchen. How to do it right:
- If the temperatures drop towards freezing point in autumn, shorten the shoots by half
- Carry the pot into a bright, frost-free room with temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius
- The lower the temperatures, the darker the winter quarters can be
- Water lemon thyme little and do not fertilize
Please place larger vessels on a block of wood in front of the protective south wall of the house. A thick winter coat made of fleece, jute or foil protects the root ball from frost damage. Cover the substrate with wood wool, autumn leaves or sawdust. In sunny, dry winter weather, water the lemon thyme on mild days.
tips
Lemon thyme thrives wonderfully in the hanging basket (€11.99) to transform the balcony into an invigorating scented garden. If the shoots hang down decoratively, you can harvest the herb plant - without the hassle of bending down - simply standing up.