How To Trim Thyme So It Keeps Growing

Mint and thyme are amidst the virtually resilient herbs yous can grow. They abound well in a multifariousness of conditions and absolutely thrive indoors in an Aerogarden. Knowing how to prune your thyme and mint for maximum growth is like shooting fish in a barrel to learn. The cardinal to success is to brand certain yous don't cut down to a bare stalk without new leaf nodes. Below are some tips to get you started.

Why You Should Clip Your Thyme and Mint

Whenever you harvest a thyme or mint co-operative, you are essentially pruning it. However, beyond that, pruning thyme and mint helps encourage bushier growth with more leaves, controls their size and shape, and can amend the quality of your harvests if they begin flowering. Furthermore, pruned branches tin can be used to propagate your mint and thyme plants.

Even if you aren't regularly harvesting thyme and mint, it's recommended to prune your herbs every so often. Whenever you cut a co-operative, the node (bespeak on a branch where a set of leaves grow) beneath the cut will begin to grow out shoots which will grow into new branches. Over time, regular pruning will result in a bushier, sturdier plant with more than branches and more leaves.

In an Aerogarden organization, yous besides demand to control the size of your thyme and mint, to continue them from touching the grow light and and so they don't completely crowd each other out.

Flowering can also reduce the quality of your thyme and mint. When thyme begins to flower, the stems go woodier, which may or may not be something you prefer. Meanwhile, flowering mint loses some of its smell (although it is still fragrant). Pruning equally soon as you see blossom buds emerge tin extend your harvest of loftier quality stems and leaves.

Pruning tin besides be used to propagate your thyme and mint. You tin easily grow thyme and mint from new cuttings . You can have your Aerogarden herb cuttings and grow them in more Aerogarden systems, plant them in a pot or outside, or give them abroad to friends and family.

How to Clip Thyme Growing in an Aerogarden

Harvest thyme past cut anywhere on the stem, just higher up a node (a point where a set of leaves grow). New branches volition grow from that node. For more compact, bushier growth, prune lower on the constitute, while still leaving at least one or ii nodes for new shoots to grow.

Thyme plants are very easy to prune. Using some clean garden pair of scissors, snip the stem or branch yous want to prune, leaving at least one node below. Since each thyme co-operative has many nodes close together, it's hard to make a error when pruning your thyme. The simply way to kill a thyme institute from overpruning is if you prune downwards to a bare stem with no nodes.

Diagram showing thyme growth after pruning. Every node has the potential for new shoot growth. Afterwards pruning above a node, new branches volition begin growing from the node.

To go on your thyme plant shorter and bushier in your Aerogarden, clip lower on the plant, while still leaving at least one (preferably a few) nodes beneath. As your thyme plant branches out, you can clip the branches, turning your thyme into a bushy, productive herb.

After pruning your thyme, at that place is nothing else you need to practise, and you do non need to adjust your Aerogarden nutrients or light cycle. Y'all should run across new growth at the node below the cutting you made after ane to ii weeks..

The principal stem of a thyme found gets much thicker and woodier over time, then as yous prune it more than, your thyme plant may fifty-fifty end up looking like a small tree. This also makes thyme one of the best herbs for bonsai.

How to Prune Mint Growing in an Aerogarden

When harvesting mint, cut anywhere on the stem, just above a node (a point where a prepare of leaves grow). New branches volition grow from that node. For more meaty, bushier growth, clip lower on the plant, while still leaving at least one or two nodes for new shoots to abound. Periodically check your mint for runners growing into your reservoir.

Treat pruning mint the same way you would thyme. Prune in a higher place a node, later which, two new shoots will grow, forking into ii new branches. The next time you prune, you can prune each branch separately, leaving two nodes to sprout four new shoots. Repeating this will crusade even more branching, which y'all tin use to shape your mint found into a minor shrub.

Diagram showing mint growth after pruning. While mint has fewer leaf nodes than thyme, each node has the potential to grow into new branches.

I thing to note is that mint naturally sends out runners that grow into new plants. In your Aerogarden, you don't accept to worry about mint "taking over" similar you would if planted outside. But yous should also prune any mint runners you see growing into your reservoir.

You lot don't demand to exercise annihilation else afterward pruning your mint, and there is no need to arrange your Aerogarden nutrients or light bicycle. Afterwards a calendar week, sometimes sooner, you will brainstorm to see the new shoots growing from the node beneath where you fabricated the cutting. Mint tends to abound back faster than thyme.

When Should You Prune Thyme and Mint?

You lot can prune mint and thyme at any fourth dimension, and whenever you cut a branch to harvest them, you are essentially pruning them. It is also recommended to prune thyme and mint earlier flowering for the all-time quality harvests. In your Aerogarden, it is as well brash to clip when any herbs that are touching or almost touching your grow lights, and information technology's as well a adept idea to prune them to command their overall size and then they don't oversupply each other out.

Both mint and thyme are perennial herbs, so yous tin harvest (prune) them at any time, and keep them growing back–which will happen faster in a hydroponic system like the Aerogarden. However, there are specific situations when information technology's recommended to prune thyme and mint.

For both plants, yous should prune them when they begin to grow besides large and oversupply each other out as well much, or grow tall plenty to touch on your Aerogarden grow low-cal. Clip them every so often to maintain their size and shape.

Thyme and mint as well benefit from pruning before they begin to flower. Flowering in mint is associated with less fragrant leaves, and thyme branches tend to go woodier after flowering. So, for the most pungent mint and tender thyme stems, it's best to prune when you begin seeing blossom buds. (Pro-Tip: New thyme shoots with light green stems are very tender and soft.)

Source: https://www.bountifulgardener.com/aerogarden-how-to-prune-thyme-mint/