I have used wooly thyme as an extensive ground cover in my rocky rear yard and it has thrived. So much so, that it could stand some cutting back in several areas. Am I correct in understanding that I could use some of the cuttings and transplant them to extend the ground cover to other suitable spots? If so, would I be better doing it now, to allow the roots to get established, or in the spring? Thanks Barrie
I have just planted, about 2-3 weeks ago, some woolly thyme from small pots, but they aren't doing much and I suspect will lie dormant until our west coast spring, maybe about 2 more full months! I don't think it would hurt to plant them now, though, or try one or two pieces to make sure they suvive, as you probably have done so by now. I am still experimenting with groundcovers and find on the whole, the tiny ones are quite slow-growing and not vigorous during winter in Victoria but they do, by the end of the summer, get a little more "connected" into one mass...
Thanks for the reply, janetdoyle. In the meantime, I spoke with a genleman who has also had some experience wioth thyme. He suggests planting the cuttings now and adding some Transplant type of product to the soil. He "says" that the top of the thyme will not grow between now and spring but that the roots will establish themselves in most cases. For what it's worth. Barrie
After I planted my woolly thyme into a blank spot in my vegetable garden it sat there for more than one year with little growth. After I planted it in the front yard it took off immediately. Beats me why. From there I have transplanted it into a new area, where it had proliferated hugely. In another thread somebody asked about the scraggly runners at the edges of the transplant patch. In my experience, if placed right side up, these runners will soon sprout roots and fill out the gaps between them. That may be helped by my praxis of covering the ground at the rate of a 3 cf (80 l) bail for 400 sf (35 sqm).
