Would you love to grow a perennial, drought-resistant ground cover plant that is attractive and evergreen? Look no further, as creeping thyme is a perfect alternative to grass. You can plant it in your garden, along walkways, or in containers, and it can thrive even in non-nutritious soil. However, before you commit to growing this plant in your yard, let’s discuss the creeping thyme lawn pros and cons.
Creeping thyme lawn pros include drought tolerance, pleasant aroma, requiring low maintenance, and preventing weeds infestation. The plant has cons like being expensive and highly invasive. Although thyme lawn has a few disadvantages, it’s among the top grass alternatives and is growing in popularity daily.
Related: Is Red Creeping Thyme Invasive?
Creeping Thyme Lawn Pros
These are the top creeping thyme lawn pros:
1. It’s drought-tolerant
This lawn is drought-resistant, requires less watering, and can survive even in prolonged dry periods. It thrives in places where other traditional grass lawns can’t grow and dislikes wet areas.
2. Requires low maintenance
Creeping thyme doesn’t require mowing; if it becomes bushy, mowing is needed only once yearly. Furthermore, fertilizing thyme lawn is unnecessary, making it an ideal grass alternative.
3. Thyme has a pleasant scent
Once you walk on red creeping thyme, it emits a pleasant aroma that makes your home smell nice. Additionally, the fragrance attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies and repels mosquitoes and rodents.
4. Prevents weed infestation
Creeping thyme is ideal for your yard if you prioritize growing a weed-free lawn. The property keeps weeds at bay as it chokes and prevents them from sprouting.
Creeping Thyme Lawn Cons
Here are two main creeping thyme lawn cons:
1. It’s expensive
If you have a large yard, planting creeping thyme can be costly. Buying seedlings or thyme lawn seeds is expensive, and planting takes time.
2. The plant is invasive
Thyme plants grow and spread to other areas aggressively and can take over other garden areas quickly. The plant can also choke out other plants and prevent oxygen from getting to other crops’ roots, damaging them.
How to Grow Creeping Thyme from Seeds
When planting creeping thyme lawn seeds, it’s advisable to do it after frost to avoid damaging them. Therefore, prepare the seed bed first, weed it, and loosen the soil.
After that, spread the thyme seeds in the area and press them into the soil. Water the place and keep the ground moist until the seeds germinate and establish fully. However, do not make the soil soggy as it can boost the rotting of roots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are common problems growing creeping thyme lawns?
A: The most common problem associated with creeping thyme yard is overwatering. The plant is drought-tolerant and hates damp conditions. Therefore, watering thyme lawns during winter can damage the plants’ roots.
Q: Why does my creeping thyme keep dying?
A: Thyme lawn may die from overwatering, as too much water causes root rot. Therefore, don’t plant it in soggy or waterlogged soil; follow the right watering schedule. Additionally, these plants may die due to over-fertilizing, old age, or lack of sunlight.
Q: Does red creeping thyme in Colorado?
A: When grown in raised beds, red creeping thyme grows well in Colorado because of its cold, hardy, and coverless characteristics, which enable it to remain green and usable throughout the winter season.
Final Thoughts
After discussing the top thyme lawn pros and cons, what now? Creeping thyme is an excellent low-maintenance ground cover or grass alternative for your lawn.
The red creeping thyme lawn grass alternative cover has several pros, including drought tolerance, pleasant aroma, and prevention of weeds infestation. Additionally, the plant doesn’t require mowing and fertilizing, thus low maintenance requirement. Thyme lawn has cons, too, like being highly invasive and expensive.
However, the plant is an ideal ground cover as its benefits outdo the drawbacks.
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