Question
Can I plant Magic Carpet Creeping Thyme seeds in early June? Is it better to plant them outdoors, start indoors and transplant, or wait to plant alltogether?  I live in Indiana. I have a path I want to fill, part of it slopes so I want to get something planted with roots to prevent some dirt washing away.  When is too late to plant?  Will it survive as long as I keep up with watering?

Answer
Hello Shannon,

Since you live in Indiana, your climate is a lot like mine.

The easiest and most effective way to grow creeping thyme at this time of the year is to sow it directly in the ground, since frost danger is no longer a concern. Prepare the area outdoors where you wish to plant it, loosening and weeding the soil. Then scatter your seed. Press them firmly into the soil. Then keep the seeds consistently moist. Do you have a sprinkler head with a mist option? I find that using this setting is the most efficient way to moisten seeds without washing them away.  

It would be good to start it as soon as possible, because as the weather gets hotter it becomes more difficult to keep seeds moist. I actually direct sowed some past earlier this week.

In the future, if you wish to start indoors, you can do approximately 6-8 weeks before the last frost, and transplant them into the garden once the weather has settled.

Is this clear. Please feel free to write back with any questions,

Best regards,

Donna