You can easily multiply and grow the perennial lemon balm yourself - both in the garden and on the balcony. A rich harvest is almost certain.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a Mediterranean herb with an extremely long lifespan. The perennial, fruity plant can stay in the garden for twenty to thirty years without any problems. Thanks to its enormous growth potential, it spreads quickly and needs to be kept under control so that it doesn't take over the entire garden over time.
Lemon balm: origin and properties
Like sage (Salvia officinalis) or thyme (Thymus vulgaris) they line up Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Originally from southern and south-eastern Europe, it can now be found throughout Europe and even Asia. The perennial perennial grows upright and can reach a height of 120 cm. Its leaves are reminiscent of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). From June, the white or whitish-pink lemon balm flowers appear, which also attract a number of insects. In addition to growing in beds, lemon balm can also be cultivated in pots. If you rub the lemon balm leaves between your fingers, a light lemon scent fills your nose. The aroma ensures its popularity as a spice. Special ingredients also help lemon balm to be effective in cases of inner restlessness or stomach and intestinal problems. It is no coincidence that the mint family was named medicinal plant of the year in 1988. Cultivating the fragrant herb in your own garden is definitely worthwhile. Lemon balm is also known as lemon balm, lemon herb or garden balm.
The most beautiful species and varieties
There are two subspecies of lemon balm. In addition to the lemon balm species, there are a number of varieties that differ primarily in their leaf color.
- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis ssp. officinalis): The more well-known subspecies is the lemon balm , which remains rather small at around 60 cm and smells strongly of lemon.
- Cretan Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis ssp. altissima): The other subspecies will larger at around 90 cm and smells more like tangerine and lime. Although the name suggests otherwise, the Crete balm is hardy down to -29 °C.
- Golden Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis 'All Gold'): In addition to the lemony scent, this variety scores with golden yellow leaves.
- Dwarf Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis 'Compacta'): At about 40 cm, this variety is smaller than the species.
- Yellow Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis 'Variegata'): The yellow-green patterned leaves make this variety a real eye-catcher.
- Binsuga Lemon Balm(Melissa officinalis 'Binsuga'): The high content of essential oils makes this variety extra aromatic. It is also very vigorous and can be used ideally for tea preparation.
Tip: The white balm (Nepeta cataria ssp. citriodora) is a subspecies of catnip and does not belong to lemon balm, although its leaves also taste like lemon.
Planting lemon balm: location, sowing and Co.
If the lemon balm is in the right place, it will soon spread and thrive.
The right place for lemon balm
Due to its origin in the Mediterranean region, the lemon balm does not mind a sunny location, even in midsummer. Even a place in partial shade does not reduce the vigor of the perennial herb. It likes fresh, loose, humus-rich soil and has moderate nutrient requirements. Lemon balm can be sown directly in the garden or kept on the balcony or terrace. Since it grows very broad and bushy, it should definitely be a single plant.
Potted lemon balm: When cultivating potted lemon balm, the soil should be as permeable as possible and have enough nutrients to cover the needs of the mint family.Here, for example, our Plantura organic universal soil is suitable, which can store water for a long time but does not become waterlogged. It consists of natural ingredients and provides the lemon balm with all the necessary nutrients in the first few months. To avoid waterlogging, a drainage layer made of potsherds is recommended.
Sowing and Planting
The seeds can be spread in a warm house from February and young plants can be brought forward for planting out. As is usual for Mediterranean herbs, sowing directly into the bed can only take place once the danger of night frosts has passed. This is given from mid-May. There should be a distance of about 20 cm between the plants. In any case, the soil must be loosened up well. If the soil is very sandy or waterlogged, it should be repaired with humus-rich potting soil.
Also note: Lemon balm needs light to germinate, which is why the seeds must not be covered with substrate. For germination to occur, the temperature should be around 20 °C. Moisten the substrate only slightly, it must not be soaking wet. If you bought a specimen in a pot, you should definitely repot it in fresh, high-quality soil or plant it outside in a suitable location for the lemon balm from May.
Tip: If you have a herb spiral, lemon balm can also be planted here. It likes to grow midway up the spiral.
Good and bad planting neighbors
Lemon balm goes well with almost all perennial herbs such as thyme and mint. Neighboring plants should have the same site requirements. It is not recommended to mix it with wormwood and annual herbs, especially basil.
Lemon Balm care
It is not only its pleasant scent that is convincing, but also its robustness, because the lemon balm is very easy to care for.
Water and fertilize
Lemon balm survives a certain degree of drought - it owes this to its original, Mediterranean origin. But she is still happy about a regular watering. When growing in pots, depending on the weather and the size of the planter, it may even have to be watered daily at times. But if you give too much water, you damage the perennial herb. In persistent wetness it canquickly become infested with root fungi, which completely stretch the plant out. So make sure that the lemon balm never stands in water.
When cultivating in a bed, it is sufficient to work a primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer or alternatively compost into the soil every few years if the lemon balm has been standing for a longer period of time. When growing in a pot, you can be sure that the lemon balm is sufficiently supplied with the necessary nutrients by replacing the substrate every year when repotting.
Cut lemon balm
Thanks to the enormous growth potential of lemon balm, you really can't go wrong when cutting. Even if you cut back several times a year, the herb will always sprout unmolested. However, we recommend refraining from a last radical pruning shortly before winter. The lemon balm protects itself from frosty winter temperatures with the dried shoots.
Common pests and diseases
As a rule, the lemon balm is not attacked by diseases or pests. If signs of an infestation should be seen, this can have the following causes.
- Powdery mildew: If the leaves have a whitish coating, powdery mildew has probably struck.
- Rust: If, on the other hand, you see brown-red spots on the lemon balm leaves, it is probably an infestation by a rust fungus.
- Aphids: An infestation with aphids can be recognized directly by the small aphids themselves that cavort on the plant.
Pruning vigorously usually helps against the diseases and pests mentioned above. They often occur because the soil is too nutrient-rich, when the plant has too much nitrogen available.
Propagating Lemon Balm
There are various gardening methods to propagate lemon balm. Three of them are suitable for Melissa officinalis.
Sowing: The lemon balm propagates by self-sowing all by itself. However, it is also possible to collect the seed and spread it at the desired location. When the fruits have turned brown, they are ripe and can be removed. The seed is then detacheddried and sown as usual in spring.
Cuttings: From late spring to early summer, there are perfect temperature and light conditions to propagate lemon balm from cuttings. To do this, the shoot tips of young, juicy shoots are simply removed, which should not yet have any flowers at this early stage. Blossoms or flower buds are undesirable on cuttings as they reduce rooting success. Five to ten centimeters is the optimal length of lemon balm cuttings. The leaves are removed from the lower area, which is placed in a special cuttings substrate. For example, our Plantura organic herb and seed soil made from natural ingredients is suitable for this. Our soil is peat-free and does not pose any danger to pets or garden animals. It is best to mix in some sand to improve the conditions for the cuttings. A high humidity environment, such as that easily created in mini windowsill greenhouses, favors the formation of new roots on the cuttings.
Division: The lemon balm forms a large number of subterranean runners. So there is the possibility of multiplying the lamiaceae simply by dividing them. The time just before new growth in spring or autumn is ideal for this. Existing specimens are dug up, cut up with a spade and the pieces of lemon balm are replanted. After that it is important not to forget the first watering of the divided plants.
Is lemon balm hardy?
The lemon balm is hardy and can withstand temperatures down to - 30 °C. As previously mentioned, when cultivating in a bed, the above-ground parts of the plant that have died in autumn are ideal for protecting the lemon balm from frost damage. You can also cover them with a little leaves or twigs. If you have planted the lemon balm in a pot, you can cover it with standard garden fleece or you can bring it into the house. However, there should be temperatures of around 5 to 10 °C in a bright place so that the lemon balm can remain dormant and save energy for new spring growth.
Anyone who has successfully grown the versatile plant in the garden will be rewarded with a rich harvest. How to properly harvest, preserve and use lemon balmwe here.