How to grow lemon balm from seeds in the country. How to plant melissa

Melissa has a subtle, unobtrusive pleasant aroma. She, like mint, has been popular with gardeners all over the world for many centuries. Already from the very name of the plant, one can judge its splendor, because the melissa was named after the exquisite ancient Greek nymph - Melissa.
Melissa is a wonderful herb that is a real find for the culinary specialist. Due to its aroma, the plant is used to prepare various dishes. In lemon balm, a honey and mint aroma is intertwined with a thin thread, ideally complementing salads, compotes, and desserts.
You can grow lemon balm on your own plot and even in pots on the windowsill. According to professional summer residents, there is nothing easier than growing lemon balm at home.

Plant features

Melissa is a perennial herb up to 80 cm high. The plant, depending on the variety, has leaves from green to silver, may have a different shape. It is worth noting that the leaves of lemon balm, regardless of the variety, are “pubescent” with slightly noticeable villi. The plant has a well-branched root. It blooms with small fragrant flowers of white, pink or purple color. This exotic herb is able to set fruits - leave the color until fully ripe and brown berries will definitely form in its place.
At the first breath, the leaves mashed in the hands resemble a lemon sound. But the more you enjoy the aroma of culture, the more versatile the aroma becomes.
Melissa, the cultivation of which has been popular in recent years, is a spicy crop valued for its aroma. It tastes bitter.

Beneficial features

The fragrant plant has not only a unique smell, but it is also very useful. The delicate leaves of the plant contain a large amount of vitamin C, which is indispensable for the immune system, and essential oils.
Due to its composition, the plant has always been popular not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology. Melissa tea or tincture will help get rid of poor appetite, insomnia, eliminate headaches, relieve stress, and eliminate depression.
Melissa retains its medicinal and culinary properties for a long time. Even after 24 months, dried melissa grass will still be fragrant and healthy.

Features of varieties

Melissa is a popular aromatic plant. Today, many varieties have been bred, but the most beloved among summer residents are lemon, lime, upright, pearl.
Breeders also bred decorative varieties. For example, the Pure Gold variety has yellow leaves. In the sun they play with rays, shimmer and shine. Such plants are used to create flower beds and rockeries. It is not suitable for use in food or for the preparation of medicinal tinctures.
Variegated variety has a rich aroma. The plant is easy to care for and can even be grown in flowerpots on the windowsill. Variegated melissa has small leaves with a rich green color.
In European countries, lemon balm is grown on a field scale. It has become an irreplaceable spice. In our country, lemon balm is grown only for our own needs. If you have not yet settled lemon balm in your summer cottage, be sure to do it. Just a few leaves of a fragrant plant can add a twist to a familiar dish.

seed propagation

The easiest and most affordable way to grow this grass in a summer cottage is seed propagation. Seeds can be collected from an adult bush or purchased at a specialized store. Melissa growing from seeds which allows you to enjoy the freshness of the entire warm period is not demanding on soil, humidity, tolerates low temperatures perfectly.

The plant is not afraid of frost and feels great even at high sub-zero temperatures. That is why you can sow seeds at any convenient time - even in the autumn. There are no clear restrictions for sowing fragrant grass seeds. Seeds can be germinated in spring, summer and even late autumn.
Rules for sowing melissa seeds:

• Grows in luxurious bushes. Therefore, it requires enough space for full development. When planting seeds in rows, it is necessary to ensure a row spacing of at least 30 cm.
• It should be sown at the rate of 2 g of dry seeds per m2.
• Seeds do not need strong deepening. They are sown to a depth of no more than 2 cm.
• Seeds are durable. Even after 3 years of storage, they will give friendly and uniform shoots.
• Dry seeds are sown in open ground. Do it in the spring. When planting in summer, it is recommended to use seedlings.

Lemon balm seeds are very small, and seedlings do not differ in abundance at the first stage of growth. That is why professionals recommend mixing lemon balm seeds with other crops, for example, lettuce or radish. Seeds are mixed 2:1 - for 2 parts of additional culture 1 part of lemon balm. This approach will allow you not to lose seedlings. Until the culture rises and grows to a noticeable size, radishes or lettuce can already be eaten.
In the first year of growth, young plants bloom, but do not set seeds. The fragrant culture needs time to gain strength and form an adult bush, ready before the formation of seeds. Melissa simple cultivation and simple care which allows you to enjoy fragrant tea gives a full harvest only in the second year of growth.
The best option for planting melissa from seeds is to grow seedlings.

Growing seedlings

Planting seedlings in open ground

Melissa is picky about the place. To plant a plant, you need to choose a space under the tree. But the place should not be dark, direct sunlight can also have a detrimental effect on the plant. Fragrant culture feels ideal in partial shade.
The soil for planting seedlings is prepared in advance. Melissa prefers slightly acidic sandy soil.
Preparing a place for planting seedlings of lemon balm:

• In autumn, they dig up a bed for lemon balm, choose weeds, unnecessary roots.
• Apply mineral fertilizers, rotted manure.
• In the event that the site has acidic soil, the place for seedlings is drained with brick or fine gravel. Acidic soil contributes to the formation of root rot - the plant dies sooner or later.
• Melissa loves high places. That is why the grass bed is made high.

Clay soil should be diluted with sand.

In the spring, the prepared bed should be cleared of weeds. Can be weeded by loosening the soil after winter rest. Mark the rows at a distance of at least 30 cm between each other. The ideal row spacing is 45 cm. Seedlings are planted in one or two rows in a checkerboard pattern. The distance between plants should be 40 cm. If there is no need to save a landing site, the distance between plants increases to 60 cm. In such “chic” conditions, lemon balm will be able to reveal all its advantages. Having room to grow will allow a strong and branchy shrub to form.
The aroma of lemon balm is most saturated and refined until the moment of flowering. That is why it is harvested before the formation of flower stalks, trying to get the most sophisticated smell. .

Agrotechnics for sowing melissa seeds

Although propagation by lemon balm seeds is not an easy task, it is he who is preferred by professionals. After all, a bush grown from seeds is more resistant to adverse environmental factors. The lemon aroma with the seedling method is revealed much deeper.

Seed sowing technology:

• Lemon balm seeds are soaked for several hours in a weak solution of manganese. A simple procedure will ensure the disinfection of seeds, the elimination of fungi.
• Seeds are sown in prepared containers 0.5 cm deep.
• Crops are gently moistened with settled water at room temperature.
• Boxes with seeds are covered with plastic wrap or glass, forming a kind of greenhouse.
• After 2 weeks, the first sprouts of fragrant lemon balm appear.
• After the formation of 2 leaves, the crops are thinned out.

Using this technology, you can grow lemon balm on the windowsill.

Care of young plants

• Melissa prefers bright places to grow. Provide her with such a place, and she will thank you with fragrant greens.
• Melissa is demanding on soil moisture. In summer, in extreme heat, it must be watered abundantly. When the temperature drops, watering the plants is stopped.
• Melissa responds well to timely pruning. In addition, removing greenery from the bush delays the flowering period.
• Melissa loves nutritious soil and is grateful for the fertilization. You can use both mineral and organic fertilizers.

Melissa is an amazing plant that is very easy to grow in your own country house. With very little effort, you can achieve a high yield and enjoy the lemon-honey aroma of an exquisite plant all year round.

The homeland of this spicy plant is the Mediterranean forests. Nevertheless, in our latitudes, summer residents have excellently learned how to grow lemon balm in their backyards. But not only in the dachas you will see this fragrant plant. Increasingly, one can meet lemon balm on the windowsills of city apartments.

After all, it is very convenient to always have fresh spices and medicinal plants on hand. That's about it how to grow lemon balm at home, we want to tell you in this article.

Melissa Description

This plant is famous for its lemony smell with honey notes; its name is translated from Latin as “bee leaves” into Russian. The fact is that the fragrant leaves of lemon balm for bees have a special appeal. Some beekeepers even rub bee hives with the leaves of this herb in order to attract bees.

We most often meet variegated medicinal (lemon) lemon balm. This plant in the form of a dense curtain with straight, gently lowered, branched stems grows up to a meter in height. Simple, serrate leaves of lemon balm are light green in color, and not very expressive flowers, located in the axils of the leaves, are whitish-pink. The flowering period of the plant is the end of summer. Botanists classify lemon balm as a member of the mint family.

Useful properties of lemon balm and its application

The ability of this plant to smooth out nervous disorders and spasms, relieve convulsions, normalize the work of the heart and relieve negative emotions has been known to people since the time of Pliny. Even then, lemon balm was used as an antibacterial agent in the treatment of wounds received on the battlefield.

The Arabs were the first to cultivate this plant; lemon balm came to northern Europe from Spain thanks to the Benedictine monks who grew it in the monastic beds. Since that time, this herb is often referred to as lemon balm.

The era of knights gave us melissa healing tincture recipe. The famous medieval healer Paracelsus wrote about her as an elixir of life. He and not only he believed that lemon balm, boiled in wine, gives strength, vigor, prolongs youth and sharpens even the most clouded mind.

The English of the Elizabethan era made it fashionable to carry “tuss-mousse” with them all the time - small bouquets, which included, in addition to lemon balm, other fragrant herbs. In this way, they tried to smooth out and disinfect the stench of the then cities with the help of fragrant plants.

Modern research confirms the beliefs of our ancestors. Melissa essential oils have volatile properties, in addition, this plant contains a large amount of vitamin C, acids (coffee, ursolic, oleanolic), carotene, tannins, copper, fatty oils. This composition causes medicinal properties of lemon balm.

Herbalists and herbalists prescribe lemon balm for:

• rheumatism,
• dizziness,
• reduced immunity,
• fainting
• insomnia
• skin rashes,
• nervous exhaustion,
• ulcers
• inflammation of the mucous membranes,
• hypertension and other diseases.

Possessing excellent healing properties, lemon balm has found wide application in cooking. This spice perfectly complements salads, drinks, soups and side dishes. Melissa goes well with fish, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms and cucumbers. In dry form, this plant complements the smell of black pepper with lemon notes well.

• The use of lemon balm in medicine and cooking- useful recipes for dishes, teas and baths.

Growing lemon balm on the windowsill

In open ground, this plant can be found both in cultivated form and in the wild in almost the entire European part of the Russian Federation, in the Caucasus and in the Crimea. In nature, lemon balm prefers shady areas of the edges, wet gorges, in summer cottages it feels good in the company of parsley or dill in open sunny areas.

Habitat requirements for indoor lemon balm

Based on the above, it is best to place a pot of lemon balm on a sunny windowsill(east, south and west), otherwise the leaves of the plant will not be so fragrant. You will have to compensate for the lack of illumination in winter with additional illumination in the form of a fluorescent lamp with a power in the range of 40-80 watts. Hang such a lamp 60 cm above the plant and turn it on in the morning for 6 hours. This mode will allow your lemon balm to form well-developed fragrant healing leaves.

Melissa does not like direct sunlight and drafts. This heat-loving plant can sprout and can exist at a temperature of +10 degrees, but the temperature of +25 degrees is considered optimal for its germination and maintenance.

Soil requirements for indoor lemon balm

Melissa is not picky about soils, but it will be better if you provide her with a fertile substrate of neutral acidity with good water and air permeability. The seeds of this herb do not have good germination, so the lighter the substrate, the better the lemon balm will feel in it. As a baking powder, it is best to use perlite or vermiculite.

Ordinary garden soil or a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand in equal proportions can act as a nutrient soil mixture. The easiest way to get soil for lemon balm is to purchase a bag of ready-made earth mix called "Substrate for indoor plants" in the store.

Requirements for watering lemon balm at home

Watering should be regular, but without diligence, because waterlogging can lead to lemon balm diseases. Water not only the soil, but also spray the aerial parts of the plants from the spray gun. Adult lemon balm is watered three times a week..

Fertilization

Feeding is welcome, Melissa is responsive to it. You can fertilize the substrate with both organic (eggshell, tea leaves) and liquid mineral fertilizer (superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate). Plants should be fed after each cutting of leaves, which can be done before flowering.

Reproduction of lemon balm

Reproduction of lemon balm can be done both by seeds and by young cuttings, dividing a bush or rhizomes.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The easiest way to breed consists in the fact that in the first days of May or at the end of summer, during periods when lemon balm sprouts, the bush is carefully divided into parts and the delenki are planted in a permanent place. This method allows the plant to grow quickly and bloom in the first year.

Propagation by seeds and care

You can buy ready-made planting material or get hold of it in a familiar garden plot, picking up well-developed melissa bushes with large foliage for seeds.

Harvesting of seeds is carried out from the end of August - the beginning of September. Cut stems with seed material from such plants, collect them in bunches, hang and dry in a dry, darkened and ventilated room. After the bunches of seeds have dried, put them in a linen bag and thresh with a mallet.

If you buy lemon balm seeds in a store, then choose darker seeds, they will give more friendly shoots.

For planting seeds, prepare containers (boxes, pots, containers), it does not hurt to pre-treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate. At the bottom, you should first lay out a drainage layer (expanded clay, clay shards, fine gravel, broken bricks), and only then - a layer of soil.

Given that the seeds of this plant are quite small, sow them in soil moistened with warm water either in spring or autumn no more than 5 cm deep at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. After planting, water the soil again.

Expect melissa shoots no earlier than in a couple of weeks. Do not forget to moisten plantings every other day. It is not necessary to dive seedlings of lemon balm with the appearance of true leaves, but if the plants sprout in a heap and begin to suppress each other, pull out the weakest of them.

When the plant gets stronger, and this should happen in a couple of months, they can be transplanted to a permanent place of residence. To do this, you can immediately pick up a large pot or a long container. In order to enable lemon balm to form a full-fledged bush, place the seedlings in one row, and the distance between the bushes should be at least 15 cm.

Helpful advice
From May until the first autumn frosts, containers and pots with spicy herbs can be sent for vacation - to the loggia or balcony. Just provide in this case protection from heavy rains and gusts of wind.

In the first year, do not expect lush greenery on young plants of flowers. Indoor lemon balm does not grow above half a meter. Since the value of lemon balm is in its foliage, cut off the buds as soon as they appear, but only if the height of the bush is at least 20 cm.

How to prepare melissa

Harvesting makes sense only in the second year until the moment when the lemon balm gives the first buds, it is during this period that the maximum amount of healing components is in the foliage. You can harvest as needed from already fully formed bushes (45 cm in height) 4 times per season. Moreover, cut the leaves at a height of 10 cm and above.

Healing raw materials can be dried in the form of small bundles in a dry place in a draft. You can lay out the leaves in one layer on parchment, metal grate or linen and dry them on the loggia in dry weather in a place inaccessible to the sun.

After drying, put the prepared raw materials in glass jars and tightly seal with a lid. Raw materials must be stored for no more than a year, but it is better to use it for half a year, because after the lemon balm will lose most of its aromatic properties. For the same reason, do not dry lemon balm leaves in the oven. When storing, do not mix lemon balm leaves with other aromatic herbs.

Elena Stepanskaya, © zakustom.ru

Reviews about growing lemon balm at home

Marusya, review
I always keep mint and parsley on the windowsill. And I also have a property - Pavlovsk lemon. But to grow lemon balm - it never occurred to me. You have to get some seeds somewhere. Where are they sold, please?

kitty answer
I was presented by a neighbor in the dacha, and I also saw them on layouts with seeds near the metro. I sowed a present in the fall, now I’m not overjoyed, the bush has grown to half the window sill and I always put the leaves at hand, so fresh in a teapot with ordinary tea leaves and put it. It seems to me that everything can be grown on the windowsill!

Vitek, review
My mother breeds both mint and lemon balm in the country, then dries. All winter the seagull keeps us on currants, lemon balm and other spices.

This unique useful plant is able to exist both in open ground and at home. If you follow the basic rules when caring for lemon balm, it will definitely delight you with abundant, fresh herbs.

Melissa needs:

• fertile soil;
• a lot of light;
• enough plentiful watering and spraying;
• systematic pruning;
• compliance with the temperature regime (18–20 degrees);
• regular feeding.

A plant can grow in one place three to four years. After that, it requires renewal and transplantation. To keep the bush healthy and strong for several years, it is recommended to plant it in the spring.

Growing lemon balm on the windowsill is not troublesome. It feels great in a pot, like any houseplant. True, the lemon balm bush will be low, but lush and thick, if it has enough light, moisture and nutrients, that is, competent care for the lemon balm is provided.

Melissa on the windowsill. A photo

In the winter season, growing lemon balm on the windowsill is not much different from the usual. Lack of sunlight will reduce the amount of greenery, change its color, but will not affect the quality.

Breeding new melissa bushes

Let's figure out how to grow lemon balm from seeds and how to increase the amount of your favorite plant in other ways. This can be done in different ways:

• division of the bush;
• layering;
• stem cuttings;
• melissa from seeds.

Division an adult bush is produced in the spring. To do this, the root system is freed from the ground, cut into several parts with buds and planted in a permanent place.

Via layering dilute the plant before flowering. Strong young shoots are bent to the ground with a bracket, sprinkled with soil and waiting for rooting. Two weeks later, a new bush is cut off with a pruner and transplanted into a pot or into open ground to a new place.

cuttings used at the first stage of breeding lemon balm, in the absence of an adult bush in the garden. The tops of the acquired plants are cut off and placed in a container with water. When roots form on the branches, they are planted in the ground and placed in a dark place. After the appearance of green shoots, the plants are taken out into the light.

Growing lemon balm on the windowsill. A photo

How to grow melissa from seed? This process takes time and patience. But the quality of the green mass of lemon balm from seeds will be excellent.

To grow an adult bush, melissa seeds treated with potassium permanganate are sown in the ground to a depth of 1-2 centimeters, tightly covered and placed in a warm place.

How to grow melissa. A photo

Emerging shoots are transplanted into well-moistened drained soil.

For this purpose, use a large container for a permanent place of plant life or small cups.

Dive shoots of lemon balm from seeds should be after the formation of two to four leaves. After about one and a half to two months, lemon balm from the seeds will delight you with juicy fragrant greens.

Melissa twins. What can be confused

Melissa is often confused with other plants. Such twins include:

• catnip
• Moldavian snakehead.

Let's try to understand their differences.

Melissa is often referred to as "lemon mint". In fact, these plants have nothing in common, except for external resemblance. mint and medicinal perennial lemon balm.

grass called " catnip” can also be mistaken for lemon balm. The similar smell of these plants is misleading. In order not to confuse lemon balm with "catnip", you should get acquainted with the fundamental differences between them.

• The smell of lemon balm is gentle, reminiscent of the aroma of lemon. The catnip smells quite strongly.
• The white flowers of lemon balm are located in the axils of the plant, and the blue inflorescences of the catnip are in the upper part of the shoot.
• The rounded leaves of lemon balm are even at the edges, and the oblong leaves of catnip are serrated.
• Lemon balm seeds are elongated, and catnip seeds are rounded.

Catnip grows everywhere. This herb is used for cooking and cosmetic products. It has medicinal properties: improves appetite, treats cough, relieves worms.

Moldavian snakehead or "Turkish lemon balm" - an annual plant found in Western Siberia and in the southern regions of Russia. The essential oils contained in snakehead greens resemble the aroma of lemon balm. But its smell is stronger and sharper. Turkish lemon balm is a favorite of bees and an excellent sedative.

In order not to make a mistake and plant exactly what you need on your site, when buying, carefully study the inscription on the package with seeds. For example, lemon balm in translation into Latin is called Melissa officinalis, catnip - Npeta catria, Moldavian snakehead - Dracocphalum moldavica.

Choosing the right kind of melissa

Several varieties of this unusual spicy herb are known. Each variety of lemon balm has its own individual characteristics, differs in shades of smell, leaf shape, bush size, flowering period. The most beloved varieties include several varieties:

• upright;
• royal;
• pearl;
• lime;
• lemon;
• freshness.

Melissa with the beautiful name "pure gold" is less common. This variety has an unusual light yellow color of the leaves, covered with thin villi, iridescent in the light of sunlight.

Variegated lemon balm got its name from the dark color of the leaves with golden veins. The grass of this variety has a strong smell and unpretentious character. It can be grown both outdoors and at home.

How to use Melissa

The range of use of lemon grass or lemon balm is quite wide. This is due to its composition. Lemon balm leaves contain essential oils, organic acids. They are rich in vitamin C, a variety of trace elements: zinc, copper, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium.

This unpretentious herb has found wide application in medicine. It brings relief from a number of serious diseases:

• Saves from irritability and nervousness, restores sleep.
• Recommended for heart disease and vasospasm.
• Treats cancer.
• Relieves headaches by improving blood circulation in the brain.
• Helps normalize blood pressure.
• Helps to cope with colds: reduces sore throat, relieves cough.
• It is prescribed to improve digestion for people suffering from gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis.
• Eliminates increased gas formation, constipation, malfunctions of the pancreas.
• It removes toxins from the body, having a diuretic and diaphoretic effect.
• Reduces toothache, disinfects the oral cavity, removing inflammation.
• It is part of a diet that helps to lose weight.

Melissa is an indispensable tool for maintaining the health of the female body. It relieves pain during menstruation, helps to cope with toxicosis during pregnancy, stimulates the production of milk during breastfeeding.

Cook healing remedies from lemon balm is quite easy.

Can do infusion from the green shoots of the plant. To do this, pour the crushed leaves of lemon balm (20 grams) with boiling water (1 liter), seal tightly and leave for twenty minutes.

To prepare decoction of this healing herb, boil two tablespoons in one liter of water for 15-20 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it brew for half an hour. Such a decoction is advised to drink four times a day, especially for patients with asthma and anemia.

Some people add lemon balm leaves to regular tea by mixing the drink with a little honey. It turns out an excellent prophylactic against viruses and colds.

If there are no lemon balm leaves at hand, you can successfully use ready-made essential oil plants. A few drops in a bath or scented lamp will help you calm down and fall asleep soundly.

Growing lemon balm in a summer cottage or on your windowsill, harvesting a dried product, you provide yourself with a healthy drink that can be consumed all year round, strengthening health, prolonging youth and preserving beauty.

Melissa found her place and in cooking. It is added to drinks and salads. As a seasoning, it is used in the preparation of first courses, stewing of fish, meat, mushrooms. Cabbage and cucumbers are fermented with it, various sauces and marinades are made. Due to its delicate aroma and spicy taste, lemon balm is an analogue of black or allspice.

Melissa essential oil is widely used in cosmetology. It allows you to solve the problem of oily hair, destroys dandruff. It is enough to mix shampoo with a few drops of oil when washing your hair, and your hair will look great again. Due to its disinfectant and antibacterial properties, lemon balm oil cleanses the skin of acne and blackheads.

Lemon balm contraindications

Melissa is a useful plant and has almost no contraindications. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using it:

• Do not abuse the use of infusion, decoction, lemon balm tea for men. This can lead to an unwanted decrease in sexual activity.
• It is not recommended to drink drinks containing this herb before a responsible event, meeting, exam. Excessive calmness and insufficient reaction can adversely affect the outcome of the event.
• Melissa treatment should be abandoned in case of individual intolerance or persistent hypotension.

In all other cases, lemon balm will benefit your body, prolonging and improving the quality of life.

Melissa on the windowsill. Video

Melissa officinalis - this is the full botanical name of the plant. Popularly known by the names: lemongrass, lemon mint, bee mint, citronmelissa. Planting and propagating it is not difficult if you know the structural features and preferences for growing conditions. We will tell in the article, growing lemon balm at home, how to plant, what care rules gardeners need to follow.

Growing lemon balm at home on the windowsill

Requirements for soil and fertilizers when planting

Gardeners have long sown with seeds, propagated by dividing the rhizome and cuttings. Fragrant lemon balm was so fond of flower growers that they began to grow it as a houseplant in pots. Not surprising, because it is not only fragrant, but also useful. Its greatest advantage is essential oils.

Scientists say that their number depends on the conditions in which it is grown. On poor soils - 0.02%, on rich soils - 0.8%, in some varieties - 0.14%. The difference is obvious. There is no doubt that in order to get the most benefit from a plant, you need to take care of it. Vegetable soil for lemon balm is a soil mixture in which:

On sandy soils, it dries quickly from lack of moisture and nutrients; on heavy, moist loams, it is affected by fungal infections and dies. Soils with high acidity require neutralization. Substances containing calcium cope with this task - slaked lime, chalk, crushed limestone, wood ash, crushed eggshells.

Tip #1 Before fertilizing, you need to determine the pH level. This can be done using a special device.

To increase the pH level by one scale unit, 200 g of slaked lime per 1 m2 of soil is required. To improve the aeration of heavy soils, coarse-grained river sand is introduced to obtain light loam. For 1 m2 you need:

• medium loam - 21 kg;
• heavy loam - 43 kg;
• light clay - 75 kg;
• medium clay - 110 kg;
• heavy clay - 121 kg.

A proven folk method is the application of organic fertilizers at the rate of:

1. Dry bird droppings are diluted 400 g per 10 liters of water, applied to 1 m2.
2. Horse rotted manure - 3 buckets per 1 m2.
3. Compost - 3 kg per 1 m2.

Before planting, the applied fertilizers and sand are thoroughly mixed to a homogeneous mass at a depth of 25 - 30 cm. This is how the basic preparation of the nutrient medium for several years to come takes place. If you work hard in advance, then in subsequent years you will not have to fertilize, the supply of nutrients will last for a long time. Read also the article: → "Spicy herbs - we grow ourselves."

Soil preparation for planting lemon balm seeds

Recently, organic farming methods have become popular, using efficient microorganisms. They can be purchased in the form of preparations "Emochki", "Shine", "Baikal", "Bokashi".

Melissa growing conditions, care rules

A living culture, when introduced into the soil, increases fertility in a natural way, as in nature. The formation of humus takes an average of 2-3 years. For example, "Bokashi" process plant residues into humus within 2 - 3 months, but only in the warm season. Microorganisms, like plants, "sleep" during the cold season and become active in the spring, when the average daily temperature reaches + 120.

Place and growing conditions of lemon balm

Lemongrass is an unpretentious plant, it will survive in the shade and in the scorching sun. But with gentle lighting or in partial shade, it feels more comfortable. Will gratefully respond to generous watering, but not stagnant water. For one session of water procedures, one adult plant needs 10 - 20 liters of water, - 1 - 2 buckets.

Size, density and aroma depend on conditions. On poor soils, in the shade, the stems stretch into "threads", 30-40 leaves are rare, the smell is weak. On rich soils, dense fragrant bushes reach 50 - 80 cm. Sometimes there are specimens of 100 - 120 cm. When a place for lemon balm is chosen and the soil is prepared, you can start planting. Read also the article: → "Spicy herbs in the country".

Landing dates are shown in the table:

Features of planting in the soil

If basic soil preparation has not been carried out, then it is necessary to provide fertile conditions for each plant individually. To do this, the landing pit should be 2 times larger than the volume of the coma, this allows you to add rich soil. As part of traditional farming, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil:

• superphosphate - 50 g per 1 m2;
• ammonium nitrate - 20 g per 1 m2;
• potassium salt - 20 g per 1 m2

Tip #2 When planting, deepen the lump by 5 cm, this contributes to the growth of new roots.

A common mistake is the dense planting of seedlings in a permanent place of growth. Gardeners are confused by the size of a young plant. Melissa grows, on average from 30 to 50 cm in diameter.

This is the distance at which plants are planted from each other, regardless of whether seedlings or with a lump. If bee mint is intended for medicinal and culinary purposes, it should be placed less often so that it is convenient to collect fragrant leaves. For a decorative effect, the landing is slightly thickened.

Propagation Methods for Lemon Balm

Gardeners use several ways to propagate this spicy herb:

1. Seeds for seedlings.
2. Seeds in open ground.
3. Green cuttings.
4. The division of the bush.

Planting seeds for seedlings

• sown in greenhouses or room conditions in the second decade of March in a container, 7-10 cm high;
• into a ready-made seedling substrate, which can be bought at a garden store. If not, you can make your own. In the "Universal soil pH 6.5" add coarse river sand 1: 1.
• before sowing, small seeds are mixed with dry sand for even distribution;
• in prepared soil, using the long side of a pencil, push grooves 1 cm deep;
• gently moisten with a fine spray;
• place the seeds evenly along the grooves and lightly press down;
• sprinkle with a substrate and moisten with a spray bottle;
• cover with foil;
• keep in a well-lit, warm place with a temperature of 200.

The first shoots will appear in three weeks. After another 10 - 15 days, thickened sowing can be dived.

Seedlings are planted in special cassettes for seedlings. They are like egg cups. On sale there are devices of various shapes and sizes. One plant is placed in each cell. Before landing in the garden, a dense lump is formed, which is easily removed. This method increases the survival rate of a young plant compared to traditional seedlings.

Seeds in open ground

Sow when the threat of spring frost has passed. Lemon balm grains are small, for uniform distribution they are mixed with sand (as for seedlings). The dug-up soil is carefully loosened without leaving large lumps, it should be as sifted. The grooves are prepared shallow up to 1 cm, watered.

After waiting for the water to be absorbed, the seeds are placed, lightly pressed down and covered with loose soil. Watering should be done carefully so as not to wash out. Germination of lemon balm - 60%. The first sprouts appear after 15 days, after 3-4 weeks everything will hatch. After another month, they can be thinned out. Between the remaining distance should not exceed 30 cm.

Propagation of grass with green cuttings

So lemongrass is propagated from early spring to late autumn. If you keep the lemon balm in a pot in winter, as a houseplant, then the cuttings can be removed in March. Fragrant leaves and young stems are harvested during flowering, in June. At this time, lemon balm has the most useful substances. Over the summer, new shoots grow, so they are an excellent planting material.

Features of this method:

• for the cutting, a shoot with 3-4 internodes is chosen;
• the lower leaves are cut off;
• the stalk is placed in water or in a substrate for seedlings;
• for survival in the soil use "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin";
• before planting, the tip of the cutting is powdered with a root;
• in moist soil, with a pencil, make a small depression of 2–3 cm, place the stalk and lightly squeeze;
• The "greenhouse" is covered with plastic wrap.

After 10 days, you can determine which specimens survived, they are planted in a separate pot, the size of a disposable plastic cup. As the dishes grow, they will have to be increased to transship the plant.

Lemon balm propagated in this way can be kept at home as a houseplant, and transplanted into the garden in spring. There he will be more familiar and will bring much more benefits.

In the open, bee mint receives a lot of nutrients, grows well and pleases its owners with a fragrant aroma for 10 years. During this time, it can be updated vegetatively. Read also the article: → "Plants for an ornamental garden."

Dividing an adult bush into parts

In this way, lemon balm is best propagated in the spring. The rhizome is cut so that the divisions remain 3 - 4 shoots or hatched buds. This "surgery" can be carried out in the fall. The resulting parts are planted in a permanent place with an interval of 30 - 50 cm. This method is more suitable for varietal plants that do not retain decorative and healing properties during seed propagation.

Growing lemon balm at home in pots

Melissa lovers who do not have a dacha can enjoy the delicate aroma at home. Lemon mint is a garden plant, but feels great as a houseplant. If it is on a bright windowsill in a cozy, draft-free place, in fertile soil, it will respond to care with lush growth and fragrance.

Unpretentious in care:

• you need to water with settled water when the soil in the pot is dry and not petrified. You need to moisten generously until water appears in the pan, then this procedure will have to be repeated less often;
• it is better to feed with Emochka or other "effective microorganisms", they are absolutely harmless to plants and humans.

Unfortunately, the aroma of homemade lemon balm is inferior to its garden relative, but it's still nice to enjoy the fresh taste and smell on cold winter evenings.

5 varieties for home growing

Melissa officinalis has been known to mankind for 2000 years. All this time it has been successfully used in medicine and cooking. In favorable conditions, it grows up to 1 m in height. Breeders have worked on low-growing varieties so that lemon mint pleases all year round not only with aroma, but also with an attractive appearance. Gardeners call such plants decorative deciduous. For indoor floriculture, the following varieties are popular:

1. « Pure gold”, the variety got its name for its exceptional “compliance” in care and unusual effect. The compact bush changes shades from white at the beginning of flowering to a blue hue at the end.
2. "Lemon tea" is valued for its original flavor, which successfully replaces real citrus.
3. "Majito" is bred for culinary purposes, not used for drinks and cooking meat dishes.
4. "Lemon scent" is a relatively small plant, suitable for home and garden.
5. "Variegated" - the most decorative lemon balm, has a golden color along the edge of the leaf, looks like a blooming one.

It looks interesting when several varieties are placed on the same windowsill. It is not difficult to take care of them, water them in time and feed them seasonally with fertilizers for indoor decorative deciduous plants.

Mistakes when growing lemon balm

Sometimes gardeners complain that they cannot breed bee mint in their area. Melissa is not a picky plant, but there is a limit to her patience. You should not expect a good result if she:

• in the sun or in dense shade;
• suffers from drought on poor soil;
• suffocates on wet soil;
• drowned out by weeds;
• blown in a draft;
• freezes in winter.

If you exclude spartan conditions and choose a cozy place with fertile soil and sufficient watering, she will respond with a generous harvest of useful leaves.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Question №1. Where can I get Melissa?

Purchase a ready-made plant from a garden center that sells perennials. Advantage:

• guarantee of quality and "health" of the sold copy;
• 100% survival, thanks to whom the soil with which it is sold.

Buy seedlings. Advantage:

• the price is less than that of an adult plant;
• can be planted in open ground immediately after purchase.

Sow seeds. Advantage:

• minimum financial costs;
• the ability to sow both in open ground and in indoor pots.

Question number 2. What to do with watering lemon balm if I don’t go to the country often?

The best solution is automatic watering, but not everyone can afford the equipment because of the high cost. It is possible to retain moisture for a long time after ordinary irrigation, if mulch is poured around the plants, with a layer of 5–10 cm. Mowed grass, wood chips, bark, and crushed dry cow dung are suitable. All this creates protection against evaporation and serves as a slow acting fertilizer (MRL).

Question number 3. When to harvest melissa?

It is best during flowering, then it contains the most essential oils, but it is possible all year round if you take lemon balm home from the garden for the winter.

Question number 4. What plants go with lemon balm?

Most often, it is planted along with spicy herbs mint, lovage, hyssop, tarragon. In decorative floriculture, they are used in mixborders with flowering perennials, lupine, catchment area, rudbeckia, coreopsis, cornflower and other large plants.

Question number 5. Do I need to cover lemon balm for the winter?

Melissa is winter-hardy, but in cold winters it needs to be protected with agrofibre, sawdust, mowed grass. Leaves of oak, walnut, hornbeam, poplar are not suitable for this purpose, they contain tannins and inhibit plants.

In the garden, I want to grow unpretentious, multifunctional plants. Planting lemon balm (popularly - lemon mint) will allow not only to evaluate its benefits for the body, but to get a decorative element for the flower bed and for the home.

Seeding technology

The first priority before sowing is soil preparation. You need to take 1 cup of biohumus and 2 cups of coconut fiber. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and add the recommended dose of the mineral fertilizer complex to this volume.

Sowing in containers or boxes is done in the second half of March.

• In the soil, you need to make several grooves, the distance between which is 4 - 6 cm.
• The seeds are small, so they should be mixed with a little sand to make the sowing process easier.
• Distribute the mass along the grooves to a depth of 0.5 - 0.7 cm.
• Moisten the surface of the soil.
• Cover the container with glass or film.
• Put in a sunny, warm place.

After the emergence of seedlings, the box must be placed so that they receive a sufficient amount of light, but do not fall under the scorching rays. Watering should be carried out as the soil dries.

Seedlings appear 2-25 days after planting. After the appearance of several leaves, it is necessary to carry out a pick. This is done so that the seedlings do not drown out the growth and development of each other. The distance between the stems should be at least 5 cm. If the sowing was carried out in a special container, then in one cell where several seeds need to be planted at once, the weakest sprouts are removed.

Transplantation in open ground is carried out in the second half of May. To do this, you need to prepare a seat.

Melissa can grow both in a well-lit garden bed and in partial shade. Given enough light, the bush will intensely exude fragrance.

It should be taken into account the fact that this culture is perennial and grows from 4 to 9 years.

The soil should be loose, light and nutritious. Mellisa does not like acidic and wet soil. Excess water contributes to the decay of the roots, so the place for the bush should be chosen dry, where moisture does not accumulate during precipitation. If the earth is heavy at the chosen place, then you need to add several buckets of fine sand.

After choosing a place, the soil must be fertilized. For this, 1 sq. m. of soil is introduced:

1. 200 g wood ash (1 cup);
2. 10-liter bucket of humus;
3. Complex mineral fertilizer, on the packaging of which the dosage is indicated.

It should be planted in small trenches located at a distance of half a meter from each other. Each plant needs to be planted in a hole with an interval of 30-35 cm.

If you decide not to grow seedlings, but plant seeds immediately in open ground, then you need to be prepared for poor germination, even careful care may not help. Several factors can influence this:

1. low quality of planting material;
2. heavy rainfall;
3. "clogging" of sprouts with weeds.

Landing is carried out on the 3rd week of May according to the following algorithm.

1. Make holes at a distance of 50 - 60 cm from each other.
2. Mix grains with sand.
3. Deepen the mixture by half a centimeter.
4. Sprinkle with peat or humus.
5. Moisten the surface of the soil.
6. Cover with foil.

To harden seedlings and make them more hardy, you need to remove the film. First, for several hours, then for a whole daylight hours, and after picking, the covering material is finally removed.

Melissa is propagated by both seeds and layering and cuttings. If you already have an adult lemongrass bush, then planting it will be much easier: bend a few shoots to the ground, secure them and sprinkle with earth. After a few weeks, the branches will take root and can be transplanted to a new place.

And in order to propagate by cuttings, it is enough to cut in the garden from friends or buy a bunch of fresh herbs in the store, shorten the stems by 2-3 cm and put them in water. They do not require additional care, after a week the root system appears - and the cuttings are ready for planting in a flower bed.

Growing at home

Melissa can be cultivated as a houseplant. Due to the small volume of the flower pot, it will not grow much, and pruning and constant care will create a lush green bush.

Planting seedlings in pots at home is done in the spring, but it is possible to sow seedlings and plant seedlings in the cold season, but growth will be slow, and the leaves will be light. During the spring-summer period, the bush is gaining strength and adapting to external conditions.

Seeds for growing a plant at home are sown in the same way as for a flower bed. Planting seedlings in pots is carried out after the appearance of 3 leaves. You need to act according to the following algorithm.

1. Pick up a pot with a volume of 1.5 - 2 liters so that its walls are at least 15 cm.
2. Provide good drainage. To do this, you can take pebbles or expanded clay.
3. Pour the prepared soil and plant 2 or 3 sprouts in one container.
4. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
5. Put on the windowsill.

The peculiarity of caring for a plant at home is watering. Heating and dry indoor air adversely affect the appearance of lemon balm and its smell, so you need to additionally moisturize it:

• water as the soil dries;
• spray every day.

Features of care

If you properly care for the bush in the first year of planting, then subsequently there will be less trouble with growing.

Care is provided in 4 main areas:

1. watering;
2. loosening;
3. weeding;
4. top dressing.

When the weather is hot, it is necessary to provide lemon balm with sufficient watering. It is carried out 4 times a week, and on cloudy days, if there is no precipitation, you need to water it 2 times in 7 days.

Loosening is carried out after each watering and after rain to ensure good air permeability of the soil and prevent root rot due to excess moisture.

A flower bed or bed with seedlings should be weeded as needed: the planted seedlings are not yet strong enough, and the grass can drown out its growth. In the 2nd and subsequent years of the life of this crop in your garden, the presence of small vegetation around adult bushes with a strong root system is allowed.

Top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the season, when the seedlings move to a permanent place of residence or the sprouts that sprouted on the street have reached 5–6 cm in height. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to increase growth and strengthen the stem.

If you store leaves for future use and cut them off as they grow, then after each pruning, you must add a mineral complex, the dosage of which is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Several times during the season, you can add mulch or humus to the flower bed with the plant.


Melissa is a thermophilic culture. Although it can withstand negative temperatures, it is recommended to cover it for the winter:

• cut off the top, leaving 1–2 cm above the ground;
• loosen the ground and moisten a little;
• sprinkle fallen leaves on top.

So that the leaves do not become smaller, and the mint continues to delight with the fresh aroma of lemon, you need to divide the plant into several bushes every 3 years and plant them.

Despite all the usefulness of lemon balm, which is widely used in folk recipes, its cultivation does not require special care, it can grow both in the country and at home on the windowsill.

This herb is an interesting find for lovers of culinary arts. Melissa simultaneously contains honey and mint notes that echo each other. It is thanks to this combination that lemon balm can be used to prepare salads and other dishes. You can grow this spicy plant on your own in your summer cottage or directly in a pot from seeds or seedlings.

What are the benefits of Melissa

Melissa grass is a perennial plant with a tetrahedral stem. The height of an adult bush reaches from 40 to 80 cm. The leaves, depending on the plant variety, have a different color and shape. Each leaf is covered with barely visible villi that gleam in the sun. The rhizome of the plant is highly branched and has well-developed shoots that are underground. During flowering, purple, pinkish or white flowers appear under the axils of the leaves, depending on the variety of lemon balm. And during the ripening period on an adult plant, you can see very small round brown fruits.

If you pick the leaves of lemon balm and knead them in your hands, you can enjoy a pleasant light lemon aroma. Melissa has a bitter taste.

The leaves contain a large amount of vitamin C and essential oils. Because of this feature, the cultivation of lemon balm has always been popular, since this herb is used as an additive to dishes, drinks, and also in medicine - lemon balm will help in the treatment of neuroses, heart and stomach diseases, increase appetite and relieve headaches.

If you pick the leaves of lemon balm and dry them according to all the rules, then it will not lose its aroma and spice even after a year.

In the people, the grass melissa is called differently: honey, bee grass, lemongrass. In a sense, these names even justify themselves, because during the flowering period around the lemon balm you can see a large number of bees, and a separate plant variety has a persistent lemon smell.

plant varieties

In nature, there are many bred varieties of lemon balm. Each of them differs in the size of the bush, the shape and color of the leaves, the duration of flowering and aroma. Common varieties of lemon balm:

• lemon;
• pearl;
• royal,
• lime;
• freshness;
• upright.

There are also varieties of spicy plants in which the color is very different from ordinary lemon balm - this variety is called "pure gold" due to the fact that the leaves have a light yellow tint. And when the sun's rays fall on them, the thin mother-of-pearl villi shimmer in the sun.

A popular variety of lemon balm that can be found in the fields and grown even at home in an ordinary flower pot is Variegated lemon balm. It has a bright aroma and has dark green leaves with golden veins.

You need to know that some varieties are decorative, and some can be used for cooking, as a spice and used for medicinal purposes.

If we compare Russia with other countries, then in Europe it is customary to massively cultivate lemon balm in fields, gardens and even on balconies. Lemon balm leaves are added to salads, soups and drinks. It has a light lemon scent. Imagine how just a few leaves of lemon balm can enrich the taste of spinach soup!

If you are a beginner gardener and want to grow lemon balm from seed, then you need to familiarize yourself with the process and learn how to grow lemon balm.

Growing lemon balm from their seeds

Since lemon balm belongs to frost-resistant plants, it can be grown even in autumn - it will overwinter well even in open ground. Lemon balm seeds can be collected independently or purchased in a bag in a specialized store.

Melissa is sown at a convenient time - there are no clear restrictions. The plant will feel equally good in the ground (with the exception of the cold season). For example, you can sow lemon balm in spring, during the summer months, in autumn and before winter.

When planting seeds, it is important to follow certain rules:

1. The distance between rows should be at least 25-30 cm.
2. According to generally accepted standards, the sowing density is 1.5-2 g per m 2 of land.
3. You can deepen the seeds by only 1-2 cm.
4. It is also necessary to take into account that the seeds are very tiny and they will germinate for a long time. Therefore, so that the first shoots are not lost among the weeds, lemon balm seeds must be sown with other crops that serve as beacons. Mix lemon balm seeds with lettuce or radish seeds, in a ratio of 2:1. Sow the mixture in one previously prepared groove. When the first shoots appear, the radish or lettuce will already enter the ripening stage. Just at this time, they can be removed completely or transplanted.
5. Seed germination persists for 2-3 years.
6. Seeds can be sown in spring in open ground.

If you manage to grow lemon balm from seeds, then do not wait for the first year of flowering - the plant should gain strength.

The most acceptable option for growing lemon balm is planting seeds for seedlings at home.

How to plant melissa:

1. In the middle or at the end of the first spring month, it is necessary to prepare boxes or small cups for seeds.
2. For seedlings, you can sow lemon balm seeds directly into the greenhouse, if you have one.
3. Please note that the germination of lemon balm seeds is very low.
4. When planting small seeds, try not to bury. Just 0.5 cm is enough, in which case the shoots will be simultaneous.
5. After friendly shoots, you can discharge the plants so that they do not interfere with each other during development. The best option is the distance between each sprout - 5 cm.
6. After the first shoots, seedlings need a lot of light, so take care of this in advance. For example, you can install a box with seedlings on a bright windowsill, and on sunny days take them out to the balcony. Another good option is artificial lighting. You can make a seedling lamp yourself and turn it on on cloudy days.
7. In order for the seedlings to develop well, apply a little nitrogen fertilizer to the ground or immediately plant lemon balm in peat pots.
8. As soon as the leaves appear, the seedlings need to be thinned out. Melissa picking is not done.
9. After 40 days, it is advisable to plant lemon balm in the ground or a free pot in a permanent place.

When planting lemon balm in open ground, you need to choose a suitable place in the shade of trees, but so that the sun hits the plants. Melissa does not like shade, and from the abundance of moisture she can die. It is best to plant seedlings in a place where there is partial shade.

The soil needs to be well drained. The ideal land for growing lemon balm from seeds is sandy, slightly acidic or neutral.

When planting perennial spicy grass, it is advisable to prepare the soil in advance - since the fall. Dig it well, remove all weeds and apply mineral and organic fertilizers. Make sure that the earth does not turn sour in your area. If this happens, then you should take care of drainage. It can be crushed brick and small gravel. Soil acidification is fraught with rotting of the root system.

If the soil in your area is clayey, then it is better to dilute it with sand. It is also necessary when planting lemon balm to make the beds high.

As soon as the soil begins to warm up, it's time to get to work. First, prepare the site and remove the weeds. Then mark out the beds. The distance between the rows is 45 cm. You can plant seedlings grown from seeds in 1 or 2 rows, depending on the chosen location and purpose. It is desirable that there is free space between each plant, ideally 40 cm, then the bushes will not interfere with a friend. If you have enough free space on the site, plant lemon balm at a distance of 60 cm from each other. The plant will look more aesthetically pleasing, and when it begins to multiply, new bushes will quickly fill the empty space.

With the advent of the first shoots, lemon balm needs to be divided (end of spring), but this part of the work can be done at the end of summer. In the first year, the plant is strengthened, and in the second it will bloom and give good greenery. The crop must be harvested before the plant begins to bloom, that is, in the second year.

Growing lemon balm on a windowsill

Lemon balm is a popular plant used as a spice and as a folk remedy for the treatment of neuroses, vascular diseases, heart, stomach and allergies. You can grow medicinal lemon balm at home on the windowsill.

Plant propagation can be obtained in various ways:

• dividing the bush - if lemon balm grows on your site, then it can be divided and transplanted into a pot. The procedure is performed in the spring, when young shoots begin to grow from an adult plant. They dig up a small bush of spicy grass, shake off the ground, cut it into small bushes with a sharp knife. Rhizomes are cut so that each sprout gets several young shoots with a bud. Then the young lemon balm is transplanted into a pot of earth;
• layering - if you have an adult melissa bush, then you can propagate it much faster. It is not necessary to dig it out, young shoots will take root perfectly right on the bush. This must be done before the plant begins to bloom, that is, in the middle of summer. Young shoots (10-15 cm long) are lowered down to the ground, fixed in any way and sprinkled with earth. The place is abundantly watered. After 2 weeks, the young shoot will take root and can be cut off with a pruner, and then transplanted into a pot. After transplanting, the pot is placed in a shaded place and they wait until the shoots take root in a new place;
• if the above methods do not suit you, then you can propagate lemon balm by cuttings. This is easy to do: we go to the store or the market and buy a bunch of freshly cut lemon balm. We cut off the tops with scissors and put them in a container with water. We wait until the sprouts take root (in 10 days) and transplant into a pot;
• propagation of lemon balm by seeds is a long and troublesome business, but if you have patience, then such a melissa bush will be much stronger and more enduring than the spice grown by the methods described above.

Let's take a closer look at how to grow lemon balm from seeds:

1. Before planting, the seeds should be well pickled in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 1-2 hours.
2. Plant seeds in peat pots or boxes with earth to a depth of 0.5 cm.
3. Seed containers are covered with foil and placed in a warm place.
4. After 15 days, the first shoots can be expected.
5. When the first 2 leaves appear, the seedlings can be dived into a large pot with 6-7 sprouts in each container.
6. It is worth taking care of good drainage in advance.
7. The height of the pot should be no more than 15 cm.
8. After 7 weeks it will be possible to harvest the first harvest. During this time, the lemon balm will grow 6 leaves.

How to care for Melissa

Melissa loves the light, so you need to choose the right place right away. It can be a well-lit window sill. Although, if there is not enough light, the bush will not die, but will only slow down its growth and the color of the leaves will be paler.

Melissa loves moisture, so watering the plant, especially in the summer, should be plentiful. On cloudy days and cold seasons, watering should be moderate.

Do not allow waterlogging of the soil, because the plant will begin to hurt. Also, water should not be allowed to stagnate in a pot - the bush can get sick and rot. That is why you need to take care of good drainage in advance.

Melissa loves moist air very much, so in the summer the bushes need to be sprayed with cool water from a spray bottle. If you do this every day in the heat, the sheets will become larger and acquire a bright juicy color.

Do not feel sorry for the lemon balm bushes - they need to be cut off as often as possible - timely pruning of the plant will help push back the flowering period, during which the leaves become rougher.

For normal growth and development of herbs, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature, within 18-20 ° C. The plant tolerates temperature fluctuations well, but this may affect the succulence of the leaf. By the way, heat is detrimental to leaves, and melissa can endure cold.

In order for the bush to serve you for a long time, it is necessary to apply top dressing in a timely manner, for example, Agrolife fertilizer - 1 tsp. in the topsoil 1, maximum 2 times a month.

The distance between mint and lemon balm plants should be at least 30-50 cm.

Where is the best place to plant herbs in the garden and at their summer cottage? The best place for planting will be a sunny, well-provided with nutrients, moisture, as well as a site clean from weeds and protected from the cold wind, not freezing in winter. These cultures are very demanding on lighting, and its lack leads to a sharp decrease in leaf yield and menthol content. Mint and lemon balm tolerate short-term flooding and can be located in flood areas.

Cultures of mint and lemon balm are undemanding to heat and begin to grow, already at 3-5 ° C. The optimum temperature for growth and development is 18-20°C. Rhizomes withstand frosts down to -13°C, and mint seedlings tolerate temperatures down to -8°C. During germination, the rhizomes lose their frost resistance and may die when the cold returns.

These crops prefer mild winters and sufficient snow cover. The soil should be of light mechanical composition with the reaction of the soil environment RN-5-7.

seeds

Mint and lemon balm can be grown from seeds. But it should be borne in mind that peppermint blooms very profusely, but almost does not form seeds, while lemon balm reproduces well even by self-sowing. Anyway, mint and lemon balm seeds are sold in almost all garden centers and stores.

1. You can sow seeds at home, in seedling boxes, from February to April or in a greenhouse, after the soil has warmed up. Mint and lemon balm seeds are very small, so it is not recommended to plant them deep into the soil.
2. When sowing in a container, you can scatter them on the surface of the soil and cover the container with glass or a bag, so the seeds will germinate faster.
3. When sowing in a greenhouse or in open ground, lightly sprinkle the seeds with earth.

seedlings

Seedlings of mint and lemon balm are planted in well-heated soil, on beds, with a distance between plants of 30 to 50 cm. Seedlings of mint and lemon balm grown from seeds are planted in open ground when 3-5 pairs of true leaves are formed. Planting seedlings is carried out with a clod of earth, after which it is plentifully watered.

cuttings

Cuttings of mint and lemon balm can be carried out during the entire growing season of plants:

For faster root formation, you can use growth stimulants "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin". Planting cuttings in open ground must be completed a month before the onset of the first frost, so that young plants can form a sufficiently powerful root system for overwintering. After transplantation, abundant watering is necessary.

By dividing the bush

The most common way of planting both mint and lemon balm is planting with rhizomes.. Planting with rhizomes is carried out both in autumn and in spring. In areas with snowless winters and low temperatures, mint and lemon balm often freeze, so it is recommended to plant in early spring. For digging, it is desirable to make well-rotted compost or manure with the addition of complex mineral fertilizer.

1. Rhizomes for dividing the bush and reproduction are dug up immediately before planting. Do not use for planting sluggish, lost turgor, having a brown color of the rhizome. When using them, plantings are sparse and low-yielding.
2. Melissa rhizomes are planted to a depth of 8 to 10 cm, and mint rhizomes to a depth of 10-12 cm.

Spring planting of mint and lemon balm begins when the soil warms up. The autumn term for planting lemon balm is no later than September 15, and the planting of mint can be carried out over a longer period, including from October to November. A prerequisite after planting rhizomes is abundant watering. In one place, mint and lemon balm can be cultivated for at least 3-4 years.

Features of growing a house in one container

You can grow mint and lemon balm not only in the garden, but also at home, on the windowsill or balcony. It should be a well-lit place, since the daylight hours for these crops should be at least 7 hours.

You can plant mint and lemon balm not only in separate pots, but also in one common:

1. Accordingly, the pot for such a planting should be much larger. The distance between mint and lemon balm plants in a pot should not be less than 10 cm, since mint tends to grow strongly.
2. The distance from the plant to the edge of the pot is at least 5 cm.
3. The depth of the container for planting should be sufficient for the development of the root system of plants (at least 20 cm), because the larger the area of ​​\u200b\u200bplant nutrition, the greater the yield of leaves and flowers can be harvested.
4. When growing mint and lemon balm at home, frequent watering is necessary, as the soil dries up, as well as fertilizing with complex fertilizers after each mass cutting of greenery.

How to care?

To increase the yield during the growing season, top dressing and 3-4 times watering are carried out, especially during the dry period. Starting from the second year of plant life, early spring fertilizing with ammonium nitrate or nitrophoska can be carried out. The main pests of mint and lemon balm are:

To combat aphids and mites, you can spray 2 times with a 3% solution of liquid soap. Tobacco dust can be used against leaf-eating pests.

The main disease of both mint and lemon balm is rust.. As a result of this disease, complete shedding of leaves can occur, and the leaves are the most valuable part for which these crops are grown. A good rust preventative is Bordeaux liquid. Spraying is carried out with a 1% solution 3-4 times per season. All chemical treatments must be completed no later than one month before harvest.

When and how to harvest?

From plantings that were planted by dividing the bush in early spring, you can harvest in the first year, during autumn planting or when sown with seeds - starting from the second year of the plant's life. The best time to harvest is the budding phase - the beginning of the flowering of the plant. During the season, 2-3 collections of green mass are possible.

Sprigs of mint and lemon balm are cut along with flowers because it contains a large amount of essential oil. Collection is carried out in sunny and dry weather. After cutting, the branches are tied into bundles and hung on ropes for further drying. Drying should be carried out in a dark, well-ventilated place.

Growing mint and lemon balm in the garden or on the windowsill is quite simple. These are the most popular and almost everyone's favorite fragrant and medicinal herbs. Having mastered the simple technique of growing these crops, you can delight yourself and your loved ones with fragrant, and most importantly, healthy tea, not only in summer, but also in winter.

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Under natural conditions, lemon balm grows in forests located in central Russia. This medicinal plant, widely used in medicine in the treatment of many diseases, has several names among the people:

• honey cake;
• bee grass;
• lemon mint;
• apiary;
• censer;
• mint plant;
• bee mint.

From an agronomic point of view, lemon balm is a perennial herb. The color of the leaf part of the plants depends on the specific varieties - it can be either green or have a silver tint.

Note. Melissa planting and care in the open field have some specific features related to the requirements for maintaining the special condition of the soil, but it is also considered a remarkable characteristic that lemon balm is a honey plant, which is the origin of many popular names.

Melissa is present in the composition of a huge number of drugs. However, in addition to medical use, the leaves and shoots of this herb, which have a lemon flavor, are used in the manufacture of some varieties of culinary products:

• seasoning for dishes;
• additive to canned vegetables;
• improving the taste of liqueurs;
• tea brew.

Agricultural technology

Undemanding to care allows you to grow lemon balm in open ground.

Agricultural technology

Within the garden plot, lemon balm must be planted in loose, well-drained, sandy loamy soil or in loamy soil enriched with humus and providing the plant with sufficient water and air permeability. The main condition for growing lemon balm so that it gives a rich harvest is to ensure an average pH index, which should be, on average, 5.5.

As a material to make the right drainage, can be used:

• broken brick;
• rubble.

The soil moisture level should be above average. Melissa should be grown in a well-lit open area.

Important! Despite the resistance to cold, this horticultural crop should be planted on the south side of a residential building - this will help avoid exposure to strong winds.

Methods of vegetative propagation of lemon balm

By the method of cluster division

Sufficient growth of bushes, making them suitable for division, is completed 4 years after planting. It is best to divide bush plantings in one of the suitable periods:

• at the end of May;
• in late August.

Methods of vegetative propagation of lemon balm

Stages of the cluster division process:

1. Dig up a lemon balm bush;
2. Divide the planting into equal parts, consisting of 4 shoots and fragments of the root system;
3. Plant the separated parts in open ground;
4. Shade the area;
5. Provide moderate watering.

Cutting method

Instructions on how to breed by cuttings:

1. In the spring, cut the apical cuttings from the young shoots;
2. Put in water;

Note. A growth stimulator can be added to the water for cuttings.

1. After 2 weeks, when the first roots appear, place the planting material in a container with loosened nutrient soil;
2. Planted in open ground in the garden.

Reproduction of lemon balm by layering

To breed a lemon balm bush using a layering method, you must:

1. Bend several green sprouts to the ground surface, the average length of which is 14 centimeters;
2. Fix by any of the existing methods;
3. Sprinkle a thin layer of soil on the contact area;
4. Carry out abundant watering;
5. 2 weeks after the rooting of the layers, they must be cut off from the main bush with a pruner or a sharp knife;
6. Plant in a permanent location.

Reproduction of lemon balm by layering

Sowing lemon balm by seed

This medicinal plant can be sown throughout the spring and summer seasons, until the very end of October.

Breeding lemon balm by the seed method is considered the most time-consuming among other existing breeding technologies. However, this method, how to plant lemon balm in your dacha from seeds, is recognized as the most effective. This statement is due to the fact that the cluster plantings of lemon balm obtained as a result of seed germination are more powerful and also more viable. An important advantage of plants grown from seeds is resistance to adverse weather conditions. Planting seed material can be sown both in open ground conditions and in a container for seedling germination, subsequently also planted on an open ridge.

Important! It is possible to carry out the necessary disinfection of garden soil before growing lemon balm on it by heating the oven and placing material for planting in it or spilling the ground with freshly boiled water.

Note. Ready-made soil mixture purchased at the store does not require heat treatment.

The process of planting seeds

Seeds are very small in size and retain the ability to germinate after they have been sown for 2 years.

Features of how to plant lemon balm in the form of seed material:

• in open ground, home seeds should be planted by the end of May, in conditions of fully warmed soil, when warm weather sets in;
• planting depth is 1.5 centimeters;
• form small furrows;
• water the planting soil;
• sow seed material in moderation;
• sprinkle with earth;
• 4 weeks after planting lemon balm seeds, and when shoots appear, thin them out while maintaining a distance of 20 cm.

The process of planting seeds

Such an unpretentious grass in care, like lemon balm, growing from seeds of which is also not difficult, can easily take root, subject to the required agricultural practices, in any garden plot.

How to care for seedlings

Care for young plants when growing lemon balm is as follows:

1. It is necessary to open access to sunlight to landings;
2. Water abundantly in hot weather;
3. Remove excess greens;
4. Apply the necessary fertilizers.

Features of the process of planting seedlings

Seedlings of the medicinal herb lemon balm planting are planted and the care of which requires compliance with agrotechnical recommendations, under a tree.

Melissa seedling

However, the landing area should not be darkened, but direct sunlight is also unacceptable. The ideal condition is partial shade. The soil for planting this crop is prepared in advance:

1. In autumn, the ridge must be dug up;
2. Remove all plant debris from the soil;
3. Extract fragments of the root system;
4. Apply mineral-based fertilizers;
5. Fertilize the soil with rotted mullein;
6. For acidic soil, carry out drainage work;

Note! The ridge for planting lemon balm should be high.

1. For clay soil, dilute the soil with sand;
2. Remove weeds in the spring;
3. loosen the soil;
4. Mark the row spacing with a 32-centimeter spacing.

Planting seedlings is carried out in a checkerboard pattern, subject to a 35-centimeter distance between plantings.

How to care for Melissa

The statement that lemon balm tends to grow like a weed plant, and that this plant does not need to be looked after, is erroneous.

However, the healthy development of a lemon balm planting is possible subject to a number of conditions:

• Watering should be done every two days in hot weather and twice a week in cloudy weather. With the formation of fluid stagnation in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe root system, rotting processes begin;
• With the beginning of each spring season, at the transition to the vegetative stage, under each planting, it is necessary to add a bucket of solution, which includes mullein and nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Mulching with humus or old peat will help maintain the required level of moisture and the mineral composition of the soil;
• High hilling at the end of the autumn season will prevent the winter freezing of the lemon balm shrub. Before this, the aerial part should be cut off and covered with a layer of fallen leaves.

Note! Every 4 years after the cultivation of lemon balm from seed or seedlings, the bushes must be divided in order to rejuvenate. Refusal of such a procedure as picking will lead to coarsening and a decrease in the size of the foliage, as well as a decrease in yield.

How to harvest and store crops

Melissa bush, including home, blooms by mid-June. Flowers blooming in the axils of the leaf part can be painted in one of the colors characteristic of this plant:

• white;
• lilac;
• pink.

Advice. It is recommended to plant a medicinal bush of lemon balm near fruit trees.

The cut of the leaves is carried out before the flowering of the shrub or at the transition to this stage. One bush planting of lemon balm is capable of yielding a crop of fresh fragrant greens for 3 harvests in one season. For drying, lemon balm leaves are laid out in the shade in a thin layer. Storage of this medicinal herb is recommended in a well-closed container made of glass or tin material. This amount of harvested grass will last until the end of winter.

This fragrant medicinal plant is able to grow on any personal plot. If you know how to plant lemon balm correctly (for example, you can plant lemon balm in a pot at home on the windowsill, in the country from seeds or in the form of ready-made seedlings), follow each condition of agricultural technology, how to grow lemon balm, an important feature of which is to maintain acidity at the required level, you can regularly harvest a good harvest of this wonderful crop, which at the same time is able to decorate the garden.