Melissa lemon flavor growing from seeds. Growing lemon balm on the windowsill

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 on hand and medicinal plant. 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, serrated leaves of lemon balm have a lightish green color, and not very expressive flowers located in the axils of the leaves, 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 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, in northern Europe Melissa came from Spain thanks to the Benedictine monks who grew it in the monastery 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 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 Melissa 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. Lack of light in winter period you will have to compensate with additional illumination in the form fluorescent lamp 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 soil can act as a nutrient mixture garden soil or a mixture of sod land, humus and sand in equal proportions. 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 as 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 them on a friend personal 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 a moist warm water soil 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.

Useful 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 make sure to protect yourself in this case. 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.

It's unique useful plant 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 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 seeds? 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" - 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 language 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 c 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.
• Removes headache 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, it is necessary to pour crushed lemon balm leaves (20 grams) with boiling water (1 liter), seal tightly and leave for twenty minutes.

To prepare decoction from this healing herb, two tablespoons are boiled 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 the bath or aromatic lamp help you relax and sleep soundly.

Growing lemon balm suburban area or on your windowsill, preparing 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 solves the problem 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. No doubt to get the greatest benefit from the plant you need to take care of it. plant 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. Calcium-containing substances cope with this task - slaked lime, chalk, crushed limestone, wood ash, crushed eggshell.

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 it goes basic training nutrient medium for several years to come. 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, methods have become popular organic farming, using effective microorganisms. They can be purchased in the form of preparations "Emochki", "Shine", "Baikal", "Bokashi".

Melissa growing conditions, care rules

Live culture, when applied to the soil, increases fertility naturally like 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 are activated in the spring, when 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 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. For this 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 decorative effect landing 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. Equipment for sale various shapes and size. 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 breed 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 grows up to 1 m in height. Breeders have worked on undersized 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. Compact bush changes shades from white at the beginning of flowering to blue tint in 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 flavor" comparatively 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 we exclude spartan conditions and choose cozy place from fertile soil and sufficient watering, she will answer bountiful harvest 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 has 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.

On the garden plot 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 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. Comprehensive 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, they appear in a week root system- 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 flower pot it will not grow much, and pruning and permanent 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. For 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 a 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 need to 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 - thermophilic culture. Even though she endures negative temperatures, but it is recommended to cover it for the winter:

• cut upper part, 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 received wide use in folk recipes, when growing it is not required special care, it can grow both in the country and at home on the windowsill.

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 for cooking different 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 perennial grass up to 80 cm high. The plant, depending on the variety, has leaves from green to silver, may have 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 culture 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 number of indispensable for immune system vitamin C 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 her healing and culinary properties 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 bred and 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 fragrant plant able to add a twist to a familiar dish.

seed propagation

The simplest and accessible 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 autumn period. 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 seeds are formed. Melissa simple cultivation and easy care which allows you to enjoy fragrant tea gives a full harvest only in the second year of growth.
by the most the best option planting melissa from seeds is the cultivation of 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 holiday. 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 factors. external environment. Lemon aroma with seedling method goes 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. 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 nutrient soil and thanks for the fertilization. You can use both mineral and organic fertilizers.

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

Melissa officinalis belongs to the Lamiaceae or Lamiaceae family. The bushes of this perennial plant are well branched, they come in various heights depending on the variety. Leaves resembling nettles, all wrinkled, with teeth on the edges, covered with fluff.

Melissa is an abundant source of honey for bees, which is why it is also called " bee mint ", and for its citrus smell is called" lemon mint ". There is a variegated variety of lemon balm, which is distinguished by light spots on the foliage. Among the varieties of Melissa officinalis, the most famous are:

Varieties and types

A perennial plant that grows a little over half a meter. The foliage is egg-shaped, strongly scented, may be smooth and covered with down. It is eaten raw and dried.

Forms tall lush bushes up to a meter high. The foliage is jagged, dark green in color, smells strongly, but not as strongly as the previous variety. The flowers are small, white.

The bush grows up to 60 cm. The foliage is strongly wrinkled, with large teeth. Like other species, it produces honey well.

In addition to these varieties, suitable for our latitudes:

• Quadrille ;
• Isidore ;
• Tsarynska SEMCO ;
• Freshness ;
• Lada .

Melissa landing and care in the open field

When preparing the soil for planting melissa, you need to dig it up in the fall and fertilize it with manure or other organic top dressing. It is impossible for water to stagnate in the substrate, it must be loose enough and, if this is a problem, then take care of the drainage layer.

It is also undesirable to plant bushes close to groundwater and in the lowlands. If you don’t have to choose, then you need to make high beds. The best soil acidity is neutral or slightly acid close to neutral.

The growing area should be well lit, a light shade is allowed, which will even be useful for the variegated variety. And an excess of shade will lead to a decrease in the amount of essential oils, as a result of a decrease in aroma, and also in the shade the bushes do not grow very lush.

In the spring, when the soil warms up, the dug-up flower bed is loosened, cleared of weeds and beds are outlined. The distance between rows and individuals is about 50 cm, it can be a little more or less depending on the size of the variety. In general, the bushes branch well and fill the empty space.

Medicinal or peppermint is also grown by gardeners in their gardens as a medicinal plant, you can read more about the plant at the link.

Watering lemon balm

Watering lemon balm in the open field is important only in hot weather. If the soil dries out, pour about 10 liters per square meter site.

Melissa fertilizer

Top dressing should be carried out in the spring, introducing mullein diluted in water with mineral fertilizer (half a liter of mullein per bucket of water and a spoonful of complex mineral top dressing).

Melissa transplant

This perennial And he doesn't need frequent transplants. In one place, lemon balm can grow up to 10 years, but it is better to transplant every 4-6 years. In this case, the division of the bush is carried out.

Melissa breeding

A simple way is to layer. You just need to bend a couple of shoots to the soil and sprinkle them with soil, after which they should take root.

In this case, it is necessary to water the plants.

Reproduction of lemon balm by dividing the bush

During transplantation, lemon balm can be divided if she is already 3 years old. They do this at the beginning of spring, when young greens only appear, or at the end of summer.

This is a simple procedure, which is a cutting mother plant into equal shares, so that each has at least 4 stems with roots.

Melissa growing from seed

If you want to use seeds, they can be sown directly into the soil in late spring.

For seedlings, the material is sown at the end of March. When the seedlings have 4 true leaves (usually they appear when the bushes are about a month and a half old), they can be planted in a flower bed.

Melissa from seeds can also be grown in a pot, but in such conditions this plant feels worse than in open soil.

Diseases and pests

The main diseases of lemon balm are rust And septoria .

They are saved from them by cutting off diseased parts and treating them with fungicides, including Bordeaux mixture.

Of the pests, the most dangerous is mint leaf beetle . This green beetle, as its name implies, feeds on lemon balm leaves.

To get rid of it, you need to destroy wild-growing individuals of mint, and breeding sites are treated with insecticides.

Melissa medicinal properties and contraindications

This plant is used in folk and official medicine, because it has a number of useful properties.

Melissa has a calming effect on the nerves and can be used as a sedative.

Tinctures from it have good influence for heart disease and high pressure However, they should not be used without a doctor's prescription.

Melissa has anti-inflammatory properties, so teas and decoctions from it are used to relieve spasms, gum disease, headaches, improve metabolism and eliminate menstrual irregularities.

Melissa is used in cooking as a spice or simply as a tea.

It is important to remember that this plant is contraindicated for people with low blood pressure, because it, in turn, also lowers it.

Mint is propagated vegetatively. In the first half of autumn, cuttings are cut or a mint bush with roots and a clod of earth is dug up. This lump must be cut with a knife so that 2-3 shoots with roots or buds remain in each lobe. Divided parts or cuttings should be planted in pots with a diameter of about 10 cm.

Drainage is laid at the bottom of the container, and then a moistened mixture is poured from a part of garden soil or two parts of humus. The roots of the plants should be in the ground, and the aerial part is cut at a height of 5 cm above the surface.

To speed up the process of leaf regrowth, the planted mint is placed as close to the light as possible.

Plants should be regularly watered with settled water at room temperature. It is desirable that it be constantly in the pan, since mint prefers air with a humidity of about 80%. It is also useful to periodically spray the leaves.

When the mint takes root and the leaves begin to grow, you can carry out one feeding with a solution of urea (1-2 g of urea per 1 liter of water). As a rule, the plant is fed at the end of September. In winter, top dressing is not carried out, they are resumed in February, when the sun appears.

How to grow lemon balm

For seedlings, lemon balm seeds are needed in early March. To do this, dry seeds should be placed in a container with a ready-made soil mixture (one part of peat, soddy soil and humus) in grooves 0.5 cm deep and spilled with warm water. Before germination, the soil must be sprayed every other day. Shoots appear in 8-10 days.

Seedlings should be planted between April 25 and May 5. Plant the plants at a distance of 12 cm from each other. Melissa is watered 3 times a week. When the plants reach 20-25 cm in height and buds appear, they should be pinched off to prevent flowering. This will increase the lateral branching, and during the summer period the greens can be cut 2-3 times.

When the plant reaches a height of 40-50 cm, it is cut off along with the stem, leaving 10 cm each. Thus, the splendor of the lemon balm bush will be increased several times.

Melissa is not afraid of the cold, so she can be left on the loggia or balcony until the late autumn cold sets in. Further continue. At the same time, 1-2 plants are placed in each flower pot, along with clods of earth from the box. The plant does not need fertilizer. For this purpose, you can use sleeping tea and eggshell infusion for watering.

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 a 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 need to 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.