Planting seedlings of lemon balm in open ground. Mint and lemon balm: cultivation, healing properties. Agrotechnics for sowing melissa seeds

Many of us know this pleasant heady and refreshing citrus scent of lemon balm. Lemon balm is also popularly known as lemon balm. Due to its useful and gingerbread properties, the herb is used in cooking and medicine. If you do not have a dacha, but have a desire to enjoy all the delights of this plant, you can try to grow lemon balm at home.

Is it possible to grow lemon balm on the windowsill

lemon melissa Grows well both outdoors and in pots. When growing lemon balm at home, the bushes reach a height of 25-30 cm. Regular pruning contributes to the growth of the bushes. All that is required of us is just to choose a sunny window sill, prepare good soil and water it properly.

Did you know? The plant was named lemon balm in honor of the ancient Greek nymph - the patroness of beekeeping.

What conditions are needed in the room for the comfortable growth of lemon balm

Let's see what is the care of lemon balm at home. Success in growing lemon balm awaits those who stick to simple rules plant content.

Lighting for Melissa

Before you grow lemon balm at home, you should take into account the fact that this plant is photophilous. It is better to place it on windowsills with good lighting. From a lack of light, it will not disappear, but it will not grow into a lush bush either. With a lack of light in winter period better to install artificial lighting. Fluorescent lamps give a good effect when illuminated for 8-10 hours a day. Then the bush is guaranteed to give not only growth, but also seeds.

Humidity and temperature for the plant

Since lemon balm is more of an outdoor plant than an indoor plant, it needs to create certain conditions for comfortable growth. Melissa loves humid air very much, so the humidity in the room should be at least 65%. In order for the leaves not to lose their juiciness in the summer, the bushes are irrigated with a spray gun. Melissa is unpretentious to temperatures. In the autumn-winter period, it calmly tolerates temperatures of +15 ... +18 ºC. Melissa is a moisture-loving plant, and high temperatures adversely affect its development. The optimal temperature range for it is +18...+24 ºC.

What should be the soil for room lemon balm

To grow a lemon balm plant at home, you can use a substrate specially bought in a store or prepare the soil yourself. Considering that the lemon balm bush needs nutritious soil to grow, the substrate can be prepared from garden soil, sand and humus in equal proportions. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot.

Important! The soil for growing lemon balm should be well water- and breathable, with neutral acidity.

Ways to plant lemon balm on the windowsill

Melissa can be grown not only in the country, but also in a pot at home. There are several ways to grow a plant on a windowsill.

seed way

Consider growing lemon balm from seeds at home. It should be noted that growing in pots is a long and laborious process. Seeds before planting can be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. For planting, we need a soil mixture and seeds. We lay drainage (perlite, pieces of foam plastic) at the bottom of the pot, pour wet soil. We sow the seeds to a depth of 1 cm, cover the pot with polyethylene and put it in a warm place. Sprouts will appear in 10-15 days. We look so that the earth does not dry out, periodically irrigate the plants. The emerging sprouts must be thinned out. Picking seedlings of lemon balm is carried out after the appearance of 3-4 leaves. The seedlings are transplanted into large pots with a capacity of up to two liters and a depth of at least 15-20 cm. After 2 months, it will be possible to pluck the first leaves.

Did you know? In the people, lemon balm is called honeydew. With its spicy smell, it attracts many bees.

The division of the bush

If you do not have the desire to mess with the seeds and wait two months, you can try to grow homemade lemon balm by dividing the bush. Reproduction of lemon balm by division is carried out in the spring, when the plant starts new roots. They dig a bush, shake off the ground and divide it into several small bushes (the roots must have at least a few buds). A new seedling is planted in pots with pre-prepared soil. After 2-3 weeks, the bush will give an increase, and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Reproduction by layering

If you have a lemon balm bush in your country house, but you do not want to dig it out, you can resort to propagation by layering. At the beginning of summer, when the shoot reaches a length of 10-15 cm (preferably before flowering), it is pressed to the ground and sprinkled. In order for the sprinkled shoots to take root, the soil around the embankment must be watered periodically. Within two weeks, the layering will give roots. It can be safely dug up and cut off from the main bush. We plant the honey flower in a pot and take it home, since it is easier to grow lemon balm at home, and it will always be at your fingertips. We put the pot for hardening the bush for 3-4 days in the shade.

How to cut indoor lemon balm

There is another way to plant a lemon balm bush at home - cuttings. You need to buy a bunch of lemon balm in the market or in the supermarket, put it in water. After 10 days, roots will appear, and the shoots can be planted in a pot with ready-made drainage and a special substrate. Then we put the seedling for several days in a shaded place so that the seedlings do not receive sunburn. Within two weeks, the plant will have new shoots. After 2 months, you can harvest.

Important! Melissa for cuttings should be freshly cut.

Rules for caring for melissa at home

The rules for caring for melissa are simple. All she needs is timely watering, the introduction of nutrients and correct pruning. Pick them off when buds appear. The main value of lemon balm is the leaves.

Watering and feeding the plant

In the warm season, lemon balm bushes should be watered as the soil dries 2-3 times a week. For the winter, when the quantity sunny days decreases, watering is carried out more economically. Waterlogging the plant or stagnant water in the soil can lead to disease. powdery mildew or root rot, subsequently the bush dies. It is better to feed lemon balm with a special liquid fertilizer. It is bred according to the instructions. Top dressing is carried out throughout the entire growing season.

If you want the lemon balm leaves to be more juicy, irrigate it daily with a spray bottle.

Melissa officinalis (Melissa officinalis L.) is a well-known perennial medicinal plant native to the Mediterranean, North Africa and East Asia.

The Swiss physician Paracelsus called the fragrant herb "the joy of the heart" and "the elixir of life." He believed that lemon balm gives the body vitality and prevent disease. The medicinal properties of the perennial were known in ancient Greece, where it was considered a plant of the goddess Diana.

Characteristic

Lemon balm leaves are light green, heart shaped, white or pink flowers, located in the axils of the leaves, bloom in June and bloom until September. Full of nectar, flowers in large numbers attract bees, which is why the name of the genus is translated from Greek as "bee".
The plant has a highly branched rhizome and a stem up to 45 to 100 cm high. Due to the large amount of essential oil, the herb gives off an aroma that resembles the smell of a lemon, and the taste is bitter-spicy.

Growing lemon balm in the garden

Melissa is grown in one place for up to 5-10 years. Perennial can grow in almost any soil, however, fertile permeable sandy loamy loose soil and a sunny, warm place ensure intensive growth and splendor of the bushes. The grass will grow in partial shade, but then the oil content will decrease and the plant will be less fragrant.

Perennials should be provided with constant soil moisture, but without stagnant water and top dressing with fertilizers once a month. After flowering, shoots should be cut back to encourage new growth. Thus, we will constantly have fresh leaves, and its shoots will not be lignified.

Pruning also prevents overgrowth of bushes. In autumn, cover the soil at the base of the stems with compost mulch or rotted leaves. This will provide the plant with nutrients and protect the roots from low temperatures, especially during cold, snowless winters.

Growing lemon balm from seeds

Melissa is propagated by sowing seeds, which are sown in late March - early April in pots or containers to a depth of 0.5 cm. Seedlings should be kept in a room with a temperature of 20 ° C. They require constant soil moisture, but should not be over-watered as they are susceptible to fungal diseases. A large amount of sunlight is also necessary for the rapid emergence of seedlings.

Seed germination lasts about three weeks, but the first sprouts may appear as early as 2 weeks. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in May, after passing spring frosts 20-40 cm apart. Before planting, add humus and some wood ash to the soil.

The plant also reproduces vegetatively by dividing bushes in mid-spring. Adult 3-5-year-old specimens are divided into parts with 3-5 growing points each. Delenki take root well and grow quickly.
Several popular varieties of this greenery have been developed, which are grown in the garden: Citronella, Lemonella, Quedlinburg, Lime, Aurea.

Harvesting time

Leaves of fragrant greens are collected no later than at the end of August so that the plant can still grow before winter. The grass is cut, leaving 5-10 cm above the ground. The leaves are used both fresh and dried.

Melissa is incredibly easy to grow in Mediterranean style flower beds, containers,

Under natural conditions, lemon balm grows in forests located in middle lane 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 herb belonging to the segment perennials. 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 notable characteristic that lemon balm is honey plant, which is the origin of many popular names.

Melissa is present in a huge amount medicines. However, in addition to medicinal use, the leaves and shoots of this herb, which have 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 garden plot lemon balm should 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 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 weather, 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 the end of August.

Ways vegetative propagation 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. Land the detached units 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 sharply sharpened 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 are planted medicinal herb lemon balm planting and care of which requires compliance with agrotechnical recommendations, under a tree.

Melissa seedling

However, the landing area should not be darkened, but direct hits sun rays also not allowed. 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 assertion that lemon balm tends to grow like a weed, 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 a pick 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 can 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, important feature which is to maintain the acidity at the required level, you can regularly collect good harvest this wonderful culture, which at the same time is able to decorate the garden.

Melissa needs:

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

A plant can grow in one place three - 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 indoor plant. 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. Photo

IN winter time years, 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.

By using 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. 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. 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.

Lemon balm shoots should be dived from seeds 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.
• White lemon balm flowers are located in the axils of the plant, and blue catnip inflorescences are located 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. She possesses 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 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.
• 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.
• Removes toxins from the body, having a diuretic and diaphoretic effect.
• Reduces toothache, disinfects the oral cavity, removing inflammation.
• Included in diet food helping 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.

Prepare 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 a bath or scented lamp will help you calm down and fall asleep soundly.

Growing lemon balm suburban area or on your windowsill, harvesting a dried product, you provide for yourself healthy drink, which can be used 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

The exact origin of the name Melissa has not been clarified due to the disagreement of its interpreters. But it is known that called lemon balm herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, the cultivation of which as a medicinal raw material is widespread, is also called censer, lemon grass, lemon and bee mint. This inconspicuous herb is cultivated by gardeners, gardeners and even planters for industrial purposes, focusing primarily on the richness of biologically active substances contained in lemon balm.

Did you know?According to one version, the name melissa was formed from the addition of Greek words meaning honey and leaves. According to the second - on behalf of the nymph Melissa, who allegedly treated Zeus with honey and milk. According to the third, Melissa was the name of a beauty who was turned into a bee by the will of the Olympic gods.

Melissa: plant description

The height of the perennial can reach one and a half meters. Its basis is a strongly branching rhizome. Petiolate opposite leaves of a complex shape, resembling both a heart and an egg and having large teeth, are located on a branched stem, as if faceted on four sides.

The short pedicels are crowned with axillary tufts of small white flowers, which may also have pale pink or purple tones. The flowers have four stamens, the upper four-parted ovary of the pistil on a long style. The flowering of lemon balm is marked by July and August of the second year of growth.

A large, with a black sheen, four-nut fruit, gaining maturity in August-September, has an ovoid shape. Before flowering, the grass is fragrant with lemon. When flowering ends, the weakening smell becomes unpleasant.

How to choose a place and prepare the soil for growing lemon balm

In order for lemon balm to grow well, it is necessary to create certain conditions for it.

Lighting for active growth

Planting lemon balm is recommended to be done in a place with good sunlight, which is especially important for the germination of naturally small seeds. Frosts can kill new lemon mint bushes, so their cultivation should begin with planting in warm weather. In the future, the plant demonstrates a fair amount of resistance to cold, although the place where lemon balm grows is still better to choose on the south side, protected from air currents coming from the north.

Important!On the open sunny place Melissa has a richer flavor.

Soil preparation for planting lemon balm

The soil for planting should be fertile and free from weeds. Melissa prefers loamy soils, as they have high water and air permeability, which makes it possible to grow a full-fledged plant. Loose sandstones are also possible. They need good drainage from fine gravel or broken bricks, which will protect the root system from decay.

If the entire site is located on clay soil, then at the place where lemon balm is planted, it must be mixed with river sand. The reaction of the soil to acidity should be slightly acidic or neutral. The first digging with weeding and fertilizing can be done in the fall, and in the spring, loosen and clean the heated soil again.

Melissa breeding methods, how to plant a medicinal plant

To understand how melissa reproduces most successfully, you must first carefully study and only then choose seeds, melissa seedlings, cuttings or separated parts of the bush for planting.

Sowing seeds

A thousand seeds weigh approximately 0.62 g. Their germination persists for 2-3 years. Based on practical experience, it was concluded that plants grow stronger and more enduring from seeds. When it is better to sow lemon balm depends on the planting material chosen for open soil.

Landing in open ground

Rapid seed germination will occur when lemon balm is sown in open ground at the end of May. Moreover, as close to the surface as possible, that is, it is necessary to plant lemon balm seeds to a depth of no more than 1-1.5 cm. For a row spacing, a gap of up to half a meter is enough. Between the bushes, since they grow decently, it is advisable to leave at least 40 cm.

Gardeners who care not only about productivity, but also about the aesthetics of the beds, recommend increasing both distances to about 0.6 m. The first shoots appear only after 3-4 weeks, so the answer to the question: “Why doesn’t lemon balm grow?”, The answer is simple - the appointed time has not come.

Planting lemon balm seedlings

A rich harvest of fragrant lemon balm can be achieved not only by growing it from seeds, but by first obtaining seedlings from them. Planting for seedlings should be done at the turn of March and April, and in May, the resulting approximately 40-day material with four leaves on each seedling is planted in the soil.

Boxes with sown seeds, covered with glass, are kept in a warm room, the illumination of which is increased to a maximum after germination. Seedlings that have grown up to 3-5 cm need to be thinned out to five-centimeter intervals and then planted in separate small containers.

Growing lemon balm by dividing the bush

The shoots that began to grow by the end of May signal that it is possible to start dividing the bushes. Another, also favorable period is the end of August. The excavated bush is cut into pieces of the same size. Each of them should retain at least 4-5 shoots and roots. The separated parts take root well and bloom beautifully. The limitation for this method of reproduction of lemon balm is its age - it must be at least 3-4 years old.

How to cut melissa

Cuttings for planting lemon balm are made from the apical part of its young shoots, which, after cutting, are placed in water. After the roots appear (this happens after about two weeks), the cuttings are grown in fertilized loose soil.

Rules for caring for melissa in the garden

There is no difficulty in planting lemon balm, it is unpretentious in any case, and therefore caring for it does not provide for special specifics. But in the first year, until the branched roots of the overgrown bushes began to independently provide them with food and moisture, the plant needs close attention. First of all, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds.

In one place, lemon balm can exist for up to 10 years. But in the sixth year, winter-hardy qualities deteriorate, therefore, in a frosty climate after this period, it is better to divide and seat.

Important!After five years, the winter hardiness of the plant decreases.

Watering and feeding the plant

Several waterings are needed in the initial growth stage. Be sure to water in case of significant drought. Watering must be supplemented by loosening the soil. A protective layer of mulch laid on top will help the soil stay moist longer and also serve as a weed protector. Melissa is fed after each cut of greens.

Complex liquid fertilizers are used (for 10 liters of water - 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride) and mulching with organic matter - a significant layer of humus or compost. Feeding is not done before flowering, as this prevents the seeds from ripening in time.

pinching lemon balm

Pinching seedlings of lemon balm grown for seedlings is carried out at a height of 10-15 cm. The result of this procedure is compact bushes with greater branching.

Melissa pruning

Two or three times per season, lemon balm shoots are radically cut at a 10-centimeter distance from the surface of the earth. Such an operation leads, in addition to a very quick recovery, to a rather active formation of a large number of new branches and dense, pretty bushes, so attractive that they are used as elements of landscape design.