Many of us know this pleasant intoxicating and refreshing citrus aroma lemon balm. Lemon balm is also popularly known as lemon balm. Due to its beneficial 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 as in open field as well as in pots. When growing lemon balm at home, the bushes reach a height of 25-30 cm. Regular pruning contributes to the growth of bushes. All that is required of us is just to choose a sunny window sill, cook good soil and water 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 shortage of light in winter, it is 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 is very fond of wet air Therefore, indoor humidity should be at least 65%. In order for the leaves not to lose their juiciness in summer time, the bushes are irrigated with a spray bottle. Melissa is unpretentious to temperatures. AT 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 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.
The exact origin of the name Melissa has not been clarified due to the disagreement of its interpreters. But it is known that the herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, called lemon balm, whose cultivation 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 cut from 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 solar lighting 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 root system from decay.
If the entire area is located on clay soil, then at the landing site of lemon balm 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 as possible to the surface, 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 on 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. On each of them, at least 4-5 shoots and roots should be preserved. 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 irrigations are needed in initial stage growth. Be sure to water in case of significant drought. Watering must be supplemented by loosening the soil. Stacked on top protective layer The mulch will help keep the soil moist longer and will also keep weeds out. Melissa is fed after each cut of greenery.
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.
Hello everyone! How are you doing? Do you need to calm down a bit? And the good old tea with lemon balm will help you with this.
People call this plant lemon mint. Thanks to its refreshing and useful properties melissa is used in medicine and cooking.
I really like this plant and so I planted it in my garden. But it turns out that you can grow it at home on the windowsill, which I also want to try to do this winter.
Therefore, today I will tell you how to grow lemon balm at home.
Melissa not only has a pleasant aroma, but also helps with many health problems. She is able to cope with nervous disorders, relieves negative emotions and also normalizes the work of the heart.
Even in ancient times, this herb was used as an antibacterial agent.
Essential oils This plant is known for its phytoncidal properties. In addition, it contains useful acids, tannins and even carotene.
In herbal medicine, this herb is prescribed for:
- Insomnia and.
- Rheumatism.
- Skin rashes.
- Nervous exhaustion.
- Inflammatory processes of the mucous membranes.
By the way, not only tea is good with lemon balm. It perfectly complements side dishes and salads. In addition, this spice is successfully used in fish dishes, with mushrooms, eggplant and cucumbers.
Features of growing lemon balm on the windowsill
To grow lemon balm on a windowsill or balcony, a few conditions are required:
- sunny place;
- good seeds;
- watering;
- fertile substrate.
The plant is best planted in pots in spring period. At this time, the fastest growth is ensured, and the most minimal care is needed. At the same time, lemon balm will bring joy with its beautiful foliage for several years.
This perennial can grow without transplants for three to four years.
Many gardeners are interested in whether it is possible to grow lemon balm in the cold season?
Yes, the bush will grow in winter, but only its splendor will be less than in summer and spring.
In cold periods, its leaves become lighter.
Place the plant pot on the sunny side, but remember that lemon balm does not like direct sunlight and drafts.
cultivation
Now let's figure out how to properly grow a plant from seeds. It is better to provide her with a fertile substrate with neutral acidity, as well as with good breathability.
The soil should be light, as this will ensure good seed germination. To loosen the soil, you should use vermiculite or perlite.
Make a composition of garden soil, as well as equal parts of sand and humus. If you do not want to bother, then purchase a substrate for indoor plants in the store.
Planting seedlings is performed as follows:
- Prepare containers in advance for disembarkation. These can be containers, pots or boxes. They should be treated with a solution of manganese.
- Lay a drainage layer on the bottom, and then a soil layer.
- Sow small seeds in moist warm ground, to a depth of 5 cm and at a distance of 6 cm.
- After planting, they need to be watered.
The first shoots will appear only after a couple of weeks. In this case, the landing sites need to be moistened every other day. Place the container in a warm and sunny place.
When shoots appear, the boxes can be placed in a sufficiently lit place. But at the same time, it is important that the rays of the sun do not fall on them. Picking can be omitted, but if the plants sprout too thickly, then the weakest of them can be pulled out.
After a couple of months, the bushes will get stronger, and you can plant them in a permanent place of growth.
You can plant seedlings in the garden or in the country. But it is better to do this in the second half of May. And if you plan to plant sprouts on the balcony, then choose a long container or large pot.
Seedlings should be planted in one row. In this case, the distance between seedlings should not be less than 15 cm.
In addition to seeds, you can grow lemon balm using cuttings, as well as dividing rhizomes and a bush.
You can start dividing the bush at the end of May or at the end of August. The bush is first dug out, and then cut into identical parts.
At the same time, at least five shoots must remain on each of them. These parts fit well.
And when propagating by cuttings, it is necessary to cut the cuttings from the upper part of the young shoots. They are placed in water, and after the roots appear, they should be transferred to loose soil.
How to care for a plant?
It is important for a plant to provide good care. Watering should be regular. At the same time, it is necessary to water not only the soil, but also the leaves.
For them better fit spray. Grown bushes should be watered three times a day.
From May until the first autumn frosts, containers with plants can be placed on the balcony or on the loggia. But in this case, it is worth taking care of protecting the culture from strong winds and rain.
Don't forget about quality food. For this you can take organic fertilizers: tea leaves and egg shells.
Or liquid type mineral fertilizers. In this case, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate or superphosphate is suitable. Feeding should be done after each leaf pruning.
Remember that in the first year, flowers and lush greenery will not appear. At the same time, lemon balm does not grow more than 50 cm. Since the main benefit of the plant is in the foliage, the buds should be cut off as soon as they appear.
How to use Melissa?
Melissa is often used, as well as mint. And when preparing some infusions, sage is perfectly combined with it.
It is better to harvest in the second year, after the lemon balm gives the first buds.
It is believed that it was at this time that a significant amount of useful components accumulated in the plant. It is worth harvesting from fully formed bushes.
This can be done four times per season. Cut at a height of 10 cm or even higher. Dry raw materials in small bundles. They can be placed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
If this method is not suitable, then you can lay out individual leaves in one layer on a grid, canvas or parchment. It is good to dry on the loggia.
Only it is better to do it in dry weather and in a small shade.
After drying, dry raw materials must be decomposed into jars and tightly covered with a lid. In this form, you can store stock for a year. It is no longer worth it, since Melissa will lose most your fragrance.
During storage, do not mix this plant with other herbs.
With the right approach to growing and caring, you will get a wonderful garden on your windowsill, which will delight you at any time of the year.
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Until we meet again, friends!
The homeland of this spicy plant is the Mediterranean forests. Nevertheless, in our latitudes summer residents have excellently learned how to grow lemon balm on their household plots. 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 lemon and honey smell, in Russian its name is translated from Latin as " bee leaves". 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 out nervous disorders and spasms, relieve convulsions, normalize the work of the heart and relieve negative emotions has been known to people since the time of Pliny. Even then, lemon balm was used as an antibacterial agent in the treatment of wounds received on the battlefield.
The Arabs were the first to cultivate this plant; lemon balm came to northern Europe from Spain thanks to the Benedictine monks who grew it in the monastic beds. Since that time, this herb is often referred to as lemon balm.
The era of knights gave us. 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 Elizabethan English made it a fashion to carry "touss-mousse"- 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. Essential oils of lemon balm have phytoncidal properties, in addition, this plant contains in large numbers 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.
- — healthy recipes dishes, teas and baths.
Growing lemon balm on the windowsill
In open ground, this plant can be found both in cultivated form and in the wild in almost the entire European part of the Russian Federation, in the Caucasus and in the Crimea. In nature, lemon balm prefers shady areas of the edges, wet gorges, in summer cottages it feels good in the company of parsley or dill in open sunny areas.
Habitat requirements for indoor lemon balm
Based on the above, it is best to place a pot of lemon balm on a sunny windowsill(east, south and west), otherwise the leaves of the plant will not be so fragrant. You will have to compensate for the lack of illumination in the winter with additional illumination in the form of 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 garden soil or a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand in equal proportions can act as a nutrient soil mixture. The easiest way to get soil for lemon balm is to purchase a bag of ready-made ground mixture from the store called "Substrate for indoor plants"
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 brewing), and liquid mineral fertilizer(superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate). Plants should be fed after each cutting of leaves, which can be done before flowering.
- You will be interested:
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, 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 the stems from such plants with seed material, collect them in bunches, hang and dry in a dry, dark and ventilated area. 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 brick), 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 select big pot or a long container. In order to enable lemon balm to form a full-fledged bush, place the seedlings in one row, and the distance between the bushes should be at least 15 cm.
Helpful advice
From May until the first autumn frosts, containers and pots of spicy herbs can be sent for the holidays -. Just provide in this case protection from heavy rains and gusts of wind.
In the first year, do not expect lush greenery on young plants of flowers. Indoor lemon balm does not grow above half a meter. Since the value of lemon balm is in its foliage, cut off the buds as soon as they appear, but only if the height of the bush is at least 20 cm.
How to prepare melissa
Harvesting makes sense only in the second year until the moment when the lemon balm gives the first buds, it is during this period that the maximum amount of healing components is in the foliage. You can harvest as needed from already fully formed bushes (45 cm in height) 4 times per season. Moreover, cut the leaves at a height of 10 cm and above.
Healing raw materials can be dried in the form of small bundles in a dry place in a draft. You can lay out the leaves in one layer on parchment, metal grate or linen and dry them on the loggia in dry weather in a place inaccessible to the sun.
After drying, fold the prepared raw materials into glass jars and close the lid tightly. 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 melissa will lose most of its fragrant 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.
Often in the garden you can see a modest plant - lemon mint, the care and cultivation of which will not cause complications even for beginner gardeners. The scientific name of the inconspicuous bush is lemon balm. The herb has many virtues, the use of fragrant leaves and stems is recommended in cooking, folk medicine, home cosmetology. Before you start planting and caring for lemon balm in the open field, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the features of agricultural technology.
Origin and description of culture
According to one of the legends, medicinal or lemon balm owes its name to the exhaled honey aroma - “honey” and “leaves”. The Greeks interpret differently, in their opinion, the culture was named after a girl who disrespectfully treated the Olympic deities. For her defiance and pride, she was turned into a bee that preferred lemon balm to other plants.
Another version of the origin of the name is Ancient Greece the nymph Melissa lived, who regaled Zeus with a special drink made from milk and honey. In honor of her, an inconspicuous fragrant culture was named.
Lemon mint is a perennial. The height of the bush reaches one and a half meters. The base is a powerful rhizome, reaching a length of several meters. The leaves resemble hearts, have teeth.
In July and August, lemon balm is covered with small white (sometimes pink) flowers that exude a delicate aroma. Fragrant mint is revered by bees - at the time of flowering, tireless workers circle over it, collecting nectar. Taste, smell, useful qualities honey did not go unnoticed - the bee product collected from lemon balm is considered the most valuable. The peculiarity of the perennial is that after flowering the fragrant aroma disappears. Leaves exude quite bad smell.
Varietal diversity
If the owners plan to grow lemon balm in the garden, it is better to study its varieties in advance, this will help to make a choice. There are many types of lemon mint, they differ in the height of the bush, flowering, aroma intensity:
- It has a bright green shade of leaves and a persistent aroma. The height of an adult bush does not exceed a meter. Flowering begins in June, continues until mid-August. Used in cooking.
- Inconspicuous bushes, reaching a height of 55-60 cm. The leaves are ovate, exude a delicate aroma. Flowers begin to bloom in early summer.
- A feature of the bush is a height that reaches 130 cm. Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts almost until autumn. Distinguished by the persistent fragrance of the leaves.
- Melissa of the Lemon flavor variety is especially popular with gardeners, the smell of which does not differ from the fragrance of citrus fruits. It is commonly used in conservation, for the manufacture of perfumes and face and body care products.
Agrotechnical requirements
Growing lemon balm is not as difficult as it seems to many novice gardeners. It is enough to follow simple agrotechnical requirements, which include:
- soil preparation;
- choice of location;
- proper hydration;
- timely feeding.
The soil for growing in open ground will need light, nutritious. Melissa loves good lighting, but without drafts, so it is better to choose cozy corner in the garden. The earth should not be abundantly moistened, often the bushes do without watering - dirt can destroy lemon mint, causing root rot.
It grows in one place up to 10 years, this must be taken into account when planning plantings. Adult bushes endure movements painfully, take root for a long time and may die.
How to plant melissa
Growing lemon balm is a simple process, but on condition that all the requirements of agricultural technology are met. Landing is carried out in several ways:
- seedlings;
- cuttings;
- seeds in open ground;
- layering.
The most difficult and time-consuming method of reproduction is through seedlings. Difficulties arise even when sending planting material into the soil - the seeds are small and not everyone can distribute them evenly over the surface of the substrate. Another feature of sowing is the need for stratification. For soaking, a pink solution of potassium permanganate is most often used.
Adult bushes can also be used for breeding - delenki take root well. If everything worked out and the plants survived, good harvest Melissa will delight in the first year after planting. The bushes branch well, so an easier way is to propagate by layering or cuttings.
seeds
Getting lemon balm from seeds is troublesome, but interesting. Before sowing, be sure to soak the seed in a solution of potassium permanganate, then dry it on a napkin. It is recommended to use soil for growing seedlings for tomatoes and peppers - it is light, well passes moisture and air, necessary for plant growth.
A prerequisite is good drainage. At the bottom of the container, put a layer of expanded clay, clay shards, pieces of foam. Send the seed material to a depth of about 1 cm. After sowing, cover the container with a piece of glass or polyethylene. Shoots will appear in 4 weeks. After half a month, carry out a pick. Send seedlings to the beds at the age of 6 leaves.
The division of the bush
If there is no desire to grow lemon balm from seedlings, you can do it easier - get full-fledged specimens from cuttings. Engage in the process better in spring before the leaves appear. Dig up an adult bush, divide it into several parts, each of them must have a kidney. Delenki are planted in pre-prepared soil. Add ash, a small amount of sand, compost to the soil.
The first time after transplanting, it is necessary to irrigate the soil abundantly, especially if spring does not indulge in rains.
Reproduction by layering
A quick and easy way to get full-fledged bushes is to use layering for propagation. The process is simple:
- Dig a few deep grooves from an adult bush.
- Put a shoot of lemon balm in each furrow.
- Press the shoots to the ground with steel clamps.
- Sprinkle the places of contact of the plant with the soil surface with soil.
Water the earth abundantly throughout the summer. Usually by the beginning of autumn strong roots grow. Do not plant the resulting lemon balm bushes, leave until spring. After the snow has melted, cut off the shoots, dig up the plants with big ball land and transplanted to a pre-selected place.
cuttings
You can use cuttings to grow lemon balm. It is recommended to cut them from an adult plant, and if it is not possible, then purchase a bunch of lemon mint in the store and use it for sprouting. The length of the handle should not exceed 15 cm.
At home, place lemon balm cuttings in water on a sunny windowsill. After a week and a half, the roots will appear, you need to let them get stronger and plant them in a nutrient substrate. If the weather is sunny and warm, it is recommended to land immediately in the garden or on the beds.
Growing from seed
Despite the fact that growing lemon balm from seeds is considered the most troublesome, many gardeners prefer to plant lemon balm in this way. In addition to the disadvantages, there are also advantages:
- you can plant several varieties and independently check their differences and advantages;
- renew plants that degenerate over time, which affects the aroma and beneficial qualities.
If garden soil is used for planting, be sure to disinfect it - send it to a hot oven for half an hour. It is better not to use boiling water - hot liquid will not be able to destroy some types of bacteria. Send planting material to beds in open ground in April-May, pre-fertilize and dig the soil.
seedling method
After the lemon balm seeds germinate, care for seedlings should be carried out, as for indoor plants. Conduct frequent but sparing watering, loosen the surface of the soil with a sharp stick, trying not to damage the roots that are in the upper layers of the substrate.
When picking at the age of 4 leaves, be sure to leave a clod of soil on the roots. It is better to plant plants in separate cups filled with drainage and a light substrate. After transplanting, place the containers on a bright windowsill, making sure that direct sunlight does not fall on the lemon balm.
Sowing in open ground
It is possible to carry out cultivation by seeds not through seedling method, and immediately in the open field in the country. The danger for such plants is in the weeds - they are able to drown out the tender sprouts of lemon balm, preventing them from growing and developing. It is difficult to cope with herbs - it is not easy for an inexperienced gardener to determine where the weed is and where the spicy culture is.
If you carefully weed the weeds, there will be no difficulties in growing lemon balm. A month after germination, thin out the bushes, leaving the strongest. Melissa bushes grown from seeds are resistant to diseases and climatic conditions, easily tolerate frost.
The main thing is to make sure that the soil is moist, but not dirty.
Features of care
Caring for mint is simple, the main processes that need to be carried out during the season:
- Watering. Irrigation is rarely carried out - excess moisture causes rotting of the roots and the death of lemon balm bushes.
- Soil loosening. Carry out carefully, without delving into the lower layers in which the rhizome of lemon balm is located - it can be damaged.
- Mulching. A thick layer of mulch (pine bark, chopped straw, sawdust) will protect against evaporation of moisture and weeds, loosening will have to be done much less frequently.
- Top dressing. Bring in nutrients recommended only for growth retardation. Most often, nitrogen compounds are used. Do not use fertilizer before collecting leaves.
- Shelter for the winter. Some varieties of lemon balm do not tolerate frost well, so it is recommended to cut it in autumn. above-ground part plants and cover the soil with agrofiber, sawdust, spruce branches, dry grass.
In the cultivation of lemon mint, you need to remember one feature of the plant - despite the fact that in one place the bush can grow up to 10 years, cold resistance sharply decreases already in the fifth year. It is imperative to cover an adult lemon balm for the winter, otherwise it will die at the first frost.
Growing a house on a windowsill
You can grow lush compact bushes at home, using a sunny windowsill instead of a garden bed.
Growing and caring for lemon balm on a windowsill starts with seedlings. It differs little from the preparation of young plants for planting in the beds - send seeds to a nutritious light substrate, wait for germination and dive into pots. After the bushes grow a few full-fledged leaves and begin to branch, transplant into larger containers. Transplantation is carried out annually.
You need to take care of lemon balm, as for unpretentious houseplants:
- prevent waterlogging of the soil;
- protect from direct sunlight;
- periodically loosen the top layer of the substrate;
Lemon mint, growing on the windowsill, needs to be pruned - this will allow you to get a compact beautiful bush. For the winter, it is better to completely cut off the aerial part - in the spring, young shoots will begin to grow from the root.
Melissa is one of the few crops that is easy to grow and care for. The main thing is that you can collect the spice 2-4 times a season, make preparations and even dry it, which will allow you to enjoy the aroma and taste of lemon mint in your favorite dishes throughout the year.