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 glass of biohumus and 2 glasses 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 must 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:
- 200 g wood ash(1 glass);
- 10-liter bucket of humus;
- 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:
- low quality of planting material;
- heavy rainfall;
- "clogging" of sprouts with weeds.
Landing is carried out on the 3rd week of May according to the following algorithm.
- Make holes at a distance of 50 - 60 cm from each other.
- Mix grains with sand.
- Deepen the mixture by half a centimeter.
- Sprinkle with peat or humus.
- Moisten the surface of the soil.
- 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 indoor plant. Due to the small volume 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.
- Pick up a pot with a volume of 1.5 - 2 liters so that its walls are at least 15 cm.
- Provide good drainage. To do this, you can take pebbles or expanded clay.
- Pour the prepared soil and plant 2 or 3 sprouts in one container.
- Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
- 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:
- watering;
- loosening;
- weeding;
- top dressing.
When the weather is hot, it is necessary to provide lemon balm sufficient watering. It is carried out 4 times a week, and on cloudy days, if there is no precipitation, you need to water it 2 times in 7 days.
Loosening is carried out after each watering and after rain to ensure good air permeability of the soil and prevent root rot due to excess moisture.
A flower bed or bed with seedlings should be weeded as needed: the planted seedlings are not yet strong enough, and the grass can drown out its growth. In the 2nd and subsequent years of the life of this crop in your garden, the presence of small vegetation around adult bushes with a strong root system is allowed.
Top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the season, when the seedlings move to a permanent place of residence or the sprouts that sprouted on the street have reached 5–6 cm in height. Contributed nitrogen fertilizer to increase growth and strengthen the stem.
If you store leaves for future use and cut them off as they grow, then after each pruning, you must add a mineral complex, the dosage of which is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Several times during the season, you can add mulch or humus to the flower bed with the plant. 
Melissa is a thermophilic culture. Although it can withstand negative temperatures, it is recommended to cover it for the winter:
- cut 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 the usefulness of lemon balm, which is widely used in folk recipes, when growing it does not require special care, it can grow both in the country and at home 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 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. 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.
- - healthy 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 lighting in the form of a fluorescent lamp with a power in the range of 40-80 watts. Hang such a lamp 60 cm above the plant and turn it on in the morning for 6 hours. This mode will allow your lemon balm to form well-developed fragrant healing leaves.
Melissa does not like direct sunlight and drafts. This heat-loving plant can sprout and can exist at a temperature of +10 degrees, but the temperature of +25 degrees is considered optimal for its germination and maintenance.
Soil requirements for indoor lemon balm
Melissa is not picky about soils, but it will be better if you provide her with a fertile substrate of neutral acidity with good water and air permeability. The seeds of this herb do not have good germination, so the lighter the substrate, the better the lemon balm will feel in it. As a baking powder, it is best to use perlite or vermiculite.
Ordinary garden soil or a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand in equal proportions can act as a nutrient soil mixture. The easiest way to get soil for lemon balm is to purchase a bag of ready-made 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 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.
- 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.
Useful 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, 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 melissa will lose most their 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.
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 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 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. For this root system freed from the ground, cut into several pieces 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 on personal plot. The tops of the acquired plants are cut off and placed in a container with water. When roots form on the branches, they are planted in the ground and placed in a dark place. After the appearance of green shoots, the plants are taken out into the light.
Growing lemon balm on the windowsill. A photo
How to grow melissa from seed? This process takes time and patience. But the quality of the green mass of lemon balm from seeds will be excellent.
To grow an adult bush, melissa seeds treated with potassium permanganate are sown in the ground to a depth of 1-2 centimeters, tightly covered and placed in a warm place.
How to grow melissa. A photo
Emerging shoots are transplanted into well-moistened drained soil.
For this purpose, use a large container for a permanent place of plant life or small cups.
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 melissa flowers are located in the axils of the plant, and blue inflorescences catnip - at the top 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 language called Melissa officinalis, catnip - Npeta catria, Moldavian snakehead - Dracocphalum moldavica.
Choosing the right kind of melissa
Several varieties of this unusual spicy herb. Each variety of melissa has its own individual characteristics, differs in shades of smell, the shape of the leaves, the size of the bush, the 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.
- It 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.
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 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 origin of the name unsightly by appearance but fragrant and rich useful properties plants shrouded in legends. According to one version, the name is formed by two Greek words, translated meaning " honey bee»; Melissa is the name of the nymph who treated Zeus himself with milk and honey; according to another version, the beauty, turned into a bee by the will of the gods of Olympus, was called Melissa.
Melissa is a good honey plant, thanks to which the people received such nicknames as honey, mother liquor, beekeeper, swarm. You recognize the plant by its strong lemony scent, giving rise to another name, lemon balm. Other names: censer, lemon mint, mint, bee mint.
When Melissa Blooms
Melissa begins to bloom in the second year of growth. The flowering period of lemon balm falls on July-August. Before flowering, the plant smells of lemon aroma, at the end of flowering, the aroma becomes sharp.
When to plant
Reproduction of lemon balm by dividing the bush
You can divide bushes aged 3-4 years - by this time they will grow well. The most favorable time for division is the end of May or the end of August. Carefully dig up the bush and divide it into parts of approximately the same size, each of which should contain well-formed roots and 4-5 shoots. Delenki plant immediately in open ground. In order for them to take root well, provide shade and moderate watering.
Reproduction by cuttings
For rooting in spring, cut from young shoots. After cutting, put in water, you can add a growth stimulator. Roots will appear in about 2 weeks. Grow in a container with nutritious loose soil, then transplant into open ground.
Melissa is easy to propagate from cuttings, and if you don't want to disturb old bushes, just cut and root cuttings to quickly get excellent planting material.
Lemon balm care in the open field
There is no difficulty in planting and caring for lemon balm - it is unpretentious, care does not require special specifics.
Weeding and loosening the soil
The first year after will require closer attention. Young plants are not yet strong, they can easily be destroyed by weeds. Weeds are best pulled out by hand. Loosen the soil regularly to ensure oxygen access to the root system. Successful rooting will have a positive effect on further development lemon balm and yield.
Watering
Water sparingly during the initial growth stage. Mature plants are watered only during a severe drought, while watering is supplemented by loosening the soil. A layer of mulch will help keep the soil moist longer and prevent weeds. As mulch, use humus or compost, which will additionally serve as fertilizer.
How to feed
It is enough to feed lemongrass 1 time per season - at the beginning of the growing season. Apply complex mineral fertilizers(proportions per 10 liters of water are 50 g of superphosphate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 15 g of potassium chloride, consumption per 1 m²). In order for the plant to successfully overwinter, potash-phosphorus fertilizers are applied at the end of summer.
pruning
Don't be afraid to trim the lemon balm. After pruning, it quickly recovers, gives a large number of new branches, the bushes become thick. This will allow you to collect good harvest, also neat cute bushes will decorate the site. Even when growing seedlings, pinch the shoots at a height of 10-15 cm. In the future, two or three times per season radically bushes: at a distance of 10 cm above the soil surface.
Melissa wintering in the Moscow region and the middle lane
To protect the roots of lemon balm from freezing, in the fall, mulch the soil surface with peat, compost and humus. Cover with additional thick layer of straw.
Melissa transplant
In one place, lemon balm bushes can grow for about 1 dozen years. At the same time, it was noted that frost resistance decreases from the 6th year of growth. Therefore, under the conditions middle lane In Russia, it is better to transplant lemon balm with dividing the bush every 5 years.
Harvest and storage
Regarding the question of when to cut lemon balm for drying, everyone decides for himself. Melissa is able to produce 3-4 crops per season. In June, young leaves have a delicate taste and aroma - at this time it is already possible to harvest. With the onset of flowering, the concentration essential oils maximum, due to which the aroma is enhanced, but the leaves become more rigid.
Lemon balm leaves and tops of shoots collected during flowering are medicinal raw materials. It is officially recognized in more than a dozen countries. Gourmets also prefer to harvest lemon balm at this time. The ability of lemon balm to quickly recover allows you to harvest before and during flowering.
For collection, it is better to choose a cloudy day, when the evaporation of beneficial essential oils is minimal. Dry in the shade at an air temperature of no more than 35 ° C, ventilation is necessary. For drying, spread the raw materials on paper or fabric, you can use cold dryers. After drying, store in glass jars with a well-closing lid, porcelain containers, can be folded into plastic bag. The shelf life is two years.
Useful properties of lemon balm
Melissa can be called the embodiment of the dream of the most sophisticated gourmets: citrus aroma and subtle honey notes. It gives the dishes a tonic, refreshing taste. Fresh or dried, lemon balm is added to hot dishes (be it meat, fish or soup), mushrooms, salads are seasoned with spices, and is also used for pickling cucumbers and tomatoes. From this herb you can make an incredibly fragrant and healthy tea, a refreshing summer drink or liquor.
Melissa can be called a universal remedy. Since ancient times, the plant has been used to treat diseases of the stomach, liver, gallbladder. This is an excellent sedative for nervous disorders, hysteria, insomnia, lemon balm tea helps relieve headaches and dizziness. Currently, lemon balm is used in the complex treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous and cardiovascular systems, diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Melissa helps the female body with various diseases genital tract, hormonal disruptions, menstrual irregularities.
Melissa varieties with photo name and description
Consider the best varieties lemon balm for cultivation on a personal plot.
Lemon tea - flowering occurs 80 days after sowing, the flowers are white. The yield is 2.9 kg per 1 m².
Mojito - white flowers appear 5 months after sowing. More than 3 kg of crop can be harvested from 1 m².
Freshness - bushes about 80 cm high with blue flowers. For two cuts, you can collect 4.3 kg of young shoots and leaves. Suitable for growing in farms and home gardens.
Lada - very productive variety(yield of dry weight 34 q/ha), grown on an industrial scale.
Zhemchuzhina - the variety is suitable for cultivation in all winter hardiness zones. The yield reaches 5.6 kg per 1 m².
Lemon balm - blooms 2.5 months after germination. The stems are semi-deciduous, the flowers are purple. Productivity - 3 kg.
Dozia - a plant 0.9 m high with dark green leaves and snow-white flowers. From the second year of growth, the yield of green mass is 3.4 kg.
Quadrille - each bush gives no more than 15 shoots, the yield is up to 1.5 kg per 1 m². Flowers of a light lilac shade bloom after 80 days.
Lemon aroma is an excellent variety for vegetable and garden cultivation. The height of the bushes is 60 cm, which is convenient for growing in a container as well. The plant yields 1.2 kg per 1 m².
Tsaritsynskaya Semko - the stem is erect, branched, the shoots are densely covered with small leaves. The yield is more than 2 kg.
Isidora is a plant up to 0.8 m high. The first crop can be harvested 2 months after germination. Productivity - up to 3.5 kg per 1 m².
A modest plant exuding a pleasant lemon aroma has long attracted the attention of true fans of greenery. Therefore, the cultivation of lemon balm in the backyard is most interesting activity for gardeners. After all, this plant is famous not only for its heady smell. It miraculously decorates the backyard in the country, is used as a remedy and seasoning for some dishes. 
Melissa is added to intoxicating drinks, tea, and even when canning vegetables. It is not surprising that many are interested in how to plant lemon balm in the country in order to appreciate all its advantages. But first, let's take a closer look at this cute green beauty.
Teas and decoctions of lemon balm have a beneficial effect on digestive system; help to cope with migraines and insomnia; reduce blood pressure; calm the nerves.
Meet the green queen of the front garden
Melissa is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. In the natural environment, it is found throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia, as well as in the northern part of the American continent. It grows:
- among the bushes;
- along the banks of the rivers;
- on forest edges;
- on rocky slopes;
- along the steppe roads.
Its homeland is the Mediterranean, where it is considered an unsightly weed. Despite this, in Ancient Rome experienced gardeners everywhere they were engaged in the cultivation of lemon balm on their personal plots. This is what contributed to its spread throughout the continent. The name of the perennial is associated with many legends. In accordance with the popular version, melissa is the name of a girl who is angry Greek gods turned into an insect. And translated into Russian, the name means "honey bee". Whichever version is correct, this does not prevent fans of green spaces from growing lemon balm in their summer cottage.
Looking at the plant from the side, one can note its excellent features:
- branched root system;
- many magnificent escapes from rectangular section, directed in different directions;
- plant height reaches over 1 meter;
- intoxicating citrus scent.
If you look closely at the leaf plates, unusual fleshy specimens open up. They are strewn with many thin veins located on the background. relief surface. The edges of the ovate opposite leaflets are serrated. The tips are slightly elongated, which gives them an unprecedented beauty. All of them are painted bright green and covered with barely visible villi.
In the second year after planting, in the middle of summer, umbrella-shaped buds appear on the tips of slender stems. Being in the leaf axils, snow-white or blue inflorescences look original against the background of a lush bush. Due to the elongated lower petals, the buds have an asymmetrical shape, in the center of which there is a pistil surrounded by 4 stamens. 
Approximately 30 days after pollination, fruits appear in the form of egg-shaped nuts. They are covered with a dense shiny black crust. Inside the fruit there are 4 seeds that remain viable for about 3 years.
When buying seed, one should take into account the fact that 60 g contains more than 1500 seeds.
Growing lemon balm in a summer cottage: the main points of planting
To achieve success in your business, it is important to focus on such points:
- the attitude of the plant to lighting;
- type of soil;
- perennial planting technology on the site.
Based on this, we will first figure out where to plant lemon balm on a personal plot so that it can successfully take root. It has been observed that the plant loves open spaces where there is plenty of sunshine. It is grown in front gardens, on the outskirts of vegetable gardens, gardens and among low ones. 
Although lemon balm is not afraid of the cold, it is still better to plant it on the south side of the territory.
The plant feels comfortable in places where there is protective structure from cold gusty winds. It can be a building, a fence or other plants.
Perennial prefers fertile land with the presence. The best option- plant lemon balm in loamy soil. It miraculously passes water and air, which is vital for its development. If on dacha territory heavy soil prevails, it is diluted river sand and fertilize with humus or mineral additives. It is best to do this in the fall so that fragrant grass will appear in the yard next season.
Since the plant is considered universal, the sowing time of lemon balm depends on climatic conditions areas where it will grow. Therefore, gardeners offer the following periods:
- from the beginning of March to May;
- June - mid-August;
- end of October (before the onset of frost, so that shoots do not appear).
As you know, the seeds of the plant are very small. This directly affects how to plant lemon balm in order to get the best result. There are several basic rules:
- sowing is done in warm soil;
- the depth of the holes does not exceed 1.5 cm;
- sparse planting of seeds.
Grooves are made on the prepared site, slightly moistened, planting material is placed and sprinkled with earth. Such simple technology allows you to grow a fragrant perennial at their summer cottage. Since sprouts will appear only after a month, novice gardeners may wonder why lemon balm does not sprout for so long. In fact, you just need a little patience to wait for the first shoots.
In order for the perennial to take root well on the site, the sprouts should be thinned out. The distance between them should be approximately 40 cm.
Some people think: if a perennial is unpretentious, then it does not need special attention. However, only the application of tips on how to care for lemon balm opens the way to magnificent landscaping of the site.
Thorough weeding of the soil
In order for young seedlings to develop quickly, gardeners carefully monitor the appearance of weeds. Usually they are pulled out by hand. After that, the soil is carefully weeded, providing the root system of the plant with a fresh portion of oxygen. When it is strengthened, the procedure is performed several times per season.
Basic principles of watering
The rules for planting lemon balm and care in the open field are not complete without competent moisturizing. At the initial stage, seedlings are watered in small portions so that they gain strength and take root. Adult lemon balm needs water only during periods of summer heat. Each procedure is accompanied by weeding the topsoil. Some gardeners advise decomposing around the plant. As a result, moisture will be preserved and there will be no weeds. To do this, use compost or humus, which at the same time fertilize the soil.
Competent pruning
Since lemon balm is a branchy shrub, it is not afraid of the planned removal of branches. On the contrary, after such a procedure, many young shoots appear that turn the plant into a lush green ball.
Novice gardeners should be willing to use the advice of experts on growing and caring for lemon balm. As a result, she will be able to please her owners for about 10 years. Its fragrant foliage will serve as an excellent remedy for the treatment of diseases and promotion of health.
Features of growing lemon balm - video