Lemon Balm Herb Plant
Melissa officinalis
Grow Your Own! Growing and harvesting your own herbs is easy and cheaper than buying from the store.
A member of the mint family, lemon balm has an amazing fresh lemon scent. Excellent for drinks and salads. Can be dried for use in sachets and potpourri.
Mint spreads by stolons under the ground. Best planted in a container to prevent spreading. A bottomless container can be planted into the ground. Sheer after blooming to encourage a bushy shape and promote new growth. Also excellent for containers and hanging baskets.
Hang in bunches in a cool dry place for a week to dry, to store in an air tight container.
Can be grown indoors in a south facing window.
Common Name: Lemon balm
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Lamiaceae
USDA Zones: 4–10
Exposure: Full sun/Partial Shade in a slightly sandy well-drained soil .
Bloom Time: Late summer.
Flowers: White/Pale Yellow
Fertilizer: Feed each spring with a diluted all-purpose fertilizer.
Mature size: 1.5'-2' tall and approx. 1.5'-3' wide.
Resists: Deer
Pot Size: 2.5"
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Planting: Plant after danger of frost has passed. You can plant this in spring or fall. Select an area with sandy loam, which has good drainage where it will get at least 6 hours of direct sun. Space approx. 12” apart. This plant should be planted at the same depth it was growing in the container.
Watering: Give about an inch of water per week. Allow the soil to dry out between watering's. Overwatering can cause root rot and other problems.
To harvest and store: Harvest before the flowers appear for optimal flavor. Collect on a dry day, in the morning after the dew has dried, and hang in small bunches (to ensure proper drying) in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight for a week until thoroughly dry. Then remove the dried herbs from the stems, and store in an air tight container such as a glass jar, out of direct sunlight. Properly dried herbs should last between 1-3 years.