How to Grow Bee Balm Seed

Bee on Bee Balm

Bee Balm is another name for the herb Bergamot. This is an attractive, perennial herb that has a pleasant fruit-like aroma. The blooms are a beautiful addition to either an herb garden or a flowerbed and they begin to show a variety of bright colors in mid to late summer.

Bee Balm can be used to scent sachets and can be added to soaps and lotions. Bee Balm leaves can be dried and used to make tea and the flower petals can be added to salads. Bee balm is easy to grow in all growing zones. Learn how to grow bee balm seeds and add this beautiful and useful herb to your garden.

Things You'll Need

• Garden spot
• Hoe
• Rake
• Compost or peat moss
• Trowel
• Water
• Mulch
• Garden stakes
• Jute Twine
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Begin to prepare to plant bee balm in either the spring or the fall. If planting in the fall, plant two months before the expected first frost. If planting in the spring, plant two weeks before the expected last frost.

2. Cultivate a garden spot that receives full sun. If you are planting bee balm in a very hot climate, partial shade is acceptable. Work the soil so that it is loose and sprinkle a thin layer of compost or peat moss to improve the condition of the soil. Work the compost or peat moss in to the soil with a hoe.

3. Smooth and grade the soil flat with a garden rake. Decide whether you will plant the bee balm in clumps or rows. Either method works well. Planting bee balm in clumps makes an attractive plant cluster that can be used behind other shorter plants in a flower bed because the mature bee balm plant can grow up to 48 inches tall.

4. Sow the seeds 1/8-inch to 1/16-inch deep and one inch apart with the trowel. Keep the seeds moist after planting. Look for emerging shoots five to ten days after sowing. If planting in rows, thin the shoots to 12-inches apart when they are several inches tall. If planting bee balm in clumps, plant the clumps 1.5 feet apart.

5. Mulch generously around bee balm in the hottest days of the summer to keep the roots cool . Gently tie the fragile stems to garden stakes with jute twine if they seem to need support.

References

• Growing Bee Balm