How to Grow Lemon Bee Balm
Lemon Bee Balm (Monarda citriodora) is a showy flowering annual herb that blooms in white, pink or purple, and grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet tall. Native to most southern U.S. states, it self-sows readily in most warm climates. Lemon Bee Balm is also known as Lemon Horsemint or Lemon Mint. It should not be confused with Lemon Balm, which is a different plant (Melissa officinalis). The young leaves can be harvested for use in flavoring meat dishes or be brewed into a lemon-scented (but not lemon-flavored) tea. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Lemon Bee Balm seeds
- Seedling flat (if starting seeds indoors)
- Seed-starting mix
- Watering can with rosette attachment
- Rake
Instructions
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Start Lemon Bee Balm plants indoors
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1
Fill the seedling flat with seed-starting mix to a depth of 3 inches.
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2
Sprinkle Lemon Bee Balm Seeds evenly across the top of the seed-starting mix.
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3
Press seeds into the mix by pressing the mix surface with your hand. Seeds do not need to be buried; just firm them into the soil.
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4
Water the seed flat using a fine spray of water from the watering can. Take care to avoid washing the seeds up from the soil.
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5
Move the seedling flat to a warm sunny location to allow the seeds to germinate and grow.
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6
Monitor the seeds to ensure that the soil stays moist but not soggy. Water as necessary.
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7
Transplant seedlings in a sunny, well-drained location in the garden when all danger of frost has passed, spacing the plants 12 inches apart from one another.
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8
Water the seedlings if rainfall is not sufficient; Lemon Bee Balm needs about 1 inch of rain per week.
Direct-seed Lemon Bee Balm in the garden
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9
Break up the surface of the soil in a sunny, well-drained location in your garden.
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10
Sprinkle Lemon Bee Balm seeds over the surface of the raked soil.
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11
Press the seeds into the surface of the soil with your hand. Seeds do not need to be buried.
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12
Water the seeds, using a fine spray of water from the watering can. Take care to avoid washing the seeds up from the soil.
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13
Monitor the seeds to ensure that the soil stays moist but not soggy. Water as necessary.
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14
When seedlings produce their first true leaves, thin to achieve a spacing of 12 inches between plants.
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15
Water the seedlings if rainfall is not sufficient; Lemon Bee Balm needs about 1 inch of rain per week.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Start Lemon Bee Balm seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last expected frost date of spring in your area so they will be ready to transplant just after the last frost date.
Lemon Bee Balm seeds are somewhat slow to germinate and may take as many as 21 days to sprout.
Never overhead water Lemon Bee Balm, as this can promote powdery mildew, to which Lemon Bee Balm is susceptible.
