Melissa is perennial. Melissa planting and care in open ground has medicinal properties. Lemon balm: growing seedlings from seeds

Melissa is a perennial herbaceous plant that contains essential oil with a recognizable lemon scent. Species of the genus Melissa (Melissa) of the Lamiaceae family. This well-known herb has many other names: lady's happiness, bee grass, lemon grass, molasses, lemon balm, heart's delight, censer, honey slipper, bee leaf and many others. Under natural conditions, this plant grows most often in Mediterranean countries, on the Black Sea coast, and in the north of the African continent.

Melissa can be found in Europe, North America and Iran, as well as in Central Asia and the CIS. This lemon grass chooses a place to grow on forest edges, among bushes, in clearings and clearings, as well as in the mountains. Grows well in moist soils.

It adapts quite quickly to shady areas, but more aromatic representatives of lemon balm grow in illuminated areas.

People, noticing its benefits, began to grow lemongrass as a medicine everywhere, including in our country: in the Krasnodar Territory and other regions. There are many uses for lemon balm as a natural healer. It is good as tinctures, decoctions, teas that have a positive effect on the human body.

You can read in more detail about the beneficial properties and contraindications of lemon balm here.

How pleasant it is on a warm summer evening at the dacha with your family to enjoy the singing of birds, the sound of the wind, fresh air and drink small sips of delicious herbal tea with an exquisite lemon aroma. The combination of mint and lemon balm is the most popular for preparing a tasty and healthy drink.

Melissa officinalis - height from 30 cm to one and a half meters, the stem is straight, branched, tetrahedral. The leaves have a petiole - a stem to which they are attached, oval in shape, with grooves along the edges. The surface of the grass is covered with small hairs. Melissa flowers are tiny, on short stalks, pale crimson, light lilac or white. They are located in the axils of the upper leaves of the plant.

The healing herb delights with flowering from the second year of life in the second half of summer.

The fruit has a very interesting shape. It consists of 4 oval-shaped nuts of light coffee color.

Melissa contains essential oil that has a pleasant light lemon aroma. The aroma is strongest before flowering, and then the smell becomes much weaker and even becomes unpleasant. Lemongrass is native to the eastern Mediterranean. This wonderful herb was grown two thousand years ago in Ancient Rome. It was from there that the plant spread to the rest of Europe.

What does lemon balm look like and how is it different from mint?

People who care about their health actively drink healthy herbal teas. Two fragrant herbs are especially popular: lemon balm and mint, which are often grown in the garden.

The leaves of these herbs are similar, they are often confused, so you need to know how mint differs from lemon balm. Let's look at these differences in a table.

The photo below shows the difference between lemon balm and mint. The first photo on the left shows lemon balm, and the right photo shows mint.

The difference between lemon balm (left) and mint (right)

How to grow lemon balm at home?

Is it difficult to grow lemon balm at home? Not at all! It's very easy to do. Before growing lemon grass at home, you need to purchase high-quality fresh seeds. In the spring, seeds are sown in a container filled with moist soil, deepening them by 0.5 cm, the distance between rows is at least 5 cm.

Until the first sprouts appear, you need to water the crops every two days, keeping the air temperature at least +10 degrees. After 10 - 20 days, the first shoots will appear. In May, the grown sprouts are planted in flower boxes at a distance of 15 cm from each other; after the true leaves appear, the plant is thinned out.

It is best to place pots with lemon balm on a sunny windowsill (east, south, west) - the sun will fill them with aroma.

Home care

Many gardeners and flower growers prefer to grow lemon balm themselves so that they can always have fresh aromatic leaves at home for making tea. Planting lemon balm and caring for it is quite simple. Melissa grown in the garden or on the street may grow with defects: stems that are too elongated, tiny leaves, and it is more susceptible to pest attack.

Lemon grass grown on a windowsill or balcony will give an excellent harvest: stems of moderate length, large, wide and fast-growing leaves.

You can plant lemon balm at any time of the year, but it is still better to do it in the spring. The rules of care are standard: regular and proper watering, loosening the soil, sufficient lighting, optimal air temperature.

Lighting for lemon balm

Melissa does not like direct sunlight, prefers diffused light, and does not tolerate drafts. In winter, due to lack of light, additional lighting is provided above the plant. A fluorescent lamp with a power in the range of 40-80 W is perfect for this. You need to turn it on in the morning and illuminate the plant for 6 hours.

Humidity and temperature conditions for the plant

The condition of the plant will depend on the regularity of watering. This should be done three times a week, however, overwatering can lead to unpleasant consequences and various diseases. Lemon grass loves moisture, so it will thank you for frequent spraying.

Fertilizer

The following types of fertilizers can be used for fertilizing:

• organic (egg shells, tea leaves);
• liquid mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate).

It is necessary to fertilize after each cutting of leaves, which is carried out before flowering. The plant germinates at a temperature of +10 degrees, but the most comfortable temperature for future growth will be +25 degrees.

What kind of soil should be used for indoor lemon balm?

This amazing grass feels great in almost any soil, but prefers a fertile substrate with neutral acidity. It is better to take a lighter soil for sowing, since the seeds of the crop have low germination. For planting, use ordinary garden soil, or a mixture of turf soil, humus and sand in equal parts. You can purchase any ready-made universal soil for indoor plants in specialized stores.

Planting and propagation methods

Melissa is propagated by:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• dividing a bush or rhizome.

Seed method

You can buy ready-made seeds, or collect them yourself in the garden or plot. To collect seeds, choose healthy, developed bushes with large foliage. Seeds are harvested from late August to early September. Cut the stems with seeds from the selected plants, put them in bunches, and dry them.

After drying, the bunches of seeds are placed in linen bags and threshed.

Containers for planting are pre-treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. A drainage layer (expanded clay, fine gravel, broken brick) is placed at the bottom of the container, then a layer of earth. Melissa seeds are very small. They need to be sown in moist soil in spring or autumn. Shoots will appear no earlier than in half a month. Picking is not necessary, but thinning can be done. After a couple of months, the grown sprouts can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Dividing the bush

Dividing the bush is the easiest and fastest way to propagate bee grass. At the beginning of May or in August (this is when lemon balm sprouts), the bush is carefully divided into the required number of parts and the sections are planted in a permanent place. This method allows the plant to quickly take root and grow, rapidly grow and bloom in the same year.

Reproduction by layering

Propagating lemon balm by layering is as easy as shelling pears. For this you need an adult large bush. In the summer, before the plant blooms, shoots up to 15 cm long are bent to the ground, fixed with brackets and sprinkled with earth. The planting site must be watered. After a little time, roots should appear. The new rooted bush is separated from the parent bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

How to cut indoor lemon balm

The cutting process is as follows: purchase fresh lemon balm stems, cut off the top, and place them in water. After 10 days, roots appear on the stems, and then the cuttings are transplanted into containers in which they remain. After 21 days, young shoots appear.

Elegant soft green and very fragrant lemon grass will fill the air with healing aromas. Melissa is an inimitable plant, with an amazing smell, worthy of growing in every garden plot, garden or windowsill.

The most popular medicinal herbs grown on the site are mint and lemon balm. Tea with these plants is always popular. And how to properly grow and use them, in addition to tea, we’ll look at in the article. In addition, we will figure out what medicinal properties they have and how to use them in group plantings.

Features of growing mint

This unpretentious plant has several species, but is valued for its taste and medicinal properties. peppermint. It is mostly grown by gardeners. A subtle, sweet taste, with a rich mint aroma - this is exactly the case when taste and benefit are combined.

Mint is an unpretentious plant. It can grow both on chernozems and on sandy and clay soils. The main thing is watering. Don't forget to water, especially on hot days. Then, even sunny areas can be developed by this plant. But preference should be given to partial shade. But stagnation of moisture is contraindicated. Root rot can lead to the death of plantings. Mint reproduces:

• By dividing the bush (rhizomes). To do this, at the end of April or beginning of May, you need to dig up several young shoots with rhizomes and plant them in the desired area. Such manipulations can be carried out at the end of August.
• Propagation by cuttings proceeds as follows: break off branches 7-8 cm long, put them in water and wait for the roots to appear. Plant in the ground when the roots are at least 2 cm long.
• Seeds. This method is the most complex and time-consuming. Seed germination is low, there is a lot of hassle in caring for seedlings. Therefore, for beginners, the first two methods are more suitable. When mint blooms, self-seeding is possible, then the young plants grow well on their own, they can be safely replanted when the height reaches 5 cm.

Features of mint:

• Strong growth of rhizomes. Therefore, you need to be prepared for a massive seizure of territory. If the area around is empty, that’s only a plus. But with limited spaces this is a problem. But there is a way out: planting in large pots or making fences. To do this, limiters (pieces of slate, metal sheets or other pieces of durable material) are driven into the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm.
• Excellent bushiness when long shoots are often broken off. This trait will help you make good preparations for the winter from a small number of bushes and pick fresh shoots for tea all season long. When the stems reach a height of 15 cm, you need to tear off the tops, 5 cm - 7 cm long. Then two branches will grow from each branch in a couple of weeks. And when these shoots reach 10 cm, pluck them too, leaving 5 cm for new branches. There is no need to wait for mint to bloom. The leaves become hard and bushiness decreases.
• Mass cutting of shoots. When the length of mint stems reaches 15-20 cm, mass collection of raw materials can be carried out. To do this, all mint stems are cut off with scissors, leaving shoots 5 cm high from the ground. In a couple of weeks, new branches will appear, which, with good watering, grow quickly.

Features of growing lemon balm

Melissa has a number of popular names: lemon balm, bee balm, honey balm, lemon grass. And all because the subtle aroma of this plant resembles a mixture of mint with citrus zest. And the flowers are excellent honey plants, attracting bees with their aroma. But if it is necessary to prepare a decent amount of raw materials, then allowing flowering is unnecessary.

When it comes to growing lemon balm on a personal plot or in a garden, then you need to pay attention to the following points:

• It is better to propagate the plant by dividing the bush or cuttings. It is difficult to grow seeds. Although, it reproduces well by self-sowing. It is fashionable to transplant young plants when they reach a height of 5 cm.
• The growth of lemon balm is not as strong as that of mint. It is more discreet, and the root system is kept within the bush.
• It is recommended to pick raw materials as the branches grow to 15-20 cm. New shoots grow quickly.
• Melissa does not like bright sunny places. Partial shade is her favorite place. Although the shade is more suitable than open sunny areas.
• Moderate hydration. Without bright contrasts of waterlogging and drying out.
• She is not picky about the choice of soil.

Knowing these features of growing lemon balm, you can not be afraid and safely grow this fragrant and healthy crop on your own plot.

Uses and medicinal properties of mint

When it comes to mint, tea and mojito cocktails immediately come to mind. But as a seasoning, I don’t remember this herb. Although, meat and vegetable dishes, seasoned with dry mint leaves ground into powder, have a very pleasant taste and delicate aroma. And fresh leaves can be added to vegetable and fruit salads.

Medicinal properties of mint:

• Decoctions of mint leaves and stems are used for:

1. headache;
2. migraine;
3. nausea;
4. heaviness in the stomach;
5. nervousness;
6. flatulence;
7. insomnia;
8. as a choleretic agent.

• In combination with other herbs, mint is used for:

1. colds;
2. cardiovascular;
3. stomach cramps;
4. as anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Fresh leaves are used for:

1. Migraines and headaches. Rub the temples or apply leaves.
2. Skin itching from insect bites.
3. If you have bad breath, it is recommended to chew a mint leaf.

The main thing is to remember that at home, without a doctor’s prescription, you need to use mint teas and infusions for preventive purposes. During the period of exacerbation of the disease, you need to consult a doctor.

Uses and medicinal properties of lemon balm

Melissa is used in cooking as a seasoning for summer salads, mushroom and pea soups, and meat dishes. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy and perfumery.

Melissa, like mint, has a calming, antispasmodic effect. Therefore, teas and infusions of this plant are taken for:

• headache;
• nervous excitement;
• nausea;
• insomnia;
• low appetite;
• allergic dermatitis;
• poor digestion.

For insomnia and headaches, you can make tea from mint and lemon balm. Also, this tea is suitable for difficult digestion.

Remember! Large quantities of herbs during periods of exacerbation of diseases are contraindicated.

Mint and lemon balm in group plantings

If the purpose of cultivation is not only the medicinal properties of these plants, but also decorative properties, then you need to take into account:

• Mint can be planted in a flower bed in large containers. Melissa doesn't like space restrictions. It should only be planted in the ground.
• If plants are needed only for decorative purposes, you can plant them in the center of the flowerbed and form tall, flowering bushes.
• Mint can be planted at the edge of the flower bed, constantly cutting off long stems, thus creating ground cover bushes. Melissa will not grow much, so its bushes will be lush, but small.
• Planting in the garden, between trees, should be done taking into account the fact that mint and lemon balm need at least a few hours of sunlight a day.
• Mint can be planted along borders, as long as the long stems are regularly cut back. For beautiful bushes, constant watering is necessary.

For their aroma and calming, calming effect, lemon balm and mint are rightfully leaders among other medicinal herbs in summer cottages. Having mastered the simple principles of growing these plants, you can delight yourself and your loved ones with pleasant and healthy teas, aromatic dishes, and your flowerbeds with original compositions.

This herb is an interesting find for lovers of the culinary arts. Melissa contains honey and mint notes at the same time, which echo each other. It is thanks to this combination that lemon balm can be used to prepare salads and other dishes. You can grow this spicy plant yourself in your summer cottage or directly in a pot from seeds or seedlings.

What are the benefits of lemon balm?

Melissa grass is a perennial plant with a tetrahedral stem. The height of an adult bush reaches from 40 to 80 cm. The leaves, depending on the plant variety, have different colors and shapes. Each leaf is covered with barely noticeable fibers that glisten in the sun. The rhizome of the plant is highly branched and has well-developed shoots located underground. During flowering, purple, pinkish or white flowers appear under the axils of the leaves, depending on the variety of lemon balm. And during the ripening period, very small round brown fruits can be seen on an adult plant.

If you pick lemon balm leaves and mash them in your hands, you can enjoy a pleasant, light lemon aroma. Melissa has a bitter taste.

The leaves contain large amounts of vitamin C and essential oils. Because of this feature, the cultivation of lemon balm has always been popular, since this herb is used as an additive to dishes, drinks, and also in medicine - lemon balm will help in the treatment of neuroses, heart and stomach diseases, increase appetite and relieve headaches.

If you pick lemon balm leaves and dry them according to all the rules, then it will not lose its aroma and spice even after a year.

People call lemon balm grass differently: honey grass, bee grass, lemongrass. In a sense, these names even justify themselves, because during the flowering period a large number of bees can be seen around the lemon balm, and a certain variety of the plant has a persistent lemon smell.

Plant varieties

There are many varieties of lemon balm in nature. Each of them differs in the size of the bush, the shape and color of the leaves, the duration of flowering and aroma. Common varieties of lemon balm:

• lemon;
• pearl;
• Tsaritsynskaya,
• lime;
• freshness;
• erect.

There are also varieties of the spicy plant in which the color is very different from ordinary lemon balm - this variety is called “pure gold” due to the fact that the leaves have a light yellow tint. And when the sun's rays hit them, the thin pearlescent fibers shimmer in the sun.

A popular variety of lemon balm that can be found in fields and grown even at home in an ordinary flower pot is Variegated lemon balm. It has a bright aroma and has dark green leaves with golden veins.

You need to know that some varieties are decorative, and some can be used for cooking, as a spice and for medicinal purposes.

If we compare Russia with other countries, then in Europe it is common to cultivate lemon balm en masse in fields, gardens and even on balconies. Melissa leaves are added to salads, soups and drinks. It has a light lemon aroma. Imagine how just a few lemon balm leaves can enrich the taste of spinach soup!

If you fall into the category of “beginner gardeners” and want to grow lemon balm from seeds, then you need to familiarize yourself with the process and learn how to grow lemon balm.

Growing lemon balm from its seeds

Since lemon balm is a frost-resistant plant, it can be grown even in the fall - it will overwinter well even in open ground. You can collect lemon balm seeds yourself or purchase a bag at a specialty store.

Melissa is sown at a convenient time - there are no clear restrictions. The plant will feel equally good in the ground (with the exception of the cold season). For example, you can sow lemon balm in the spring, during the summer months, in the fall and before winter.

When planting seeds, it is important to follow certain rules:

1. The distance between rows should be at least 25-30 cm.
2. According to generally accepted standards, the sowing density is 1.5-2 g per m 2 of land.
3. You can bury the seeds only 1-2 cm.
4. It is also necessary to take into account that the seeds are very tiny and they will take a long time to germinate. Therefore, so that the first shoots do not get lost among the weeds, lemon balm seeds need to be sown with other crops that serve as beacons. Mix lemon balm seeds with lettuce or radish seeds in a 2:1 ratio. Sow the mixture in one previously prepared furrow. When the first shoots appear, the radishes or lettuce will have already entered the ripening stage. It is at this time that they can be removed completely or replanted.
5. Seed germination persists for 2-3 years.
6. You can sow seeds in spring in open ground.

If you manage to grow lemon balm from seeds, then do not wait for flowering in the first year - the plant should gain strength.

The most acceptable option for growing lemon balm is to plant seeds for seedlings at home.

How to plant lemon balm:

1. In the middle or at the end of the first spring month, it is necessary to prepare boxes or small cups for seeds.
2. For seedlings, you can sow lemon balm seeds directly into a greenhouse, if you have one.
3. Please note that the germination rate of lemon balm seeds is very low.
4. When planting small seeds, try not to bury them too deep. Just 0.5 cm is enough, in this case the shoots will be simultaneous.
5. After amicable shoots, you can defuse the plants so that they do not interfere with each other during development. The best option is the distance between each sprout – 5 cm.
6. After the first shoots, seedlings need a large amount of light, so take care of this in advance. For example, you can place a box of seedlings on a bright windowsill, and on sunny days take them out onto the balcony. Artificial lighting is also a good option. You can make a lamp for seedlings yourself and turn it on on cloudy days.
7. To ensure that the seedlings develop well, add a little nitrogen fertilizer to the ground or immediately plant lemon balm in peat pots.
8. As soon as the leaves appear, the seedlings need to be thinned out. Melissa picking is not done.
9. After 40 days, it is advisable to plant lemon balm in the ground or an empty pot in a permanent place.

When planting lemon balm in open ground, you need to choose a suitable place in the shade of trees, but so that the sun hits the plants. Melissa does not like shade, and can die from too much moisture. It is best to plant seedlings in a place where there is partial shade.

The soil needs to be well drained. The ideal soil for growing lemon balm from seeds is sandy loam, slightly acidic or neutral.

When planting perennial herbs, it is advisable to prepare the soil in advance - in the fall. Dig it thoroughly, remove all weeds and apply mineral and organic fertilizers. Make sure that the soil in your area does not become sour. If this happens, then you should take care of drainage. This can be crushed brick and small crushed stone. Acidification of the soil is fraught with rotting of the root system.

If the soil on your site is clayey, then it is better to dilute it with sand. It is also necessary to make the beds high when planting lemon balm.

As soon as the soil begins to warm up, it’s time to get to work. First, prepare the area and remove the weeds. Then mark out the beds. The distance between the rows is 45 cm. You can plant seedlings grown from seeds in 1 or 2 rows, depending on the chosen location and purpose. It is advisable that there be free space between each plant, ideally 40 cm, then the bushes will not interfere with each other. If you have enough free space on your site, plant lemon balm at a distance of 60 cm from each other. The plant will look more aesthetically pleasing, and when it begins to reproduce, new bushes will quickly fill the empty space.

With the appearance of the first shoots, lemon balm needs to be divided (late spring), but this part of the work can be done at the end of summer. In the first year the plant strengthens, and in the second it will bloom and produce good greenery. The harvest must be harvested before the plant begins to bloom, that is, in the second year.

Growing lemon balm on a windowsill

Lemon balm is a popular plant, used as a spice and as a folk remedy for the treatment of neuroses, vascular diseases, heart diseases, stomach diseases and allergies. You can grow medicinal lemon balm at home on a windowsill.

Plant propagation can be achieved in different ways:

• dividing the bush - if lemon balm grows on your site, then it can be divided and replanted in a pot. The procedure is performed in the spring, when young shoots begin to grow from an adult plant. A small bush of herb is dug up, the soil is shaken off, and it is cut into small bushes with a sharp knife. The rhizomes are cut so that each sprout gets several young shoots with a bud. Then the young lemon balm is transplanted into a pot of soil;
• layering - if you have an adult lemon balm bush, then you can propagate it much faster. There is no need to dig it up; the young shoots will take root perfectly right on the bush. This must be done before the plant begins to bloom, that is, in the middle of summer. Young shoots (10-15 cm long) are lowered down to the ground, fixed in any way and sprinkled with earth. The place is watered abundantly. After 2 weeks, the young shoot will take root and can be cut off with pruning shears and then transplanted into a pot. After transplanting, place the pot in a shaded place and wait for the shoots to take root in the new place;
• If the above methods do not suit you, then you can propagate lemon balm from cuttings. This is easy to do: go to the store or market and buy a bunch of freshly cut lemon balm. We cut off the tops with scissors and place them in a container with water. We wait for the sprouts to take root (after 10 days) and transplant them into a pot;
• propagating lemon balm by seeds is a long and troublesome task, but if you are patient, such a lemon balm bush will be much stronger and more resilient than the spice grown using the methods described above.

Let's take a closer look at how to grow lemon balm from seeds:

1. Before planting, the seeds should be well etched in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 1-2 hours.
2. Plant the seeds in peat pots or boxes with soil to a depth of 0.5 cm.
3. Containers with seeds are covered with film and placed in a warm place.
4. After 15 days you can expect the first shoots.
5. When the first 2 leaves appear, the seedlings can be planted in a large pot, 6-7 sprouts in each container.
6. It is worth taking care of good drainage in advance.
7. The height of the pot should be no more than 15 cm.
8. After 7 weeks it will be possible to harvest the first harvest. During this time, the lemon balm will grow 6 leaves.

How to care for lemon balm

Melissa loves light, so you need to immediately choose a suitable place. This could be a well-lit windowsill. Although, if there is not enough light, the bush will not die, but will only slow down its growth and the color of the leaves will be paler.

Melissa loves moisture, so you need to water the plant generously, especially in summer. On cloudy days and cold seasons, watering should be moderate.

Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged, because the plant will begin to hurt. Also, you should not allow water to stagnate in the pot - the bush can get sick and rot. That is why you need to take care of good drainage in advance.

Melissa loves moist air, so in the summer the bushes need to be sprayed with cool water from a spray bottle. If you do this every day in the heat, the leaves will become larger and acquire a bright, juicy color.

Do not spare the lemon balm bushes - they need to be plucked as often as possible - timely pruning of the plant will help to delay the flowering period, during which the leaves become coarser.

For normal growth and development of herb, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature, within 18-20 o C. The plant tolerates temperature fluctuations well, but this can affect the juiciness of the leaf. By the way, heat is detrimental to leaves, but lemon balm can tolerate cold.

In order for the bush to serve you for a long time, it is necessary to fertilize it in a timely manner, for example, Agrolife fertilizer - 1 tsp. into the top layer of soil 1, maximum 2 times a month.

Lemon balm is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family. Melissa comes from Southern Europe. Cultivated in various countries of Europe, Asia and North America. The plant is ancient. Feral forms are found in the Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Melissa is a spicy-flavoring plant. Rich in vitamin C and carotene. Essential oils containing citral and citronellal (up to 60 percent), geraniol and myrcene are extracted from fresh herbs. The leaves have a lemony, bitter aroma and a slightly spicy taste.

Leaves and young shoots are used fresh or dry as a seasoning for salads, soups, fish, mushrooms, compotes, drinks, to flavor vinegar, tea, and liqueurs. It is used for medicinal purposes in cases of general weakness of the body, stomach diseases, heart neuroses, and as a mild stimulant. Used in perfumery.

Botanical characteristics of lemon balm. The stem is straight, branched, pubescent, up to 125 centimeters high, the lower side shoots are creeping. The leaves are petiolate, ovate, their edges are serrated. Inflorescences of three to five sit in the axils of the upper leaves, tilted to one side. The flowers are bisexual, light purple, white, yellowish or pink with a red spot. It blooms in the second year after sowing from July to August. A good honey plant.

Biological characteristics of lemon balm. Melissa is demanding of warmth and light. Seeds begin to germinate at 10...12 degrees. The optimal temperature for germination is 20...25 degrees. Lemon balm is sensitive to frost and often freezes in open areas, so it is placed in areas well lit by the sun and protected from the winds. In the Non-Black Earth zone it produces abundant greenery. The seeds are ripening. Melissa does not tolerate acidic, damp, heavy, structureless soils at all. For it you need to choose moderately moist structural light and fertile soils.

Melissa agricultural technology. The best predecessors in crop rotation are vegetable crops, potatoes and perennial grasses.

In autumn, the soil is cultivated to a depth of 4...5 centimeters. After 15...20 days, after the weeds have germinated, it is plowed or dug up to 25...30 centimeters while simultaneously adding 3...4 kilograms of manure per square meter. In the spring, before planting, one or two loosenings (harrowing) are carried out, under which up to 30...40 grams of complex fertilizer per square meter are applied. If the soil is acidic, use fluff lime or dolomite lime.

Melissa is propagated by seeds - by seedlings, as well as by dividing the bush, layering and cuttings.

Seeds for growing seedlings are sown in greenhouses in March - April. For more uniform sowing, wet sand is mixed into them. Shoots appear in three to four weeks. Seedlings are planted in early spring with a distance between rows of 40 centimeters, plants in a row - 30 centimeters.

For propagation by dividing the bush, three or five year old plants are taken. Planting is carried out in early spring or August. In household plots and garden plots, it is enough to grow 10…12 plants. If there are beehives, then the plantings should be expanded, since lemon balm is a strong honey plant.

Melissa is demanding when it comes to loosening the soil. Crust formation negatively affects the yield. It is carried out as often as possible, weeding - 2…3 times per season.

In spring, plants are fed at the rate of 30...40 grams of complex fertilizer per square meter. Since lemon balm is very responsive to nitrogen fertilizers, a solution of slurry (1:6) or bird droppings (1:10) can be used for feeding at a rate of 10 liters per square meter. After each harvest, fertilizing is repeated.

For better overwintering, the plants are covered with earth in the fall and uncovered in early May. Small areas can be covered with manure or leaves.

Harvesting lemon balm. Harvesting begins before flowering or during the opening of flowers. The shoots are cut and immediately dried in the shade. For mass collections, it is better to use artificial drying at a temperature of 25...35 degrees. In the first year, up to 500...800 grams per square meter of fresh leaves are collected, in the second - up to 1...1.8 kilograms. Sometimes, especially in the south, cleaning is carried out 2…3 times per season.

Melissa is harvested for seeds when the lower seed pods turn brown. The plants are cut or uprooted, tied into sheaves, transferred to a well-ventilated room for ripening and drying, then threshed, and the seeds are cleaned. They are small and retain germination well for two to three years.

Melissa diseases. It is affected by mint rust and septoria, especially in wet weather and when planting is neglected. It is necessary to promptly thin out seedlings, clear the area of ​​weeds, remove and burn dried plants.

Melissa is a perennial herb. Translated from Greek, the name of this plant sounds like “bee mint.” It is also called “lemon balm.” Melissa is used as a seasoning in salads, fish and meat dishes and as a medicinal plant with antispasmodic, analgesic, wound-healing and soothing effects.

Planting lemon balm

Before planting lemon balm on your plot, you need to know that this plant does not tolerate damp, heavy soils and especially acidic soils. For planting, choose a sunny area, possibly with some shade. The soil on it should be light and fertile.

The area for planting is prepared in the fall by digging up the soil and adding organic and mineral fertilizers to it: per 1 sq. m - a bucket of humus, a glass of wood ash and a tablespoon of complex mineral fertilizer. If the soil on your site is clayey, then additional river sand is added to it. Melissa is a fairly heat-loving crop, so it is better to grow it in high beds.

Planting lemon balm with seeds

Melissa can be propagated by dividing the bush and seeds. Seeds are either sown immediately in open ground, or for seedlings. Melissa seeds are small and take a very long time to germinate. From the moment of sowing until the appearance of the first shoots, about 28 days pass.

Seeds can be sown in open ground at the end of May, but due to the very long germination time, seedlings may not be seen among the grown weeds. Therefore, experienced gardeners advise sowing lemon balm seeds along with radish or lettuce seeds, that is, very early crops.

The seeds of lemon balm and, for example, radish are planted in different grooves, which are located close to each other at a depth of 1 cm and in no case deeper, because lemon balm seeds are very demanding of light. By the time the lemon balm seeds sprout, the radishes are already ripe, the root crops can be carefully pulled out of the soil and the lemon balm can then be grown.

Lemon balm: growing seedlings from seeds

Melissa seedlings are sown at the end of March in containers and pots. Seeds are prepared in the same way as for sowing in open ground. Next, moisten the soil mixture in containers and sow the seeds to a maximum depth of 0.5 cm. The seeds germinate at a temperature of 20 degrees, in sufficiently moist soil and in good sunlight.

When the seedlings have their first true leaf, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 3 cm between the plants. After a month, the seedlings can be planted in open ground in holes at a distance of at least 40 cm, since lemon balm loves space and can grow in one place for up to 10 years.

Lemon balm: cultivation

Caring for lemon balm is not difficult, because it is an unpretentious plant, and if its growth is not limited, lemon balm becomes like a weed. The main recommendations are loosening the soil and good watering, especially in dry, hot weather. Typically, lemon balm is watered twice a week with a water consumption of 10 liters per 1 square meter. m.

Every spring, lemon balm needs to be fed - add 0.5 liters of mullein and a spoonful of complex mineral fertilizer to 1 bucket of water. This feeding will be enough for the entire growing season. For the winter, it is advisable to cover the lemon balm by covering the bush with humus or peat and covering it with fallen leaves on top.