How to grow Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis · balm

A hardy perennial herb of the mint family with lemon-scented leaves, used for tea and in cooking. It self-seeds freely and can take over a bed if the flowers are left to set seed.

Quick facts

Type	Herb
Family	Lamiaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	4.5–7.6
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 10 °C
Germination	10 days
Seedlings ready	35 days
Sowing to harvest	60 days
Where it grows	Greenhouse, Open ground, At home

When to plant

Sow for seedlings about 6 weeks before planting out.

It tolerates light frost: plant out in open ground about three weeks before your last spring frost.

In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.

The first harvest comes about 60 days after the shoots appear.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Greenhouse

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 3 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Harvest	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	organic, at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 3 days	—	organic, at the start of the stage

Growing notes

Light

Full sun or partial shade.

Soil

Moist but well-drained soil rich in humus; avoid waterlogged sites. Tolerates a wide pH range, about 4.5–7.6.

Care

Seed needs light to germinate, so cover it only lightly. Keep the soil moist but not wet, which causes root rot; plants in the ground need little water once established. Feed in spring and again after a harvest; too much feed spoils the flavour. Pick leaves as needed, ideally before flowering, and cut the whole plant back hard after flowering for fresh leaves and to stop self-seeding. Divide or replace plants every 3–4 years.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.