Lemon Balm Lemon Balm Herbs Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

Melissa officinalis. Plant lemon balm seeds and rub the light green leaves for a sudden hit of lemon scent. Use in bouquets to lemon scent a room or brew an invigorating medicinal tea. Lemon Balm seeds produce a herbaceous perennial self-sows and bees love it. Plants grow vigorously so keep self-sown seedlings thinned out. The plants are deer resistant, so a useful filler plant for coastal areas. Chop back the plants by two thirds once the flowers have faded to prevent self-sowing and to encourage the growth of new leaves. This plant belongs in every organic herb garden and has been cultivated for centuries as a medicinal plant.

• Use in bouquets to lemon scent a room
• Brew an invigorating tea
• Self-sowing and bees love it
• Deer resistant
• Plants grow vigorously

All About Lemon Balm

Latin

Melissa officinalis

Family: Lamiaceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season & Zone

Season: Cool season

Exposure: Sun or part-shade

Zone: Hardy to Zone 5

Timing

Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost, and transplant out or direct sow once day time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F).

Starting

Barely cover the tiny seeds. Use sterilized potting soil, and keep watering to an absolute minimum – just enough to keep the medium from drying out. Germination takes 10-14 days. Transplant at a spacing of 45cm (18″) into the garden.

Growing

Choose a shady spot or a location where plants can be protected from midday sun. Lemon balm prefers fertile, moist soil in a cooler part of the garden. Plants grown in partial shade will be larger and more succulent than those exposed to full sun.

Harvest

Pick leaves throughout the summer for fresh use. The aroma is rapidly lost when dried or stored.