Lemon balm

This aromatic herb thrives best in a sunny location or partial shade. Since it originally comes from warmer regions, it loves plenty of light. Full sun promotes the production of valuable essential oils in the leaves, which gives it such an intense and wonderful fragrance. Ideally, choose a slightly sheltered spot where it will have enough space to grow.

Lemon balm will be exceptionally grateful for warm, loose, and standard loamy soil, which ideally should be lime-rich. It is important that the soil is well-drained. Heavy and permanently waterlogged clay soils are not suitable for it, as the plant's roots could rot. If you have heavy soil in your garden, we recommend adding a little sand and compost to the planting hole to loosen it up.

You absolutely do not need to worry about overwintering. Lemon balm is a fully hardy perennial belonging to zone 4a. It can easily withstand harsh frosts down to -34 °C. In the autumn, its above-ground part usually dries up and dies back, which is a natural process. In the spring, brand new shoots will sprout again from the healthy roots. In areas with normal winter conditions, no special protection is required.

The plant requires moderate watering, meaning the soil should be kept pleasantly moist, but not constantly soaked. Especially during hot summer months, ensure the soil does not dry out completely. Ideally, water directly at the roots to avoid getting the leaves wet in the direct sun. Seedlings in pots will naturally require more frequent moisture checks than those planted freely in a flowerbed.

Yes, pruning is very beneficial for lemon balm! Perform an intensive pruning immediately after it finishes flowering. This action will encourage beautiful, lush new leaf growth while also preventing unwanted self-seeding in the surrounding area. Throughout the summer, you can also continuously trim long stems for your own use, which will not harm the plant at all.

We recommend planting the seedlings at a spacing of about 45 centimeters apart. It is ideal to plant approximately four plants per square meter. This distance ensures that each bush has enough room for rich branching while maintaining proper air circulation between them, which overall contributes to the health of the plant.

Definitely yes! We provide our customers with strong seedlings that can very easily be grown further in a larger pot or window box. Don't forget to create a good drainage layer at the bottom of the container (e.g., using expanded clay/leca) so that excess water can drain away. When growing in containers, just keep in mind that the substrate dries out much faster, so the plant will require more regular and frequent watering than in open ground.

Definitely yes. Beyond the herb garden and the kitchen, lemon balm is also widely used by florists. Its long, vibrant green stems make excellent, fragrant, and lush fillers for fresh summer bouquets and floral arrangements. You can harvest them for this purpose practically anytime throughout the summer. In a vase, they are not only decorative but will reliably fill the entire room with a delicate lemon aroma.

Completely safe! Lemon balm is a fully edible plant; it is neither poisonous nor toxic. You can grow it in gardens with small children or where pets roam without any worries. On the contrary, its pleasant lemony flavor is ideal for bedtime teas for children, and it also has a relaxing effect.

Lemon balm blooms with beautiful, albeit tiny, white flowers, most often from June to August. The flowering clumps are an incredible attraction and act as a magnet for pollinators. Your garden will certainly be visited by a large number of bees, curious bumblebees, and colorful butterflies, to whom you will be providing an excellent source of nectar.

Even though you will receive a strong seedling from us, the most suitable and simplest method for future propagation is definitely dividing mature clumps. The ideal time for this is early spring, before the plant begins to sprout fully, or alternatively, in the cooler autumn. Simply carefully dig up the entire root ball with a spade, divide it into several smaller, healthy parts, and replant them immediately into new, prepared locations.

We have great news for you! Lemon balm is an exceptionally hardy plant, and you don't have to worry about any serious growing pitfalls. We sell it as a species completely free of susceptibility to diseases and pests. Thanks to its high content of distinctive essential oils, it even naturally repels many unwanted insects, making it a completely hassle-free plant suitable even for absolute beginners.

If you plan to dry lemon balm and store it, the best time for harvesting is just before it begins to flower (usually toward the end of spring or early summer). At this stage, the leaves contain the highest concentration of valuable aromatic oils and possess their maximum medicinal and aromatic potency. For everyday flavoring of lemonades and summer drinks, however, you can carefully pick the leaves at any time throughout the season.

It is best to dry the harvested stems with leaves. Tie them into loose bundles and hang them in a dry, well-ventilated, and dark place so that the sun does not draw out the color and fragrance of the herb. If you are using a food dehydrator, keep an eye on the temperature, which should not exceed 35 °C. Once dried, store the leaves in sealed containers away from moisture. Fresh leaves, on the other hand, are fantastic for refreshing drinks, soothing evening teas, or scenting desserts.

In favorable conditions, lemon balm can indeed behave very expansively. If it starts to spread too much to the sides, simply carefully uncover a portion of its roots in the spring. A common problem is self-seeding—the plant releases seeds, and new plants grow everywhere around it. You can elegantly avoid this by radically pruning the stems immediately after they finish flowering. This prevents the formation of seeds and keeps the clump in its desired shape and size.