If you've ever tried to root green cuttings, you probably know that ...
Our family has always grown melissa in the garden, we love this very fragrant and useful plant.
Melissa officinalis(Melissa officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean forests. The bush has highly branched tetrahedral shoots, rather high (80-120 cm). Leaves of lemon balm are similar to nettle - with a wrinkled surface, serrated along the edges, covered with glandular hairs. Small flowers are white or pink, located in several pieces in the axils of the upper leaves. Melissa blooms in July-August.
Lemon balm varieties
Many varieties of lemon balm with green leaves have been developed, which differ in the shape and height of the bush, the intensity of the color of the leaves, the color of the flowers and the timing of flowering, the strength and tenderness of the lemon aroma, and winter hardiness. For example, "Erfurt erect", "Quedlinburg creeping", "Lime", "Quadrille", "Isidora", "Freshness", "Dozya", "Pearl", "Tsaritsynskaya SEMKO", "Lemon aroma".
Lemon balm varieties are very decorative, in the color of which there are golden tones:
- "Pure Gold" - with golden yellow leaves, white flowers eventually turn pale lilac;
- "Golden", or "Variegated" - dark green leaves are covered with a golden variegated pattern.
Unlike Russian plant lovers, in European countries, lemon balm is cultivated very widely, and not only in the garden, but also on.
It is useful for novice gardeners to know: how to breed lemon balm in your area, what conditions it prefers, and what it does not like at all.
I will be happy to share my experience of breeding lemon balm with the readers of the site
Sowing lemon balm seeds and keeping seedlings
Lemon balm seeds are very small, remain viable for 2-3 years. You can try sowing lemon balm in the spring directly into the open ground (the seeds should be sprinkled no deeper than 1.5 cm), but this is a risky business. If you still manage to grow lemon balm from seeds directly in the garden, then do not expect flowering from it in the first year.
The most preferred method is to plant lemon balm in the garden with seedlings. To do this, around the end of March, sow the seeds in cups or a box and place it on a light windowsill. Please note that the germination rate of lemon balm seeds is low.
If you have a greenhouse, you can sow lemon balm seeds for seedlings in the greenhouse.
When planting lemon balm seeds for seedlings, do not bury them deeply at all (about half a centimeter). Then the seedlings will be more friendly. Discharge the emerging plants so that there is room for growth between them, otherwise they will prevent each other from developing normally. There should be gaps of about 5 cm between lemon balm sprouts.
Small lemon balm seedlings require a lot of light. Keep the box with seedlings on the lightest windowsill, and on warm sunny days, take it out to the balcony.
It will not be superfluous to add some nitrogen fertilizers for the better development of lemon balm seedlings.
Choosing and preparing a place for lemon balm
To plant lemon balm, find a suitable spot in the garden. Melissa is a rather unpretentious plant, but it grows in favorable conditions and looks especially good. Lemon balm prefers loose, loamy or sandy loam soil, sufficiently fertilized.
You should not settle lemon balm bushes near water - this plant prefers drier places, and from the abundance of moisture it can get sick and die.
Melissa loves a sunny location, which is important for her aroma. If you plant lemon balm in the shade of trees, then, of course, it will survive, but the smell of its leaves will be less intense. With a lack of sun, less essential oil is formed in the leaves of the plant, namely, it is the most valuable component of lemon balm. And her bushes will not be so lush.
Light partial shade is quite suitable for growing lemon balm. This location is even preferable for yellow-leaved lemon balm, which can get sunburn in hot summers.
When choosing a place for planting lemon balm, be sure to keep in mind that this plant is long-lived - under favorable conditions, the bush can grow in one place for up to ten years!
We have been preparing the plot for growing lemon balm in the fall. We dig the soil to a depth of 20 cm, removing the roots, and fertilize with manure.
Growing lemon balm in the garden
We usually plant lemon balm seedlings in open ground at the age of 1-1.5 months. Small bushes are afraid of the cold, so plant them when the return frost has passed.
In the garden, we place lemon balm seedlings at a distance of 30 cm from each other, and make the aisles twice as large.
Lemon balm care consists in periodically loosening the soil and removing weeds. We have to water the plants when the summer is very dry.
Melissa loves feeding. But if you need to harvest seeds, do not feed the plant before flowering, as this will prevent the seeds from ripening on time.
Cardinal pruning of lemon balm shoots twice or three times per season (at a height of about 10 cm from the ground) contributes to the fact that the plant then quickly recovers, actively branches and forms a dense attractive bush. In landscape design, such bushes can be used as a border.
Melissa hibernates successfully with sufficient snow. However, the winter hardiness of lemon balm bushes older than 5 years is greatly reduced, so valuable varieties should be regularly divided and planted.
In autumn, for better overwintering of lemon balm, so that the rhizome does not freeze out, the ground is with fallen leaves of trees.
Vegetative reproduction of lemon balm
If you already have one lemon balm bush, but this is not enough, then you can propagate the plant vegetatively, without resorting to sowing seeds. Bend a few lemon balm twigs to the ground, pin and sprinkle with earth - they will take root. This procedure should be carried out in early summer.
Remember to regularly water the soil around the plant so that the sprinkled twigs can take root. And in the spring it will be necessary to separate them from the mother bush and put them in a permanent place.
Melissa at least three years old can be propagated by dividing the bush. It is better to do this in early spring, when the plant is just showing young shoots, or at the end of August. We cut the mother bush into pieces of approximately equal size, so that each division has at least 4 shoots with roots.
Lemon balm use
Melissa has long been used in cooking and medicine.
The leaves of this plant are wonderful, very aromatic and healthy.
Fresh lemon balm leaves are used in all salads during the garden season. Dried leaves can be added to pickles, and powdered lemon balm leaves can be sprinkled with meat and fish dishes. We definitely use lemon balm in the preparation and decoration of stuffed pike.
We use this plant not only as having a pleasant lemon scent.
Melissa is a good honey plant. Lemon balm leaves have a calming effect on bees. Therefore, during the swarming of the bee colony, we suspend fresh lemon balm shoots in advance on the branches of nearby trees. So we do not lose a young bee colony - the scent of lemon balm attracts bees.
Melissa in our family is also used in the manufacture of bath brooms. We knit branches of different trees (linden, oak,), young branches of lemon balm and nettle, and then there is a pleasant aroma in the bath.
I wish the gardeners good health, vigor of mind and body for successful work in the garden!
Tatiana Alekseevna Semyonova (Republic of Mari El, Kozhlaer village)
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On the garden plot, you want to grow unpretentious, multifunctional plants. Planting lemon balm (popularly - lemon mint) will allow you not only to evaluate its benefits for the body, but to get a decorative element for the flower bed and for the home.
Sowing technology
The first priority before sowing is soil preparation. You need to take 1 glass of vermicompost and 2 glasses of coconut fiber. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and add to this volume the recommended dose of the mineral fertilizer complex.
Sowing in containers or boxes is carried out in the second half of March.
- Several grooves need to be made in the soil, the distance between which is 4 - 6 cm.
- The seeds are small and should be mixed with a little sand to facilitate the sowing process.
- Distribute the mass along the grooves to a depth of 0.5 - 0.7 cm.
- Moisten the soil surface.
- Cover the container with glass or plastic.
- Put in a sunny, warm place.
After the emergence of seedlings, the box must be placed so that they receive a sufficient amount of light, but do not fall under the scorching rays. Watering should be carried out as the soil dries.
Seedlings appear 2–25 days after planting. After the appearance of several leaves, it is necessary to make a pick. This is done so that the seedlings do not stifle each other's growth and development. The distance between the stems should be at least 5 cm. If the sowing was carried out in a special container, then in one cell, where several seeds need to be planted at once, the weakest sprouts are removed.
Transplanting into open ground is carried out in the second half of May. To do this, you need to prepare a seat.
Melissa can grow both in a well-lit garden bed and in partial shade. When given enough light, the bush will exude an intense scent.
It should be borne in mind that this culture is perennial and grows from 4 to 9 years.
The soil should be loose, light and nutritious. Mellisa does not like acidic and moist soil. Excess water promotes decay of the roots, so the place for the bush should be chosen dry, where moisture does not accumulate during precipitation. If the ground is heavy in the chosen place, then you need to add several buckets of fine sand.
After choosing a place, the soil must be fertilized. To do this, 1 sq. m. of soil is introduced:
- 200 g of wood ash (1 cup);
- 10 liter bucket of humus;
- Complex mineral fertilizer, the dosage is indicated on the package.
It should be planted in small trenches located at a distance of half a meter from each other. Each plant needs to be planted in a hole with an interval of 30–35 cm.
If you decide not to grow seedlings, but to plant seeds immediately in open ground, then you need to be prepared for poor germination, even careful care may not help. This can be influenced by several factors:
- low quality of planting material;
- heavy rainfall;
- "Clogging" of sprouts with weeds.
Landing is carried out in the 3rd week of May according to the following algorithm.
- Make holes at a distance of 50 - 60 cm from each other.
- Mix the grains with the sand.
- Deepen the mixture by half a centimeter.
- Sprinkle with peat or humus.
- Moisten the soil surface.
- Cover with foil.
To harden the seedlings and make them more hardy, you need to remove the film. First, for several hours, then for a whole daylight hours, and after the pick, the covering material is finally removed.
Lemon balm is propagated both by seeds and by layering and cuttings. If you already have an adult lemon bush, then planting it will be much easier: bend a few shoots to the ground, fix them and sprinkle them with earth. After a few weeks, the branches will take root and can be transplanted to a new location.
And in order to propagate by cuttings, it is enough to cut off in the garden from friends or buy a bunch of fresh herbs in the store, shorten the stems by 2 - 3 cm and put them in water. They do not require additional care, a root system appears in a week - and the cuttings are ready for planting in a flower bed.
Growing at home
Melissa can be cultivated as a houseplant. Due to the small volume of the flower pot, it will not grow much, and pruning and constant maintenance will create a lush green bush.
Planting seedlings in pots at home is done in spring, but you can sow seedlings and plant seedlings in the cold season, but growth will be slow, and the leaves will be light. During the spring and summer period, the bush is gaining strength and adapts to external conditions.
Seeds for growing a plant at home are sown in the same way as for a flower bed. Planting seedlings in pots is carried out after the appearance of 3 leaves. You need to act according to the following algorithm.
- Pick up a pot with a volume of 1.5 - 2 liters so that its walls are at least 15 cm.
- Provide good drainage. To do this, you can take pebbles or expanded clay.
- Pour the prepared soil and plant 2 or 3 sprouts in one container.
- Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
- Put on the windowsill.
The peculiarity of caring for a plant at home is watering. Heating and dry air in the room negatively affect the appearance of lemon balm and its smell, therefore, it must additionally be humidified:
- water as the soil dries;
- spray every day.
Care features
If you properly care for the bush in the first year of planting, then later the hassle with growing will be less.
Care is carried out in 4 main areas:
- watering;
- loosening;
- weeding;
- top dressing.
When the weather is hot, it is necessary to provide the lemon balm with sufficient watering. It is carried out 4 times a week, and on cloudy days, if there is no rainfall, you need to water it 2 times every 7 days.
Loosening is carried out after each watering and after rain to ensure good air permeability of the soil and prevent root rot due to excess moisture.
A flowerbed or a bed with seedlings should be weeded out as needed: the planted seedlings are not yet strong enough, and the grass can stifle its growth. In the 2nd and subsequent years of the life of this culture, small vegetation around mature bushes with a strong root system is allowed in your garden.
Top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the season, when the seedlings move to their permanent place of residence or the sprouts that have sprouted on the street have reached 5–6 cm in height. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to increase growth and strengthen the stem.
If you store the leaves for future use and cut them off as they grow, then after each pruning it is necessary to add a mineral complex, the dosage of which is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Several times per season, you can add mulch or humus to the flower bed with the plant. 
Melissa is a thermophilic culture. Although it can withstand negative temperatures, it is recommended to cover it for the winter:
- cut off the top, leaving 1–2 cm above the ground;
- loosen the ground and moisten a little;
- sprinkle fallen leaves on top.
So that the leaves are not crushed, and the mint continues to delight with the fresh scent of lemon, you need to divide the plant into several bushes every 3 years and plant them.
Despite all the usefulness of lemon balm, which is widespread in folk recipes, it does not require special care when growing; it can grow both in the country and at home on the windowsill.
Often in the garden you can see a modest plant - lemon mint, the care and cultivation of which will not cause complications even for novice gardeners. The scientific name of the inconspicuous bush is lemon balm. The herb has many advantages; it is recommended to use fragrant leaves and stems in cooking, folk medicine, and home cosmetology. Before you start planting and caring for lemon balm in the open field, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the features of agricultural technology.
Origin and description of culture
According to one of the legends, lemon balm owes its name to the exuded honey aroma - "honey" and "leaves". The Greeks interpret it differently, in their opinion, the culture was named after a girl who disrespected the Olympic deities. For her rebelliousness and pride, she was turned into a bee that preferred lemon mint to other plants.
Another version of the origin of the name - the nymph Melissa lived in Ancient Greece, who regaled Zeus with a special drink made of milk and honey. In honor of her, an inconspicuous fragrant culture was named.
Lemon mint is a perennial. The height of the bush reaches one and a half meters. The base is a powerful rhizome, reaching a length of several meters. The leaves resemble hearts, have teeth.
In July and August, lemon balm is covered with small white (sometimes pink) flowers, exuding a delicate aroma. Fragrant mint is revered by bees - at the time of flowering tireless workers circle over it, collecting nectar. The taste, smell, useful qualities of honey did not go unnoticed - the bee product collected from lemon balm is considered the most valuable. Perennial feature - after flowering, the fragrant aroma disappears. The leaves give off a rather unpleasant odor.
Varietal variety
If the owners plan to grow lemon balm on the garden bed, it is better to study its varieties in advance, this will help determine the choice. There are many types of lemon mint, they differ in bush height, flowering, aroma intensity:
- Has a bright green leaf tint and a persistent aroma. The height of an adult bush does not exceed a meter. Flowering begins in June and lasts until mid-August. Used in cooking.
- Inconspicuous bushes, reaching a height of 55-60 cm. The leaves are ovoid, exuding a delicate aroma. Flowers begin to bloom in early summer.
- The peculiarity of the bush is its height, which reaches 130 cm. Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts almost until autumn. Differs in persistent fragrance of leaves.
- Lemon scent is especially popular with gardeners, the smell of which does not differ from the scent of citrus fruits. It is usually used in conservation, for the manufacture of perfumes and face and body care products.
Agrotechnical requirements
Growing lemon balm is not as difficult as it seems to many novice gardeners. It is enough to comply with simple agrotechnical requirements, which include:
- soil preparation;
- choice of location;
- proper hydration;
- timely feeding.
The soil for growing outdoors will need light, nutritious. Melissa loves good lighting, but without drafts, so it is better to find a cozy corner in the garden. The ground should not be abundantly moistened, often the bushes do without watering - the dirt can destroy the lemon mint, causing the roots to rot.
It grows in one place for up to 10 years, this must be taken into account when planning plantings. Moving adult bushes is painful, take root for a long time and may die.
How to plant lemon balm
Growing lemon balm is a simple process, but on condition that all the requirements of agricultural technology are observed. Landing is carried out in several ways:
- seedling;
- cuttings;
- seeds in open ground;
- layering.
The most difficult and time-consuming method of reproduction is through seedlings. Difficulties arise even when sending planting material into the soil - the seeds are small and not everyone can evenly distribute them over the surface of the substrate. Another feature of sowing is stratification is needed. For soaking, a pink solution of potassium permanganate is most often used.
For breeding, you can also use adult bushes - the delenki take root well. If everything worked out and the plants survived, lemon balm will please with a good harvest already in the first year after planting. The bushes branch well, so an easier way is to reproduce by layering or cuttings.
Seeds
Getting lemon balm from seeds is troublesome, but interesting. Before sowing, be sure to soak the seed in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then dry it on a napkin. It is recommended to use soil for tomatoes and peppers for growing seedlings - it is light, it allows moisture and air to pass through, which are necessary for plant growth.
A prerequisite is good drainage. At the bottom of the container, put a layer of expanded clay, shards of clay, pieces of foam. Send the seed to a depth of about 1 cm. After sowing, cover the container with a piece of glass or plastic. Seedlings will appear in 4 weeks. After half a month, make a dive. Send seedlings to the beds at the age of 6 leaves.
Dividing the bush
If you have no desire to grow lemon balm from seedlings, you can do it easier - get full-fledged specimens from the cuttings. The process is best done in the spring, even before the leaves appear. Dig up an adult bush, divide it into several parts, each of them must have a bud. Delenki are planted in prepared soil. Add ash, a small amount of sand, compost to the soil.
The first time after transplanting, you need to irrigate the soil abundantly, especially if the spring does not pamper with rains.
Reproduction by layering
A quick and easy way to get full-fledged bushes is to use layering for propagation. The process is simple:
- Dig several deep grooves from an adult bush.
- Put lemon balm shoots in each furrow.
- Press the shoots to the ground with steel clips.
- Sprinkle soil where the plant touches the soil surface.
Water the land abundantly throughout the summer. Usually, strong roots grow by the beginning of autumn. Do not plant the resulting lemon balm bushes, leave until spring. After the snow has melted, cut off the shoots, dig up the plants with a large clod of earth and transplant to a pre-selected place.
Cuttings
Cuttings can be used to grow lemon balm. It is recommended to cut them from an adult plant, and if it is not possible, then purchase a bunch of lemon mint in the store and use it for germination. The length of the handle should not exceed 15 cm.
At home, put the lemon mint cuttings in water on a sunny windowsill. After a week and a half, the roots will appear, you need to allow them to grow stronger and plant in a nutritious substrate. If the weather is sunny and warm, it is recommended to plant it directly in the garden or in the beds.
Growing from seeds
Despite the fact that growing lemon balm from seeds is considered the most troublesome, many gardeners prefer to plant lemon mint in this way. In addition to the disadvantages, there are also advantages:
- you can plant several varieties and independently check their differences and advantages;
- renew plants that degenerate over time, which affects the aroma and beneficial qualities.
If garden soil is used for planting, it is imperative to decontaminate it - send it to a hot oven for half an hour. It is better not to use boiling water - hot liquid will not be able to destroy some types of bacteria. Send planting material to the beds in open ground in April-May, pre-fertilize and dig up the soil.
Seedling method
After the lemon balm seeds germinate, care for the seedlings as for indoor plants. Carry out frequent, but meager watering, loosen the surface of the soil with a sharp stick, trying not to damage the roots that are in the upper layers of the substrate.
When making a pick at the age of 4 leaves, be sure to leave a lump of soil on the roots. It is better to plant plants in separate cups filled with drainage and a light substrate. After transplanting, place the containers on a light windowsill, making sure that direct sunlight does not fall on the lemon balm.
Sowing in open ground
It is possible to carry out cultivation by seeds not through the seedling method, but immediately in the open field in the country. The danger for such plants in weeds is that they are able to drown out the delicate sprouts of lemon balm, preventing them from growing and developing. It is difficult to cope with herbs - it is not easy for an inexperienced gardener to determine where the weed is and where is the spicy crop.
If you thoroughly weed the weeds, there will be no difficulties in growing lemon balm. A month after germination, thin out the bushes, leaving the strongest ones. Lemon balm bushes grown from seeds are resistant to diseases and climatic conditions, they easily endure frosts.
The main thing is to make sure that the soil is moist, but not dirty.
Care features
Caring for mint is simple, the main processes that need to be carried out during the season:
- Watering. Irrigation is rare - excess moisture causes rotting of the roots and the death of lemon balm bushes.
- Loosening the soil. Carry out carefully, without going deep into the lower layers, in which the lemon balm rhizome is located - it can be damaged.
- Mulching. A thick layer of mulch (pine bark, chopped straw, sawdust) will protect against evaporation of moisture and weeds, loosening will have to be done much less often.
- Top dressing. It is recommended to add nutrients only when growth is slowing down. Nitrogen compounds are most often used. Do not use fertilizer before harvesting the leaves.
- Shelter for the winter. Some varieties of lemon balm do not tolerate frost well, so in autumn it is recommended to cut off the aboveground part of the plant and cover the soil with agrofibre, sawdust, spruce branches, and dry grass.
When growing lemon mint, you need to remember about one feature of the plant - despite the fact that in one place the bush can grow up to 10 years, cold resistance sharply decreases in the fifth year. It is imperative to cover adult lemon balm for the winter, otherwise it will die at the first frost.
Growing a house on a windowsill
You can also grow lush compact bushes at home using a sunny windowsill instead of a garden bed.
The cultivation and care of lemon mint on the windowsill begins with seedlings. It differs little from the preparation of young plants for planting in beds - send seeds to a nutritious light substrate, wait for shoots and dive into pots. After the bushes grow several full-fledged leaves and begin to branch, transplant into larger containers. The transplant should be carried out annually.
You need to take care of lemon balm as for unpretentious indoor plants:
- prevent waterlogging of the soil;
- protect from direct sunlight;
- periodically loosen the top layer of the substrate;
Lemon mint growing on the windowsill must be pruned to create a compact, beautiful bush. For the winter, it is better to completely cut off the aerial part - in the spring, young shoots will begin to grow from the root.
Melissa is one of the few crops that is easy to grow and care for. The main thing is that you can collect spices 2-4 times a season, make preparations and even dry them, which will allow you to enjoy the aroma and taste of lemon mint in your favorite dishes throughout the year.
Melissa is a perennial herb. Translated from Greek, the name of this plant sounds like "bee mint". It is also called "lemon mint". Melissa is used as a seasoning in salads, fish and meat dishes and as a medicinal plant that has antispasmodic, analgesic, wound healing and soothing effects.
Planting lemon balm
Before planting lemon balm on your site, you need to know that this plant does not tolerate damp, heavy soils and especially acidic soils. A sunny area is selected for planting, it is possible with a little shading. The soil on it should be light and fertile.
The site for planting is prepared in the fall, digging up the soil and introducing organic and mineral fertilizers into it: per 1 sq. m - a bucket of humus, a glass of wood ash and a tablespoon of complex mineral fertilizer. If the soils on your site are clayey, then river sand is additionally introduced into them. Melissa is a rather thermophilic crop, so it is better to grow it in high beds.
Planting lemon balm seeds
Melissa can be propagated by dividing the bush and seeds. Seeds are either sown directly into open ground, or for seedlings. Lemon balm seeds are small and germinate for a very long time. From the moment of sowing to the appearance of the first shoots, it takes about 28 days.
In open ground, seeds can be sown at the end of May, but due to the very long germination, 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.
Lemon balm seeds and, for example, radishes are planted in different grooves, which are located close to each other to a depth of 1 cm and in no case deeper, because lemon balm seeds are very demanding for light. By the time the seedlings of lemon balm emerge, the radish is already ripe, the roots can be carefully pulled out of the soil and then the lemon balm can be grown.
Lemon balm: growing seedlings from seeds
Lemon balm is sown for seedlings at the end of March in containers and pots. Seeds are prepared in the same way as for sowing in open ground. Next, the soil mixture is moistened in containers and the seeds are sown 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 the 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 melissa: growing
Caring for lemon balm is not difficult, because it is an unpretentious plant, and if you do not limit its growth, lemon balm is like weeds. The main recommendations are loosening the soil and good watering, especially in dry hot weather. Usually lemon balm is watered twice a week with a water consumption of 10 liters per 1 sq. m.
Every spring, lemon balm must 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 lemon balm by spilling the bush with humus or peat and falling asleep on top with fallen leaves.
The most popular medicinal herbs that are grown on the site are mint and lemon balm. Tea with these plants is always popular. And how to properly grow them and use them, in addition to tea, will be discussed 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 types, but for its taste and medicinal properties, it is valued peppermint.Gardeners grow it most of all. A delicate, sweetish taste with a rich mint aroma is just the case when taste and benefit are combined.
Mint is an unpretentious plant. It can grow both on chernozems and on sandy and clayey soils. The main thing is watering. Remember to water, especially on hot days. Then, even sunny territories can be mastered by this plant. But the advantage must be given to penumbra. But stagnation of moisture is contraindicated. Root decay can lead to the death of plantings. Mint propagates:
- By dividing the bush (rhizomes). To do this, in late April or early May, you need to dig up several young shoots with rhizomes and plant them on the desired site. Such manipulations can be carried out at the end of August.
- Reproduction by cuttings proceeds as follows: break off twigs 7-8 cm long, put in water and wait for the roots to appear. Plant in the ground when the length of the roots is at least 2 cm.
- Seeds. This method is the most difficult and time consuming. Seed germination is low, there is a lot of trouble to care for seedlings. Therefore, for beginner amateurs, the first two methods are more suitable. When mint blooms, self-seeding is possible, then young plants grow well by themselves, they can be safely transplanted 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, this is only a plus. But with limited spaces - 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 hammered into the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm.
- Excellent bushiness when long shoots are often broken off. This feature will help make good preparations for the winter from a small number of bushes and pick fresh shoots for tea all season. 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. Don't wait for the mint to bloom. Leaves become hard and bushiness decreases.
- Mass cut shoots. When the length of the mint stalks reaches 15-20 cm, a mass harvest of raw materials can be carried out. To do this, cut off all the mint stems with scissors, leaving 5 cm high shoots from the ground. After 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 mint, bee mint, honey, lemon grass. And all because the delicate aroma of this plant resembles a mixture of mint with citrus zest. And the flowers are excellent honey plants, attracting with the aroma of bees. But if it is necessary to prepare a decent amount of raw materials, then it is unnecessary to allow flowering.
When it comes to growing lemon balm in 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-seeding. It is fashionable to replant young plants when they reach a height of 5 cm.
- Lemon balm overgrowth is not as strong as mint. It is more restrained, and the root system is kept within the bush.
- It is recommended to pluck the raw material as the branches grow up to 15-20 cm. New shoots grow rapidly.
- Melissa does not like bright sunny places. Penumbra is her favorite place. Although the shade is more suitable than open sunny areas.
- Moderate hydration. No bright contrasts of waterlogging and drying out.
- To the choice of soil - not picky.
Knowing these features of growing lemon balm, you can not be afraid and boldly breed this fragrant and useful culture on your site.
Use and medicinal properties of mint
When it comes to mint, tea and mojito cocktails come to mind. But as a seasoning - this herb is not remembered. Although, dishes made from meat and vegetables, seasoned with powdered dry mint leaves, have a very pleasant taste and delicate aroma. Fresh leaves can be added to vegetable and fruit salads.
Medicinal properties of mint:
- Decoctions of mint leaves and stems are used for:
- headache;
- migraine;
- nausea;
- heaviness in the stomach;
- nervousness;
- flatulence;
- insomnia;
- as a choleretic agent.
- In combination with other herbs, mint is used for:
- colds;
- cardiovascular;
- stomach cramps;
- as anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Fresh leaves are used for:
- Migraines and headaches. Rubbing whiskey or applying leaves.
- Itching from insect bites.
- In case of 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 an exacerbation of the disease, you need to see a doctor.
Application and medicinal properties of lemon balm
Lemon balm is used in cooking as a seasoning for summer salads, mushroom and pea soups, 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 when:
- 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 amounts of herbs, during exacerbation of diseases, are contraindicated.
Mint and lemon balm in group plantings
If the purpose of growing is not only the medicinal properties of these plants, but also decorativeness, then you need to take into account:
- Mint can be planted in a flower bed in large containers. Melissa doesn't like space constraints. It only needs to be planted in the ground.
- If the plants are needed only for decorative purposes, they can be planted in the center of the flower bed and form tall, flowering bushes.
- Mint can be planted at the edge of a flower garden by constantly breaking off long stems to create ground cover bushes. Melissa will not grow much, so her bushes will be lush, but small.
- Planting in the garden, between trees, should be made taking into account the fact that mint and lemon balm need at least a few hours of sunshine a day.
- Mint can be planted along curbs only by constantly cutting off long stems. For beautiful bushes, constant watering is necessary.
For its aroma and calming, pacifying effect, lemon balm and mint, by right, are 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 flower beds - with original compositions.
