If mint is named after Menta, beloved of the ancient Greek God, then lemon balm got its name in honor of the ancient Greek nymph Melissa, the ancestor of beekeeping. Melissa is a godsend for gourmets who dream of pairing together a citrus aroma with a pleasant minty flavor with some honey notes playing weakly through two such strong aromas. Therefore, it is lemon balm that is suitable for many dishes where you want to feel a citrus flavor, but without the acid inherent in many citrus fruits. Often referred to as "lemon mint" (not to be confused with the peppermint variety), Melissa is a wonderful soothing and useful plant in the "heart" areas and is widely used in food. It can emphasize and make many dishes elegant, for example, cabbage soup from tasteless spinach will acquire a piquant, bright taste with lemon balm.
This plant belongs to the mint family. Medicinal or lemon balm grows in the form of branched bushes from 45 to 125 cm tall. Melissa flowers can be white, pink and yellow. Essential oils are mostly found in the tips of the shoots and leaves. This plant is a good honey plant, in connection with this, beekeepers and many gardeners call lemon balm " bee mint". It belongs to perennials, so it will please more than one year.
Melissa Planting
For lemon balm, you should choose a sunny or slightly shaded place with fertile, well-drained loose soil (sandy loam, for example). Soil reaction can be neutral or slightly acidic.
Under perennial spices I usually prepare the ground in autumn. I dig well, free from weeds, apply organic and mineral fertilizers. I do not have a problem with water outflow on the site, but if you have acidic soil, consider drainage. It can be small gravel or broken brick. The main thing is that there is no souring of the roots and rotting does not happen. I have a little acidic soil in a place where herbs grow, this is evidenced by the presence of a coltsfoot. I add to the soil wood ash. My soil is loose and fairly light. But if you have clayey or lowland soils on your site, then dilute the soil with river sand and do high beds when planting melissa.
In the spring, when the soil warms up, you need to loosen the prepared area, as well as remove the weeds. I marked out small ridges, between rows about 45 cm, planted in 2 rows. I took about 40 cm between plants, I was not mistaken, since the bushes grew very large. If I were to plant this plant again today, I would take a larger distance both between rows and between plants, about 60 cm, for a more aesthetic look.
Melissa reproduces by dividing the bush and seeds. My delenki take root immediately and give good flowering. It is worth dividing the bushes when the shoots begin to grow, this is around the beginning of May, or you can divide the plant at the end of August. Seeds sprout weaker. They are small and require light to germinate. Embed them in the soil no deeper than 1 cm.
You can sow lemon balm immediately into the ground at the end of May, or you can plant seedlings somewhere in late March - early April. In May, ready-made seedlings with 4 normal leaves are planted in the ground (seedling age is about 40 days). Many lovers dig up a part of the lemon balm bush for the winter and grow it at home on the windowsill. You can also grow a potted plant from seeds, but lemon balm loves freedom, so it does not grow well in a pot.
Melissa Care
Melissa does not require any specific care. I watered several times, the first time I planted it, and several more times when there was a severe drought. Melissa welcomes loosening the soil and getting rid of weeds, and mulching also saves from the latter. You still have to break through, but not in such quantities. Mulch also prevents moisture from evaporating quickly.
In non-chernozem regions, so that the plant does not freeze in winter, it must be covered.
Collection and preparation of lemon balm
It is worth collecting lemon balm leaves before flowering, although many gourmets collect lemon balm during its flowering period. It is best to start harvesting in June, young leaves have a delicate aroma and taste. As the lemon balm blooms, its aroma and flavor intensify and become tougher. Lemon balm leaves have essential oils, so they should be dried in the shade, but not more than 35 ° C. After drying, carefully fold the raw materials into airtight containers. Melissa does not go into freezing, because it loses its beneficial properties.
Melissa varieties
In total, there are 5 types of lemon balm in the world, but only lemon balm grows in our country. Melissa officinalis has an unusual variety - variegated lemon balm. Its original leaves not only contain many phytoncides that purify the air, but also look great in flower beds. I like Melissa in plantings due to the fact that her bushes are dense, they live in partial shade, while the bushes themselves are even beautiful shape, truth, to a smell I am indifferent.
The State Register of the Russian Federation includes 8 varieties of lemon balm, adapted to the conditions of the middle lane, recommended for planting in a garden plot. They are not inferior to new varieties with an unusual golden color of foliage. Different leaf shape, color, height of the bush, winter hardiness and intensity of aroma and flowering time distinguish some varieties from others.
Melissa "Lemon Flavor"
Designed for fresh and dried use. Perennial, grows in one place for about 5 years. From the second year of life from germination to the first cut, about 40 days will pass. The leaves are dark green with a bloom, raised. Leaf shape is ovoid. Smooth leaves, there is pubescence. The height of the plant is about 60 cm. The green mass of the bush of this variety in the first year of life is about 120 g. The aroma is strong.
Melissa "Dozya"
It has a medium early ripening period, is perennial plant, grows in one place for about 5 years. In the second year of life, the growing season will be about 1.5 months. The height of the bush is about 90 cm. The leaves are semi-raised, have a slight pubescence and "wrinkles". Dark green with serrated edges. The flowers are small, white. Pronounced lemon aroma, but not as sharp as the previous species.
Tea connoisseurs will understand me when I say that every true gourmet should at least once try the combined herbal tea from his garden. An indispensable component of such tea is lemon balm, also known as lemon mint, bee grass, and raevnik. One of the following posts will be devoted to its diversity and areas of application, and now I would like to give detailed agricultural technology growing lemon balm on the homestead.
Melissa is cultivated in a perennial culture and feels good in one place for three to five years. However, there are cases when this grass did not change its place of residence for all 20 years and every year pleased its owners with a crop of fragrant shoots (of course, with proper care).
Melissa is relatively undemanding to growing conditions, but develops better on sunny plots with loose soil rich in humus. Of course, this culture is able to endure light shading, but at the same time its leaves lose some of their fragrantness. I advise you to place lemon mint closer to the beds, because this wonderful honey plant (melissa in Greek means "bee, honey") will intensively attract bees, which will certainly visit your cucumber plantings. Melissa is cold-resistant and winters well under a light cover of peat, woody leaves, humus, compost, etc. In especially severe winters, of course, there is a risk of freezing, but this has not happened to me in 5 years of growing it.
When growing lemon balm, it is propagated by seeds (seedlings or sowing directly into open ground), layering and dividing the bush.
Melissa seeds are sown for seedlings in late March-early April. I advise you to pre-soak the seed for 3-4 days, because when sowing “dry”, seedlings will appear only after three weeks. In the phase of two true leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into cups or pots, and at the age of about 60 days, the seedlings will be ready to move to the garden. Keep in mind that for a family of three, 3-4 lemon balm bushes are enough for all needs, so dive only 6-8 of the strongest seedlings (that is, twice as many as the above 3-4 in case some of the plants do not tolerate transplanting ). When planting in the garden, seedlings are arranged in rows with row spacing of 40-50 centimeters and a row spacing of 20-30 centimeters.
According to the same scheme, seeds can be sown immediately in open ground as the soil warms up. So, growth processes in seeds begin already at a temperature of +10 ... 12 degrees, but the optimal temperature regime for pecking it will be +20 ... 25 degrees. Before sowing, dry seeds are well mixed with fine sand, while the seeding rate is about 1.5-2 grams per square meter. To ensure uniform seedlings, try not to deepen the seed more than half a centimeter. When the plants grow enough, the plantings are thinned out, leaving the desired 3-4 bushes of lemon mint.
By dividing the bush, lemon balm is propagated in spring or early autumn. For breeding, 3-4-year-old bushes are selected, which are carefully divided and planted according to the above scheme.
You can also get lemon balm with the help of layering. To do this, in early June, the shoots of this crop are pinned to the ground and sprinkled with a mixture of humus (compost) and sand (but you can just use garden soil). After rooting, the layers are cut off and planted on permanent place. But it is better to do this in the spring of next year.
If you do not have the opportunity to get lemon balm from your summer residents, then I advise you to try to get it using the seedling method. The reason is the same as with: this crop sprouts for a very long time, which causes difficulties with weeding, because thin sprouts are very easy to confuse with ordinary weeds.
Lemon mint needs a very ordinary care, consisting of weeding, loosening and top dressing. The first two operations should be given Special attention in the first year of growing lemon balm, and in subsequent years it grows enough to leave no chance for the ubiquitous weeds. This culture should be fed in early spring and after each cutting of leaves. As a top dressing, you can simply pour half a bucket of humus or compost under each bush, or water the plants with a solution of nitroammophoska (20 grams per watering can).
In humid summers, lemon balm can be affected by rust and white spotting. The main preventive measures against these diseases are not thickening of plantings, frequent weeding, and crop rotation.
Lemon balm shoots are usually cut just before flowering, when their aromaticity reaches its climax. When sowing seeds in the first year, I recommend no more than one haircut, but if you divided the bush in the spring, then you can make two cuts. At good care in the future, it will be possible to carry out 2-3 cleanings of the greenery of this crop per season. Cut leaves quickly become covered with brown spots, so they should be used immediately or laid out to dry in a thin layer in the shade at a temperature not exceeding 35 degrees. Dried raw materials are perfectly stored in tightly sealed jars.
Growing lemon balm is best done in the same garden in company with other herb seasonings, such as oregano, thyme, tarragon, thyme, etc. Just keep an eye on the decent behavior of your "pets". For example, on my medicinal bed, the naughty oregano literally strangled her neighbor lemon balm, which now modestly clings to the side of the bed. To prevent such incidents, it is important to prevent seeding of plants and, accordingly, self-seeding.
Melissa lemon - perennial herbaceous plant labial families. Melissa comes from Southern Europe. Cultivated in various countries of Europe, Asia and North America. The plant is ancient. There are feral forms in the Crimea, the Caucasus and in Central Asia. Melissa spicy plant. Rich in vitamin C and carotene. From fresh herbs, an essential oil is extracted containing citral and citronellal (up to 60 percent), geraniol and myrcene. The leaves have a lemon, bitter aroma, slightly spicy taste.
Leaves and young shoots are used fresh or dry as a seasoning for salads, soups, fish, mushrooms, compotes, drinks, for flavoring vinegar, tea, liquors. It is used for medicinal purposes with general weakness of the body, gastric diseases, heart neuroses, as an easy stimulant. Used in perfumery.
Botanical characteristics of lemon balm. Stem straight, branched, pubescent, up to 125 centimeters high, lower side shoots 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. Blossoms in the second year after sowing from July to August. Good honey plant.
Biological characteristics of lemon balm. Melissa is demanding of warmth and light. Seeds begin to germinate at 10-12 degrees. The optimum temperature for germination is 20-25 degrees. Melissa lemon is sensitive to frost and often on open places freezes, therefore, place it in areas well lit by the sun and protected from the winds. In the Non-Chernozem zone, it gives abundant greenery. The seeds ripen. Melissa does not tolerate acidic, heavy, structureless soils at all. For it, you need to choose moderately moist structural light and fertile soils.
Agrotechnics of lemon balm. The best predecessors in crop rotation - vegetable crops, potatoes and perennial herbs.
In autumn, the soil is cultivated to a depth of 4 ... 5 centimeters. After 15 ... 20 days, after the germination of weeds, it is plowed or dug up by 25 ... 30 centimeters with the simultaneous introduction of manure of 3 ... 4 kilograms per square meter. In the spring, before planting, one or two loosening (harrowing) is carried out, under which up to 30 ... 40 grams of complex fertilizer per square meter are applied. If the soil is acidic, fluff lime or dolomite lime is used.
Melissa is propagated by seeds - seedling way, as well as 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 with them. Seedlings 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 reproduction by dividing the bush, three, five-year-old plants are taken. Landing is carried out in early spring or in August. On household plots and garden plots it is enough to grow 10…12 plants. If there are hives, then plantings should be expanded, since lemon balm is a strong honey plant.
Melissa is demanding on loosening the soil. The formation of a crust 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 top dressing at the rate of 10 liters per square meter. Feeding is repeated after each harvest.
For better overwintering, plants are spudded with earth in the fall, and opened in early May. small plots can be covered with manure or foliage.
Harvesting lemon balm. Harvesting begins before flowering or during the opening of flowers. 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 are collected from square meter fresh leaves, in the second - up to 1 ... 1.8 kilograms. Sometimes, especially in the south, cleaning is carried out 2 ... 3 times per season.
For seeds, lemon balm is harvested when the lower seed pods turn brown. Plants are cut or uprooted, tied into sheaves, transferred to a well-ventilated room for ripening and drying, then threshed, the seeds are cleaned. They are small, well retain their germination for two to three years.
Diseases of Melissa. It is affected by mint rust and septoria, especially in wet weather and with neglected plantings. It is necessary to thin out seedlings in a timely manner, clear the site of weeds, remove and burn dried plants.
In our previous article, we talked about the cultivation and use of peppermint, one of the most popular spicy aromatic crops in our area. Today we propose to talk about no less popular, and certainly no less fragrant and beloved plant - lemon balm. How is the cultivation of lemon balm, reproduction of lemon balm, planting and care, and what, in fact, is the use of lemon balm - you will now find out.
Melissa lemon: description
Melissa lemon (in Latin - Melissa officinalis L.) is a perennial plant from the mint family. Distributed in countries southern Europe, South America, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Ukraine. In the wild, this plant is found on the banks of rivers, where it is humid.
Lemon balm stems are tetrahedral, branched, straight, up to 0.8 m high. The leaves are ovoid, opposite, with coarsely serrated edges, petiolate, about 5 cm wide, up to 10 cm long. The upper side of the leaves is dark green, with a sparse fluff, and the lower side is light green, with shiny veins. The flowers are located in the axils of the leaves, painted in pink or White color, form fake whorls.
In the first year, lemon balm develops only vegetative organs, and from the second - generative ones. In the southern regions, it blooms in June or July, the flowering period is quite extended. Seeds ripen in August-September. The fruit is a black, ovoid, smooth nut 2 mm long. The germination of lemon balm seeds lasts for two years.
Melissa rhizome is large, very branched, with underground shoots. The biochemical composition of the productive organs of lemon balm is as follows: 20-23% dry matter, 1.6% total sugar, 1.9% fiber (fresh weight), 43 mg% vitamin C. Due to the content of essential oil, the main component of which is citral, leaves and young stems pleasant aroma lemon.
Both fresh and dried, young stems and leaves of lemon balm are used as a spicy seasoning for fish and meat dishes, salads, when salting and pickling vegetables, for compotes, brewing tea. In addition, lemon balm is often used in traditional medicine and is an excellent honey plant.
Melissa lemon: cultivation
Melissa does not grow well on heavy soils, preferring rich clay and loamy soils. It winters well in the southern regions, but in middle lane freezes for the winter.
Reproduction of lemon balm most often carried out by dividing the bush or seeds, less often - cuttings and jigging. Lemon balm seeds germinate at a temperature of ten to twelve degrees, optimal temperature for growth and development is considered 20-25 degrees.
Melissa is demanding of light, it is better to grow it in open, well-lit areas. You can plant lemon balm in a shaded place, but in this case, the content essential oils in the plant will be low.
Melissa cultivation you can spend up to ten years in one place, but if high yield is a priority for you, you need to renew the hive every four years.
Melissa varieties
In culture, two varieties of German selection are common - creeping Quedlinburg and erect Erfurt lemon balm. These varieties differ not only appearance, but also winter hardiness, and flowering time. However, in the gardens of amateur gardeners, as a rule, not “purebred” varieties grow, but local forms of lemon balm.
Planting lemon balm
Before planting lemon balm the soil should be prepared: fertilize with manure in the fall, dig up, and enrich the land in the spring mineral fertilizers. Potassium salt and ammophos are best suited for lemon balm.
At growing melissa from seeds seedlings are prepared first. Seeds are sown in March. Seedlings are thinned out by four to five centimeters and a solution of nitrogen fertilizer is applied two or three times. Melissa seedlings aged 30-40 days are planted according to a scheme of approximately 70x25-30 cm.
At propagation of lemon balm by dividing the bush best to take planting material from 3-4 year old plants. In early spring the bush is dug up and divided into parts, each of which should contain roots and 2-3 buds. Planting lemon balm by dividing the bush is carried out in the same way as in seedlings. Already in the first year, a solid crop of green mass is harvested from transplanted plants.
Melissa Care
Lemon balm is generally easy to care for. Several times during the season, the ground around the plants is loosened, weeds are removed, and watered 3-4 times. You can feed the lemon balm - twice a season: for the first time - 20 days after planting the lemon balm (potassium salt and ammophos), the second time - after cutting the greens, with the same fertilizers. You can combine watering and top dressing of lemon balm.
How to collect melissa?
For the use of lemon balm in fresh cut it, of course, as needed. But if you plan to prepare lemon balm for the winter, then it is better to cut it in the budding phase or at the very beginning of flowering. This can be done twice - in July and August. If you grow lemon balm seedlings, then it should be cut off in the second year, and when dividing the bush - already in the first year.
Many of us know this pleasant heady and refreshing citrus aroma of lemon balm. Lemon balm is also popularly known as lemon balm. Due to its beneficial and gingerbread properties, the herb is used in cooking and medicine. If you do not have a dacha, but have a desire to enjoy all the delights of this plant, you can try to grow lemon balm at home.
Is it possible to grow lemon balm on the windowsill
Lemon melissa grows well as in open field as well as in pots. When growing lemon balm at home, the bushes reach a height of 25-30 cm. Regular pruning contributes to the growth of the bushes. All that is required of us is just to choose a sunny window sill, cook good soil and water properly.
Did you know? The plant was named lemon balm in honor of the ancient Greek nymph - the patroness of beekeeping.
What conditions are needed in the room for the comfortable growth of lemon balm
Let's see what is the care of lemon balm at home. Success in growing lemon balm awaits those who stick to simple rules plant content.
Lighting for Melissa
Before you grow lemon balm at home, you should take into account the fact that this plant is photophilous. It is better to place it on windowsills with good lighting. From a lack of light, it will not disappear, but it will not grow into a lush bush either. With a lack of light in winter period better to install artificial lighting. Fluorescent lamps give a good effect when illuminated for 8-10 hours a day. Then the bush is guaranteed to give not only growth, but also seeds. 
Humidity and temperature for the plant
Since lemon balm is more of an outdoor plant than an indoor plant, it needs to create certain conditions for comfortable growth. Melissa loves humid air very much, so the humidity in the room should be at least 65%. In order for the leaves not to lose their juiciness in the summer, the bushes are irrigated with a spray gun. Melissa is unpretentious to temperatures. In the autumn-winter period, it calmly tolerates temperatures of +15 ... +18 ºC. Melissa is a moisture-loving plant, and high temperatures adversely affect its development. The optimal temperature range for it is +18...+24 ºC.
What should be the soil for room lemon balm
To grow a lemon balm plant at home, you can use a substrate specially bought in a store or prepare the soil yourself. Considering that the lemon balm bush needs nutritious soil to grow, the substrate can be prepared from garden soil, sand and humus in equal proportions. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot.
Important! The soil for growing lemon balm should be well water- and breathable, with neutral acidity.
Ways to plant lemon balm on the windowsill
Melissa can be grown not only in the country, but also in a pot at home. There are several ways to grow a plant on a windowsill.
seed method
Consider growing lemon balm from seeds at home. It should be noted that growing in pots is a long and laborious process. Seeds before planting can be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. For planting, we need a soil mixture and seeds. We lay drainage (perlite, pieces of foam plastic) at the bottom of the pot, pour wet soil. We sow the seeds to a depth of 1 cm, cover the pot with polyethylene and put it in a warm place. Sprouts will appear in 10-15 days. We look so that the earth does not dry out, periodically irrigate the plants. The emerging sprouts must be thinned out. Picking seedlings of lemon balm is carried out after the appearance of 3-4 leaves. The seedlings are transplanted into large pots with a capacity of up to two liters and a depth of at least 15-20 cm. After 2 months, it will be possible to pluck the first leaves.
Did you know? In the people, lemon balm is called honeydew. With its spicy smell, it attracts many bees.
The division of the bush
If you do not have the desire to mess with the seeds and wait two months, you can try to grow homemade lemon balm by dividing the bush. Reproduction of lemon balm by division is carried out in the spring, when the plant starts new roots. They dig a bush, shake off the ground and divide it into several small bushes (the roots must have at least a few buds). A new seedling is planted in pots with pre-prepared soil. After 2-3 weeks, the bush will give an increase, and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 
Reproduction by layering
If you have a lemon balm bush in your country house, but you do not want to dig it out, you can resort to propagation by layering. At the beginning of summer, when the shoot reaches a length of 10-15 cm (preferably before flowering), it is pressed to the ground and sprinkled. In order for the sprinkled shoots to take root, the soil around the embankment must be watered periodically. Within two weeks, the layering will give roots. It can be safely dug up and cut off from the main bush. We plant honey in a pot and take it home, since it is easier to grow lemon balm at home, and it will always be at your fingertips. We put the pot for hardening the bush for 3-4 days in the shade.
How to cut indoor lemon balm
There is another way to plant a lemon balm bush at home - cuttings. You need to buy a bunch of lemon balm in the market or in the supermarket, put it in water. After 10 days, roots will appear, and the shoots can be planted in a pot with ready-made drainage and a special substrate. Then we put the seedling for several days in a shaded place so that the seedlings do not receive sunburn. Within two weeks, the plant will have new shoots. After 2 months, you can harvest.
Important! Melissa for cuttings should be freshly cut.
Rules for caring for melissa at home
The rules for caring for melissa are simple. All she needs is timely watering, the introduction of nutrients and correct pruning. Pick them off when buds appear. The main value of lemon balm is the leaves.
Watering and feeding the plant
In the warm season, lemon balm bushes should be watered as the soil dries 2-3 times a week. In winter, when the number of sunny days decreases, watering is carried out more economically. Waterlogging the plant or stagnant water in the soil can lead to disease. powdery mildew or root rot, subsequently the bush dies. It is better to feed lemon balm with a special liquid fertilizer. It is bred according to the instructions. Top dressing is carried out throughout the entire growing season.
If you want the lemon balm leaves to be more juicy, irrigate it daily with a spray bottle.