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Friday, February 14, 2025

How one can Management Lemon Balm and Preserve It From Taking Over


Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, is considered one of my favourite fragrant backyard herbs as a result of it’s so easy to develop – and it’s out there virtually 12 months spherical right here in Southern California.

A close up vertical image of lemon balm growing in the garden. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

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When you’re considering of including lemon balm to your backyard, it’s important to know that, like mint, this herb can unfold quickly.

With a number of easy steps, you’ll be able to maintain it underneath management and luxuriate in its pleasant perfume with out it taking up your area.

I’ll share some recommendations on avoiding a lemon balm takeover and managing it if it will get somewhat too enthusiastic in its development.

Proactive Prevention

By taking preventative measures, you gained’t need to deal with an overgrowth of lemon balm sooner or later.

This herb spreads by seed and runners. A runner, in botany, is extra formally often called a stolon.

A close up horizontal image of a large stand of blooming lemon balm.

The stolon is a horizontally creeping stem that extends from the primary plant and develops roots at particular factors that may develop into new crops.

These new crops are sometimes known as “daughter crops,” they usually develop from what some name the “mom plant.”

I respect the opportunistic habits of this mint relative and can take advantage of out of its abundance when met with the chance.

There are 4 easy strategies that I’ve discovered to be most supportive in controlling M. officinalis. Examine them out under.

Container Backyard

You’ll be able to develop your lemon balm in a spacious container to forestall it from spreading by runners.

A horizontal image of a garden border overrun with lemon balm.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

Nonetheless, do not forget that the plant can nonetheless self-seed and unfold to different planters or naked soil.

I like these Gardener’s Greatest® Common Develop Baggage. They’re reasonably priced and are available in numerous vibrant colours!

The handles make it straightforward to maneuver them round your patio or backyard.

A close up of three Universal Grow Bags with herbs and vegetables set on wooden steps.

Gardener’s Greatest Common Develop Baggage

You will discover them at Gardener’s Provide Co.

Mulch

Making use of and sustaining a thick layer of mulch is really useful to assist forestall lemon balm seeds from rising in undesirable areas.

Whereas this technique can successfully forestall seed germination, it could not solely cease runners from rising by the mulch.

A close up horizontal image of a small lemon balm seeding growing in the garden.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

The optimum time to mulch is earlier than the moist season, usually in early fall the place I reside. When making use of mulch, lay at the least one to 2 inches down spaced one foot away from the plant’s crown.

Because the mulch breaks down over the seasons, it nourishes your soil. In a number of years, you’ll wish to construct up your mulch layer once more.

Be taught extra about mulching in our information.

Divide

It’s unimaginable how straightforward it’s to divide and transplant lemon balm.

I all the time sit up for late winter or early spring once I can divide the herb by rigorously uprooting some and planting the divisions in new properties. The abundance of crops is a plus!

A vertical image of lemon balm growing in a terra cotta pot set on a wooden surface in a sunny location outdoors.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

I all the time prioritize the timing of once I divide crops to present them ample time to determine themselves earlier than the new summer time.

If I can’t get to this by late spring, I make sure that to develop them in containers so I can transfer them round, which helps me higher accommodate their rising situations by summertime. I’ll transplant them from the container between late fall and early spring.

First, dig up the lemon balm crops, together with their roots, utilizing a trowel or an expert gardener’s digging software like this one that you may get from Garrett Wade.

A square image of a hori hori knife set on the ground outdoors.

Skilled Digging Device

Gently carry the plant out of the bottom. 

Relying on the basis system’s dimension, use a knife or backyard shears to divide the plant into smaller sections. Every part ought to have at the least one wholesome stem and a sturdy root system.

A vertical image of a hand from the bottom of the frame holding up a small transplant.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

You’ll want to replant every part in a well-draining soil combine and water completely after planting. Lemon balm crops desire moist, well-drained soil and partial shade.

Prune Usually

Trimming off the flowers earlier than they begin to flip into seed is essential to managing lemon balm’s development. You’ll be able to prune the herb all the best way again, and it’ll produce new and plush leaf development.

A horizontal image of lemon balm flowers pictured on a soft focus background.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

I like putting my flowering Melissa cuttings in a vase to freshen indoor areas with their vibrant lemony scent! You possibly can additionally avoid wasting by drying and storing the herb to get pleasure from later as an infusion.

When you’re inquisitive about this mint’s therapeutic properties and why it is best to make infusions with the herb, then you definately’ll be impressed by studying our lemon balm tea information.

The longer you develop lemon balm, the better the potential for experiencing this stage the place you could begin managing vigorous development, or else it’s going to take over.

Controlling runners and digging up seedlings earlier than they set up themselves will assist stability populations. I’ll share particulars under on how one can accomplish this and when to behave.

Weed Out

In early spring, you could discover child lemon balms which have began from seed. If the soil is moist they usually’re not rising from runners, they’re straightforward to uproot along with your arms.

I like utilizing a glove that seems like I’m not sporting something so I can get as near the bottom of the plant to drag up all the roots.

These second-skin backyard gloves out there from Terrain are good for the job!

A square image of green Second Skin gloves pictured on a gray background.

Second Pores and skin Backyard Gloves

Or you’ll be able to uncover much more gardening gloves which can be positive to develop into your favorites in our roundup.

If the lemon balm has matured and the soil has dried up, it will likely be tough to weed them out along with your arms. Timing is crucial right here to make this technique easy and straightforward.

The following step is the ultimate measure of eradicating undesirable crops.

Dig Up

This last step may be seen as one other type of dividing crops, however on this remediation part,

I’m referring to bigger crops which have already taken up more room than what you hoped or deliberate for.

When it’s reached this level, I attain for trusty backyard instruments.

Utilizing a shovel or a software just like the Gardener’s Lifetime Perennial Fork from Gardener’s Provide Co. that has a brief, hand-forged, ergonomic T-handle can do the trick.

A close up of a gardener using a Lifetime Perennial Fork do dig up plants in the yard.

Gardener’s Lifetime Perennial Fork

Earlier than I’m going in at an angle about six inches across the plant to loosen the soil, and to get an thought of the place all of the roots are, I’ll trim some leaves again so I can see the middle of the plant.

I then carry it up with a shovel or fork.

If the soil is extraordinarily compacted, I’ll use a pitch axe to interrupt up the soil across the herb utilizing the chisel facet, after which I’ll carry the plant up utilizing the decide facet.

A horizontal image of a garden spade being used to dig up unwanted clumps of lemon balm.
Picture by Kat Sanchez.

If you wish to save a few of these items of lemon balm by transplanting them, I like to recommend digging them up gently as described within the division part above, so that you don’t trigger an excessive amount of hurt to the basis system.

Discarded parts may also be shared with different gardeners, or composted.

When Life Offers You Lemon Balm…

Because of this herb’s many advantages, being confronted with stopping and controlling its aggressive habits is a wonderful drawback to come across within the backyard.

A horizontal image of lemon balm growing in the garden, fading to soft focus in the background.

Don’t let its development intimidate, however slightly, let it encourage you!

Sustaining a backyard the place this mint can flourish is feasible with the guidelines shared on this information. Be at liberty to share your tales and any questions you’ll have within the feedback under.

And for extra details about rising herbs in your backyard, have a learn of those guides subsequent:

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