How to Grow Lemon Balm
Add the Aroma of Citrus to Your Garden Without the Astringent Bite
Lemon balm is a perennial herb that is easy to grow and has many household uses.
Lemon balm is a half-hardy perennial in the mint family. It has a mild lemon aroma that many will associate with furniture polish and some brands of dishwashing liquid.
Growing Lemon Balm in the Garden
Lemon balm prefers partial shade and moist, fertile soil. Areas around downspouts, or in sheltered areas near walls are ideal. Like mint, lemon balm can be invasive, so contain it with edging, or place it in a submerged pot. It will return year after year with little encouragement and does well from zones five through nine. Keep it moist in hot weather, and give it a layer of insulating mulch in areas that experience high temperatures in summer.
Propagating Lemon Balm
Easy to grow and propagate, lemon balm can be started from seed or root cuttings. It can easily be started in a glass of water. If starting from seed, germinate indoors. Lemon balm seeds are very small and can be easily blown from their planting site in a light wind. The outer casing of the seed is hard, too; so soak the seeds in hot water for a day before planting, and expect to wait a few weeks before they germinate.
Growing Lemon Balm Indoors
As a container plant, lemon balm can provide its fresh, light aroma to your home year round. Be sure to keep it in a sunny location, and don't let it go dry. To insure an even and regular supply of moisture, consider providing a wicking system for your plant. Use a quality prepared potting soil, and select a pot that's on the small side, five inches or less. Potted lemon balm does better when kept a bit crowded. If your plant starts to get leggy, it needs more sun.
Harvesting and Drying Lemon Balm
This resilient herb can be harvested throughout the summer months by snipping or pinching. It grows back quickly and tolerates heavy harvesting well.
Lemon balm loses its flavor easily if not packaged carefully, so take care when drying it to thoroughly seal the dried leaves in an airtight container, and keep the container in a cool, dry location. Dehydrators are good for drying, although you can also dry lemon balm in an oven, or tied upside down in an attic, or other warm, dry spot. Dried leaves should be stored whole and crumbled when preparing for use. This is the best way to get the full benefit of the fragrance and flavor.
Uses for Lemon Balm
Used in cooking, lemon balm is equally effective in sweet and savory dishes. It is a good addition to a fruit salad, as part of a marinade for lamb or pork, as a seasoning for fish, or as an ingredient in muffins and cookies.
Lemon balm also makes a fragrant and distinctive potpourri. On the medicinal side, lemon balm tea helps relieve tension, and Lesley Bremness in her reference work, "The Complete Book of Herbs" recommends it for treating cold symptoms. It can also be used topically to treat bee stings.
Lemon Balm - Possible Drug Interactions
There is current research underway suggesting that lemon balm may interfere with thyroid and sedative related treatments. If you are being treated for either of these conditions, consult your doctor before using lemon balm.
Add some unexpected citrus fragrance to your garden with lemon balm. It is an easy herb to grow, and rewards you with its wonderful fragrance every time you brush by it. For this reason alone, many people keep it by their back door or anong a walkway. With lemon balm along your path, no one will forget his way to your door.
