Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is another one of those medicinal herbs that offer a wide range of benefits – everything from possibly improving your health to attracting beneficial insects and butterflies to your garden.
Lemon balm is also a good looking plant that children love because the leaves are fuzzy and have a lemon scent.
This wonderful perennial herbaceous plant is a member of the mint family and native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basis, Iran and Central Asia.
Lemon balm has traditionally been used to improve mood and cognitive function. One study found that taking lemon balm eased the negative mood effects of laboratory-induced psychological stress. Participants who took lemon balm self-reported an increased sense of calmness and increased feelings of alertness.
Lemon balm is also associated with helping ease insomnia and other sleep disorders.
This popular herbal medicinal plant has also received a lot of attention for possibly helping to treat cold sores as well as prolonging the intervals between cold sore outbreaks.
Others believe lemon balm can help relieve indigestion, treat nausea and relieve menstrual pain cramping.
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How to Grow Lemon Balm
If you have a little room to spare in the yard or garden, you might want to give this spreading perennial a try. Lemon balm can grow between 1 and 3 feet high with an equal spread. Like most mints, lemon balm is hardy and can even be overwintered a far north as zones 4 and 5.
Lemon balm is commonly started from seed, indoors. Sow seeds six to eight weeks before the last frost. Start with small pots filled with a light seed-starting mix and barely cover.
Sprinkle seeds on the surface of the soil and then lightly scratch them in before watering. Seeds take seven to 14 days to germinate at 70°F, but longer if indoor temperatures are cooler.
Once seedlings have their second set of true leaves, either thin them to one or two per pot or repot individual seedlings into larger containers. After all danger of frost has passed, seedlings should be set in the garden 12 to 18 inches apart.
Note: Consider starting lemon balm from established plants, such as rooted stem cuttings, root divisions or seedlings from a nursery. This way, you can smell and taste the leaves. The downside of starting lemon balm from seed is that you are never certain of how the mature plant will look, smell or taste.
Be sure to leave ample space between the lemon balm and nearby plants, as it has a penchant for sprawling and crawling.
To keep plants tidy and within bounds, pinch or cut the stem tips back regularly throughout the growing season. And to prevent scraggly or spindly growth, divide mature plants every three to five years.
Additional Recommendations:
Soil
Although lemon balm is not that particular, you will generally have larger, more productive plants grown in fertile, loamy soil. That said, it’s best to have well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Also, it’s best to start each growing season off right by mixing several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil.
Exposure
Lemon balm likes full sun, however, if you live in hotter regions, be sure there’s afternoon shade.
Watering
Check soil moisture every few days and water when the top inch becomes dry.
Fertilizer
Not required, however, you can maximize leaf production by regularly feeding with water-soluble plant food.
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How to Harvest
Gardeners like the idea of planting an herb garden, but aren’t always sure what to do with the herbs once they are mature. You can harvest handfuls of lemon balm leaves for fresh use almost any time during the growing season.
But for a large harvest of leaves that will be dried for tea or medicinal use, it is preferable to wait until the plant begins to put on flower buds or just as the flowers begin to open. This is when the volatile oils in the leaves are at their greatest concentration.
When you are ready, cut each stem just above a pair of leaves using a very sharp pair of scissors. You can cut the plant down to within 6 to 8 inches of the soil. A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than two-thirds of the vegetative growth at any one time.
Finish the job by pruning stray stems and shaping so the plant looks tidy, and then water it deeply.
A second harvest may be possible in the fall if the plant is healthy and has regenerated many new leaves, but the first harvest is always the sweetest and most fragrant.
Once you have your basket full of cut stems, you will need to process them for drying. There are many ways to dry herbs. Read about it here.
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How to Use Lemon Balm
There are innumerable ways to use lemon balm in the kitchen such as chopping fresh leaves and sprinkling on salads or in baked goods. You could also make a lip balm for cold sores.
A very popular and healthful use for lemon balm is to make your own herbal tea. There are many recipes, but basically you want to cut a few stems of lemon balm (plus any other appealing herbs), putting them in a pitcher, pour boiling water over them, and allow them to steep for about 15 minutes. Enjoy your tea hot or over ice.
Be aware that, while it’s generally considered safe for most people, large amounts of lemon balm may inhibit thyroid function. If you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), are on thyroid medication, or are pregnant, nursing, or have any other questions or concerns, talk with a qualified health professional before use.
(Source: Jill Henderson ecofarmingdaily.com)
