PLANTING LEMON BALM WHEN GROWN IN OPEN FIELD AT THE COTTAGE IN THE SPRING: PHOTOS OF VARIETIES OF THIS GRASS, TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE THE SEEDS, WHEN AND HOW TO SOW IN THE GARDEN

Propagation of lemon balm seeds is considered the most time-consuming method, but also the most effective. Plants grown in this way grow strong, powerful, viable. They easily tolerate any climatic "surprises" and give a good harvest.

This article is devoted to all the subtleties of sowing spices in open ground. You will learn how to grow a fragrant plant in the country in the open field, how to plant seeds, how much they sprout, and about other important things.

Varieties for growing in the garden - description and photo

"Lemon Flavor"

Drought-resistant perennial, which reaches 70 cm in height and gives 2.9 kg of crop per square meter. Flowering occurs 80 days after planting. Lemon flavor is widely used in cooking and traditional medicine..

"Mojito"

Relatively new variety, which is used in cooking and for the preparation of beverages. It reaches a height of 65 cm and is capable of yielding crops up to 3 kg per 1 sq.

"Freshness"

Mojito - a perennial shrub with bluish foliage. It grows up to 80 cm in height, for two cuts you can collect 4 kg of leaves per square meter. Ideal for making tea, has a bright and strong lemon flavor.

"Pearl"

Perennial spice-taste and medicinal plant. It has a pronounced lemon flavor and taste. It grows up to 60 cm. It is an excellent honey plant. During the season you can collect up to 4.3 kg of leaves per square meter. It is used in cooking and traditional medicine.

"Isidora"

Isidora - a perennial plant that can reach a height of 1 meter. At one place can grow up to 10 years. It is a good honey plant. Used for the preparation of teas, salads, as components of sauces. It has a wide range of medical indicators.

When to sow?

Important. Planting of seeds in the spring in open ground should be done only in the case when the soil is already warm enough, and the threat of return frost is completely passed.

If the temperature is too cold (below + 10C), then the seeds in the soil will die, and not sprouting. In different regions, similar conditions are provided at different times: in the southern side, this pattern is typical for the second half of April, and in northern latitudes - the end of May - the beginning of June.

Sowing time depends on the selected variety: Early varieties (Mojito, Isidora, Lemon Lime) can be sown in May, but later ones (Lemon Flavor, Pearl, Lemon Balsam), if weather conditions permit, should be sown earlier.

You can also sow lemon balm in summer: there will be no problems with the temperature regime, but you still have to warm the tender young plant for the winter. Some gardeners practice sowing seeds in the fall: the soil temperature is still acceptable, but full-fledged seedlings will appear only in spring. A plant grown from seeds sown in autumn will be hardy and winter-resistant.

Where better to plant?

Seeds of lemon balm can be sown in a container - from them, subject to the basic rules, seedlings will grow; it can be planted in open ground. It is possible to sow directly into the soil on the plot: a similar method will also require the gardener to pay attention and care for young plants.

How to choose and prepare a place and soil?

For sowing lemon balm, you need to choose a well-lit area or partial shade. Not bad, if this place will be near the outbuildings or trees and bushes that will close the spicy plant from drafts. The soil for sowing lemon balm should be loose, well drained and nutritious, with a pH from 4.7 to 7.5.

The preparation of the selected site should begin in the fall: the ground should be carefully dug to a depth of 20–25 cm, “filling” the soil with organic (wood ash, manure) and mineral fertilizers (20 g of superphosphate per square meter). If the ground is too compressed, then it is advisable to dig a few buckets of river sand to the site when digging.

In the spring, the land on the plot must be loosened with a rake, and the weeds that appear must be removed.

Seed material

Melissa seeds are very small, each seed does not exceed 1 mm in size. A thousand seeds weighs only 0.62 grams, so the weight of the bags that are sold in stores does not usually exceed 0.3 grams - this amount will be quite enough for planting spices in one summer cottage.

Healthy seeds have a dark, almost black color and a little glossy sheen. The shelf life of the harvested seed is 2 - 3 years. However, the sowing material, which was collected last year, is more likely to produce friendly shoots, but the percentage of seed germination of two and three years ago is much lower.

How to assemble yourself?

In late August - early September, stalks containing seeds (in the place of inflorescences) are cut from a bush.
The stalks are collected in a bundle for drying.
The assembled bundle is suspended in a dry, shaded, ventilated area.
After the stems have dried, they must be carefully removed and placed in a dense fabric pouch.
Top bag should be threshed.
Extract the contents and sift through a fine sieve.

Below you can watch a video on how to independently collect lemon balm seeds:

Where can I buy?

Quality seeds can be purchased at a specialty store selling seeds. You can use the services of online stores, but you should only trust those of them that have a good reputation: it is easy to learn about it by reading customer reviews on the Internet.

Buying seeds on a street tray is not the best option, since in such conditions the likelihood that the seeds simply disappeared due to non-compliance with the storage conditions is very high. When buying a seed, attention should immediately be paid to the shelf life and date of collection of seeds.

reference. In Moscow, lemon balm seeds can be bought at a price of 10 to 17 rubles for 0.1 grams, and in St. Petersburg - from 15 to 25 rubles for a bag weighing from 0.1 to 0.3 grams.

Preliminary processing

Melissa seeds do not need pre-soaking in warm water or germinationlike the seeds of many other crops. Usually, before sowing, they are disinfected by dressing in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, in order to avoid contagious diseases of the soil and future plants.

It is necessary to prepare melissa seeds, a small container, boiled cold water, potassium permanganate, a tissue napkin.
Pour 100 ml of water into the prepared container.
In water is added 1 gram of the drug, the solution should be well stirred.
Place spice seeds in a tissue napkin; wipe the napkin well.
The resulting bundle is placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 - 30 minutes.
After the time has expired, the bundles should be thoroughly rinsed with running water.
Seeds need to be removed from the "bag" and allow them to dry.

How to plant fragrant grass in the country?

How to sow seeds:

Pre-loosened area must be well moistened, give time to absorb moisture.
In the soil it is necessary to make grooves with a depth of 1 - 1.5 cm and at a distance of 40 - 55 cm from each other (depending on the variety).
Seeds should be mixed with sand for better visibility. It is allowed to mix seeds with seeds of other crops (radish, lettuce) so that the lemon balm seedlings are not lost.
The resulting mixture should be evenly distributed over the grooves, sprinkle the crops above the ground. Planting density - 2 grams of spice seeds per square meter.
With the advent of the first shoots (after 15–20 days), the seedlings must be thinned, leaving a distance of 30–40 cm between them. The seedlings of other cultures can be removed.
During the entire time of germination and development of crops it is necessary to ensure the mandatory moistening with a spray gun on dry and hot days.

Growing lemon balm on his garden plot, the summer resident will always be able to pamper himself with the exquisite taste of tea or salad, which have been prepared with the addition of this spicy herb. It is worth all the effort!