Many of us know this pleasant heady and refreshing lemon balm citrus scent. In the people Melissa is also called lemon mint. Due to its useful and gingerbread properties, the grass is used in cooking and medicine. If you do not have a dacha, but there is a desire to enjoy all the charms of this plant, you can try to grow lemon balm at home.
Is it possible to grow lemon balm on the windowsill
Lemon lemon balm grows well in open ground and 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 - just choose a sunny window sill, prepare a good soil and water it properly.
Did you know? The plant was called melissa in honor of the ancient Greek nymph - patroness of beekeeping.
What conditions are needed in the room for comfortable growth of lemon balm?
Let's see what is the care for melissa at home. Success in growing lemon balm is waiting for those who will follow the simple rules for plant maintenance.
Lighting for melissa
Before you grow lemon balm at home, you should take into account the fact that this plant is light-loving. It is better to place it on window sills with good illumination. From the lack of light, it will not disappear, but it will not grow in a lush bush. With a shortage of light in the winter, it is better to install artificial lighting. Fluorescent lamps give a good effect when illuminated 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 melissa is more of a street plant than an indoor one, it needs to create certain conditions for comfortable growth. Melissa loves humid air, so the humidity in the room should be at least 65%. In order that the leaves do not lose juiciness in the summer, the bushes irrigate with a spray gun. To temperatures Melissa unpretentious. In the autumn-winter period, it quietly tolerates a temperature of + 15 ... +18 ºC. Melissa is a moisture-loving plant, and high temperatures adversely affect its development. The optimum temperature range for it is + 18 ... +24 ºC.
What should be the ground for room lemon balm
To grow melissa plant at home, you can use a specially purchased in-store substrate or prepare the soil yourself. Given that the lemon balm bush for growth needs nutrient soil, the substrate can be prepared from garden soil, sand and humus in equal proportions. Drainage must be placed on the bottom of the pot.
Important! The soil for growing lemon balm must be well water and breathable, with neutral acidity.
Ways of planting lemon balm on the windowsill
You can grow lemon balm 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. At the bottom of the pot lay drainage (perlite, pieces of foam), pour the wet soil. We sow seeds to a depth of 1 cm, cover the pot with polyethylene and place it in a warm place. Sprouts will appear in 10-15 days. We look to the land does not dry out, periodically irrigate plants. Emerged shoots necessarily thinned. Pickling seedlings of lemon balm is carried out after the appearance of 3-4 leaves. Transplanted seedlings in large pots with a capacity of up to two liters and a depth of at least 15-20 cm. After 2 months, you can pick the first sheets.
Did you know? In the people Melissa is called honey. It attracts a lot of bees with its spicy smell.
Dividing bush
If you have no desire to mess with the seeds and wait for two months, you can try to grow homemade lemon balm by dividing the bush. Propagation of lemon balm by division is carried out in the spring, when the plant releases new roots. They dig up a bush, shake off the ground and divide it into several small bushes (there must be at least several buds near the roots). A new seedling is planted in pots with pre-prepared soil. In 2-3 weeks the bush will give an increase, and you will be able to use the fruits of your labor. 
Reproduction by layering
If you have a lemon balm bush at the dacha, but you do not want to dig it up, you can resort to reproduction by layering. In early summer, when the shoot reaches a length of 10-15 cm (preferably before flowering), it is pressed to the ground and sprinkled. To sprinkle shoots sprung roots, the soil around the mound should be watered periodically. Within two weeks, the layering will give roots. It can be easily digged and cut from the main bush. We plant honey in a pot and bring it home, as it is easier to grow lemon balm at home and it will always be at your fingertips. Pot for hardening a bush for 3-4 days set in the shade.
How to cutting a room balm
There is another way to plant a lemon balm bush at home, by cutting. You need to buy a bunch of lemon balm on the market or in the supermarket, put it in water. After 10 days, roots will appear, and shoots can be planted in a pot with ready drainage and a special substrate. Then we put the seedling for a few days in a shaded place so that the seedlings do not get sunburn. Within two weeks, the plant will have new shoots. After 2 months you can harvest.
Important! Melissa for cuttings should be fresh cut.
Rules care for melissa at home
The rules of care for melissa are simple. All she needs is timely watering, adding nutrients and correct pruning. When the buds break off them. The main value of lemon balm - the leaves.
Watering and feeding plants
In the warm period of the year, lemon balm bushes should be watered as the soil dries out 2-3 times a week. In winter, when the number of sunny days decreases, watering is carried out more economically. Waterlogging plants or stagnant water in the soil can lead to powdery mildew or root rot, then the bush dies. It is better to feed lemon balm with a special liquid fertilizer. He is bred according to the instructions. Feeding is carried out throughout the entire growing season.
If you want melissa leaves to be more juicy, irrigate it daily with a spray bottle.
Did you know? In ancient Greece, Melissa was used as an aphrodisiac - the causative agent of sensuality.
How to cut lemon balm in a pot
Trimming lemon balm can begin in seven weeks, when the plant grows to 15 cm. The more and more often you cut it, the more it will bush. Regular pruning will defer flowering bush. When the buds appear, they need to be cut off. After flowering, the leaves become coarse.
Potted lemon balm when to harvest
You can start collecting lemon balm when the plant has reached a height of more than 40 cm at least four times per season. Cut the shoots at a height of 10 cm. They dry the plant by spreading it out in a thin layer on a newspaper, preferably in a draft, without direct sunlight. Store the collected material in linen bags, so that lemon balm does not lose its smell and healing properties. Store dried grass no more than a year.
Important! When drying the grass is regularly turned over so that it does not take mold.
