If there ’s one plant I will always have grow in my garden , it ’s bee balm . Also known as bergamot , horsemint or Oswego Camellia sinensis , this North American indigen is a unique - expect member of the mint fellowship that is invaluable in the garden .
Bee balm is hassle - free to grow , tastes delicious , and has many health benefits , so it ’s deserving growing in your herb garden . It was once used by aboriginal American people for cold-blooded and flu relief . Medicinally , this herbaceous plant is quite potent , and a little goes a foresighted mode .
It can be used to treat cold and grippe symptoms , catamenial pain , head ache , and insomnia . The leave of absence can be used as a cataplasm for bruises and skin infections . A few leafage in hot water is a tonic way to breathe through a cold . you may also use the leaves as aromatherapy .
With a similar flavor to earl grey tea , bee balm can be peppery or have a low-cal citrus flavor calculate on the assortment and where you arise it .
As the name suggests , bees be intimate it , and I ’ve used bee balm to encourage pollinators into my garden . When bees visit bee balm in full bloom , the resulting dear has a distinctive flavor that will remind you of shell earl gray tea leaf .
Bee Balm Varieties
Bee balm flowers in pinkish , blood-red and blanched and bloom in early to late summertime . you’re able to find compendious or miniature versions , as well as big , rangy , sheer mixture .
Eastern Bee Balm
Eastern bee balm is a adorable purple variety that bring forth a set of ambrosia . Like all bee balm , it will attract bees , butterfly , and if you ’re lucky , hummingbirds . It ’s common in the central and southeast United States .
Lemon Bee Balm
This yearbook is a wild flower but it ’s also educate by bee balm lovers . When you oppress the foliage , a pleasant lemon fragrance fulfil the garden . Lemon bee balm has slight , green goddess - like leave-taking and is a compact agriculturalist .
Crimson Bee Balm
The perennial ornamental produces red , white , royal , or pink flowers . It ’s aboriginal to the easterly one-half of the U.S. and boast a delicious orange odour .
Spotted Bee Balm
This type is an annual and perennial depending on where it ’s found . spy bee balm has a pleasant thyme aroma and attracts beneficial dirt ball that get disembarrass of other plague .
Other varieties include:
How to Plant Bee Balm
Bee balm is a perennial , so it will be in the spot you embed it in for days to come . check that to select the right location to give your plants a effective get-go .
Zones
Bee Balm grows well in zone 2 to 10 .
When to Plant Bee Balm
Plant in spring after the last frost has lapse . Start indoors 5 - 8 workweek before the last frost date . you could also direct sow seeds in the fall before the frost hits , but after the heat of summer has passed . This method has leaven to be the most successful for me .
Direct Sowing
For direct sowing in spring and fall , ensure the soil is loose down to about 12 inches and work in 4 inches of well - rotted manure .
works seeds to 1/8 inch deep when the soil temperature is about 60 ° F . Water thoroughly , but do n’t douse . sprouting takes about 21 days . Thin seedling out to about 12 inch asunder .
Growing Indoors
Keep ejaculate in the fridge for about two week before plant in good quality seed raising admixture . Once they have germinated and are about two in tall , plant them alfresco as long as the stain temperature is around 60 ° degree Fahrenheit . Harden them off for about a week before place them in the basis .
Sun Requirements
Plant in full sun to part shade . If you live in an area that tends to get extremely fond , plant in fond shade .
Soil Requirements
A pH of 6.0 to 7.5 is ideal for bee balm . insure the grease is loamy , fertile , humus - productive , and well - draining .
Spacing
flora seeds or seedling 12 column inch apart . imbed the rows 18 to 24 inch apart .
How to Care for Bee Balm
Watering
Bee salve is reasonably drought large-minded , but it does better with regular watering . Do n’t soak the soil too much , or you may end up with root rotting .
Pruning
When your flora reach about 12 to 15 in marvellous , pinch out the top set of folio to encourage it to spread sideway before florescence .
If you have a few bee balm plant , you may abstract them all at once so they all flower at the same sentence . Alternately , you’re able to pinch every third or fourth plant life to assure continuous flowering .
Deadhead your flowers after blossom to promote a second display . Divide the plant every couple of days if they get too big or if the center die off . Bee balm is forgive when divide and you could potentially end up with many plants from one parent plant .
Fertilizer
Dig in well - decompose manure or general fertilizer before found bee balm . This is normally sufficient , but if your plant look as if they ’re lacking , add an all - purpose fertiliser in the spring .
Common Problems and Solutions for Growing Bee Balm
Powdery Mildew
Although not always fateful , the gray pulverization on the leaves stops photosynthesis and makes the plant look sick . If you live in a humid area , assure you have deal of airflow between each plant . Also , give your bee balm a regular spraying of neem oil . Ensure you water the soil , not the plants , to prevent mildew .
Root Rot
If you overwater the soil or of the soil is n’t well - draining , root hogwash can occur . This often happens in the spring or fall if the grime get soppy . Once you have antecedent rot , the plant nearly always dies , so debar it as best you could by monitoring your plants ’ water levels .
Spider Mites
If you have this pest , you ’ll see little chickenhearted jam where the spider mite has sucked out the fluid of the bee balm . You may also see hunky-dory webbing on the leaves and blossom . attack mites off the industrial plant with a atomiser of urine and then utilise regular applications of neem crude or insecticidal soap .
Thrips
thrip damage await similar to spider mites , but without the webbing . To confirm that you have the pest , shake a plant over a piece of white newspaper . Neem rock oil , insecticidal goop , and insecticides do the trick here .
Stalk Borer
The larvae of the stalk bore bit exercise into the stalk of plant life , at which point you ’ll notice your bee balm will start to wilt . If you see a little hole on the still hunt with yellowing edges , infract the straw off and see if there are larvae inside . If you see any , throw the plant in the bin .
regrettably , stalk bore bit will kill bee balm if you do n’t catch it in time so be vigilant . Spray often with neem oil to discourage the stalk borer moth from visiting .
Companion Plants for Bee Balm
Bee salve can be quite an aggressive grower , so you necessitate strong plants as fellow traveller . Plants that develop well with bee balm include :
Do n’t plant with :
How to Harvest and Use Bee Balm
Harvest the efflorescence as they seem in the summertime . It ’s good to pick in the morning before the sun hits the works . Both the bloom and leaves can be used in lemonade , salads , and iced teatime . Get originative and use it to makebreador season acetum .
Make a healing afternoon tea with both fresh and dried leaf . Note that if you use too many farewell , the taste can be overpowering . If you have a blocked nose , pick a handful of foliage and absorb them in blistering water before inhaling the aroma .
The crushed leave free a juicy essential oil that repels mosquitos and gnat .
Bee balmattracts pollinators , and bees in particular do it it . If you have beehives , you emphatically involve to have the pretty plant growing in the garden .
The Bottom Line on Growing Bee Balm
Bee balm is a beautiful addition to the garden . There are so many varieties to choose from , with a range of different colors from ashen to pink to obscure red and everything in between . It ’s utilitarian in the practice of medicine console and as a agency to attract pollinators . On top of that , it adds tang to tea , salads , and sandwiches . There ’s no reasonableness not to have it in your cubic yard .
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