Imported Melissa Balm Seeds (20 Seeds)

Melissa balm, better known as lemon balm, is the citrus-scented cousin of garden mint. Brush its soft, bright green, lightly crinkled leaves and you release a fresh, sweet lemon aroma that gives it real character among mints. The leaves carry a gentle minty-lemon flavour that shines in calming herbal teas and infusions, and they also make a fragrant garnish for desserts, salads and cool summer drinks. With its tidy, bushy mound of foliage and small flowers loved by bees, it doubles beautifully as an ornamental and pollinator-friendly herb. Like all mints, it is vigorous and spreads readily, rewarding you with a steady supply of aromatic leaves.

Planting

Start the seed indoors in spring, roughly 6 to 8 weeks before your planting-out date, and move seedlings outside once all danger of frost has passed. Because the seed needs light to germinate, surface-sow it: press the seeds onto the surface of the growing medium and leave them uncovered. Keep the medium moist and well lit, and at around 20 to 24 C the seeds typically sprout in about 10 to 14 days (roughly two weeks). Once seedlings have several leaves, pot them up into a 7.5 cm pot. Set plants out about 45 cm apart, in rows about 45 cm apart; mature plants reach roughly 45 to 90 cm tall and spread aggressively by underground rhizomes. Choose a spot in full sun to partial shade with at least 4 to 6 hours of sun a day — growth is most productive in full sun, though light shade is tolerated.

Fertilizing

This herb prefers rich soil that is high in organic matter, so work plenty of compost or well-rotted manure into the bed before planting to feed the plants and improve drainage; aim for a soil pH of about 6.0 to 6.5. In well-amended ground it may need no extra feeding at all. Where you do feed, apply nitrogen from spring to early summer to match the plant's active growth. Avoid overdoing the nitrogen, as excess produces soft growth that attracts spider mites and aphids and can make disease worse.

Care

Keep the root zone consistently moist — the soil should stay damp but never waterlogged, and the plants should never be allowed to wilt between waterings. Water the soil directly rather than the leaves to reduce leaf disease, and water deeply instead of giving frequent light sprinklings; drip irrigation is better than overhead watering. Watch for common problems such as mint rust, aphids, spider mites (which thrive in hot, dry conditions and with too much nitrogen), blue mint beetle, mint moth and leafhoppers, as well as verticillium wilt, a serious soil-borne disease — start with healthy, disease-free stock and dislodge aphids and mites with a strong jet of water or insecticidal soap. Harvest leaves or shoot tips once plants are established; the young, soft tips have the most intense flavour, and frequent cutting keeps growth bushy. For drying or the strongest aroma, cut the whole plant just as flower buds begin to appear, and remove flower spikes to preserve leaf flavour. The harvest season runs from late spring into autumn; after flowering, cut the plant back to about 5 cm from the base to encourage fresh new growth. You can also propagate it easily by dividing established clumps in spring or autumn, or by rooting stem cuttings — and dividing every 3 to 4 years keeps it vigorous.