An Overview of Lemon Balm 

The mint family has a herb called lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Lemon balm is a herbaceous perennial herb in the mint family, indigenous to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia. Still, it has now become naturalized across the globe. 

What You'll Love

• Lemon balm can grow up to a height of one meter
• The leaves of lemon balm have a mild lemon fragrance
• The flowers are small and white, filled with nectar during the summer months
• The seeds germinate at a higher rate than those sown indoors 

Benefits of Lemon Balm  

The herb is often used to flavor baked goods or teas and marinate chicken and fish.

Other medical conditions that can be treated with lemon balm include those related to the digestive, nervous, and liver.

Lemon balm has a special something called rosmarinic acid. This cool compound might have two great powers: antioxidants and antimicrobials. And guess what?

These powers team up to make lemon balm a fantastic herb for calming stress and anxiety.

How to Care And Sow Lemon Balm Seeds

All mint families are easy to grow, including lemon balm. In the outdoor setting, seed should be sown after all dangers of frost have passed in mid-spring, late fall, or early winter. Sowing in the winter offers advantages over planting in the spring.

The optimal time for seed sowing and germinating depends on the weather conditions during winter—plant seeds six to eight weeks before the last frost. Filling small pots with a light seed-starting mix lightly with the mixture would help. Seeds should be sprinkled on the soil's surface and lightly scratched in before watering. The germination period for seeds may be as long as fourteen days in colder weather.

Now is the time to care for the tiny plants. Plant seedlings into larger containers once they have their second pair of true leaves. After the second set of true leaves, thin the plants to just one or two per pot. Ensure you leave plenty of space between the lemon balm and other plants since it tends to sprawl and crawl.

To keep your plants in top shape and help them grow better:

1. Remember to do some easy maintenance during the growing season.
2. Just pinch or prune the stem tips to tidy them up.
3. Consider dividing your mature plants every three to five years if they seem weak or sparse. This simple step will make them grow faster and stronger, ensuring a flourishing garden!

Note: This Overview is intended as a guide only since cultural practices and climatic conditions may vary.

Specifications:

• Product: Lemon Balm Seeds
• Season: Winter
• USDA Zones: 3-7
• Days to Harvest: 70 Days.
• Height: Crawler
• Soil Type: Loam
• Temperature: Cold
• Kingdom: Plantae 
• Clade: Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Asterids 
• Order: Lamiales 
• Family: Lamiaceae 
• Genus: Melissa 
• Species: M. Officinalis