Lemon mint contains many essential oils that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Thanks to the useful and medicinal properties of Melissa officinalis, cottagers and gardeners grow on plots. When breeding a plant in its own area, it is necessary to follow the recommendations on agricultural technology.
Lemon mint - what kind of plant this family belongs to
Lemon mint belongs to the family Yasnotkovye, is perennial. Melissa is unpretentious in care, so it grows well both in summer cottages and in the wild. Since the plant is not picky about the soil, you can not change the planting location for 6 years. Lemongrass is a wonderful honey plant and at room conditions.
What does lemon mint look like?
Additional Information! The composition of lemon balm medicinal vitamins B and C, tannins. The smell of lemon in the plant due to the content of essential oils in the leaves.
Short description of what it looks like
Melissa grows 30-150 cm high. The stem has 4 faces with petiole leaves in the shape of a heart. Along the edge of the leaves are battlements. Lemon mint flowers are small, purple, white, light pink. Schisandra blooms in July-August.
What is different from ordinary mint
Since both plants belong to the same family, their leaves are of the same shape. Unlike peppermint, the lemon balm has a branched stem. In an ordinary plant, flowers are gathered in a spikelet, while lemongrass has false rings.
Note! Melissa has a lemon smell, an ordinary plant has a pronounced mint aroma. Lemon mint has less essential oils.
What is useful in treatment and household
Medicinal grass is widely used in folk medicine. There are recipes for tinctures for shortness of breath and other diseases of the respiratory system. Helps the plant against diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is good to take the plant for problems with the nervous system, neurosis, hypertension. Healthy recipes consisting of medicinal mint with the addition of spotted milk thistle, yarrow, immortelle. Use useful weed should be recommended by a doctor, as contraindications are possible.
Used lemon mint in cooking. The original taste allows you to use mint as a seasoning. Schisandra mint is suitable for fish, meat, game, mushroom dishes. Melissa kills bacteria, so they are used in preserving fruits and vegetables, giving a fresh aroma. Very useful is green tea, which added lemon balm and honey.
Growing lemongrass in the garden
Although lemon balm lemongrass is considered an exotic plant, it is an unpretentious plant. Many summer residents grow it on the site. To grow lemon mint you need to find a suitable place.
How to choose a place and prepare the ground for growing lemon balm
For the bushes to grow healthy, they need suitable conditions:
- Good lighting. Landing is made on the south side.
- Creating conditions for the plant to twist. It is advisable to place lemongrass near the arbors, fences.
- Wind protection. It is necessary to create a barrier against drafts.
Note! The soil is prepared in advance. It is loosened, fertilized with peat, humus. Experienced gardeners use wood ash, nitrate, superphosphate. Before planting, pebbles or pieces of brick are poured into the pits.
Rules for the care of plants in open ground
Care for peppermint lemon is uncomplicated. It consists of mandatory procedures, such as loosening the soil and weeding.
Watering and feeding
Melissa should be watered moderately, as the soil dries. After watering, loosening is performed so that the crust does not appear on the soil. Fertilizing is needed during the growing season. It is advisable to make a complex of mineral additives. An excellent effect is given by fertilizing from ammonium nitrate in an amount of 20 g, 50 g of superphosphate diluted in water (10 l), 15 g of potash fertilizers.
Plucking and trimming the crop
There is a need for pruning a plant. After this, lemon balm is restored, new branches and density are formed. During seedling cultivation, each plant is nipped at a height of 10-15 cm. During the season, the shoots are plucked 2-3 times.
Simple care makes the plant healthy and thick
How to grow lemon balm at home
A beautiful plant can be grown at home on the windowsill. It’s easy to take care of lemon balm. It is enough to water and feed it in a timely manner. Also, the grass needs good lighting and protection from drafts.
Popular varieties for breeding on the windowsill of the house
For the cultivation of lemongrass at home several varieties are bred.
Lemon flavor
The variety is suitable for cultivation in the garden and at home. The plant is compact, takes up little space.
Variegated
Differs in spotty leaves. Bright yellow spots are located on dark green leaves. It looks especially beautiful in the sun.
Pure gold
Melissa is unpretentious, has an interesting feature. Compact bush blooms in different shades. At the beginning of flowering, the flowers are white, towards the end - blue.
Mojito
Ideal for cooking.
How to care for lemon mint
How healthy the bushes will depend on proper care.
Choosing the best place in the house
The choice of location is an important parameter. An open place is suitable for lemon mint, the window sill is best suited. Then the seeds will fully germinate, and the bush will be with a pronounced aroma.
Illumination and temperature
The side where the lemon balm will grow should be sunny. The temperature at which mint grows well is room temperature.
It's important to know! When growing lemongrass on a windowsill, drafts are not allowed.
Watering rules and humidity
It is necessary to monitor soil moisture. Watering is carried out often, but waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, otherwise the soil will become swampy, the roots will rot. Watering is necessary during loosening and fertilizing.
Moderate watering lemon balm
Top dressing and soil quality
Soil is used saturated with useful substances. At the dacha, sandy and loamy types of soil with drainage are used to protect the roots from rotting. When growing a house, drainage from gravel is also done.
Methods of propagation of lemon mint
Lemongrass can be propagated in three ways.
From seed
When the soil is well warmed up, seeds are planted. Sowing occurs at the end of May. On the soil, grooves should be drawn and moistened. Seeds are covered and covered with a thin layer of earth (1.5 cm). After 3-4 weeks, sprouts appear that need to be thinned out - the distance between them is 20 cm.
Dividing the bush
Bushes can be divided when their age reaches 3-4 years, at the end of spring or at the very beginning of autumn. The plant is dug up and divided into parts.
On a note! On each part there must be roots and shoots (4-5 pieces). Then they are planted in open ground.
Layering and cuttings
In the spring, cuttings should be cut from the top and put in a container of water. After half a month roots appear. To speed up the appearance of roots, a stimulant is used. Seedlings are placed in pots with loose soil, and after 3 weeks they are planted in open ground.
Propagation by cuttings
How lemon mint blooms
In July-August, flowers with a pleasant aroma begin to appear on the plant. Flowers are formed only in the second year after planting. During flowering, the accumulation of small flowers of white, pink, purple hue. Formed in the leaf sinuses.
The reputation of the main honey plant in the country
One of the names of the grass is honey. The flowers contain a large amount of nectar that attracts bees.
Mistakes in growing lemon balm
Some gardeners often make mistakes when growing lemon balm:
- mint grows in the sunshine or in the shade;
- weeds are not removed;
- the soil is poor and dry;
- the plot is subject to winds.
Plant diseases and pests
Diseases occur when planting material is processed. If it is incorrect to take care of lemongrass, then there is powdery mildew, black spotting of leaf plates, ascochitosis. Fusarium lethargy can be treated by spraying with granosan. Powdery mildew can be eliminated by spraying Bordeaux fluid. Damaged twigs, leaves, flowers are best trimmed.
Damaged parts of lemon balm can be cut
Pests that damage lemon balm lemon mint:
- mint flea;
- aphid;
- mint mite;
- slobbering pennies;
- green shieldonosk;
- leaf beetle.
Pests can be seen on the foliage. It becomes stale, and the roots begin to rot. To control pests, there are numerous insecticides and fungicides. Well suited for spraying bushes infusion of celandine.
Landing on a lemon mint patch will provide delicious aromatic tea. You can also cook useful decoctions that relieve some diseases.
