Lemon balm
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A member of the mint family, lemon balm leaves can be added to salads or butter; or made into a refreshing, lemony tea.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Sun or part shade; shallow roots so mulch well and don't allow to dry out
Soil:
Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: SEED: Sow in punnets or small pots in seed-raising mix, 3mm deep. Keep moist. Germinates in 7-14 days. SEEDLING: Plant outside or into a 20-30cm pot when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: If growing in the ground, avoid lemon balm from taking over the patch keeping it on the dry side. Apply liquid seaweed monthly. If growing in a pot, keep moist. In cold and temperate areas it may die down in late autumn. Cut the stems at ground level and it will reshoot in spring.
When to harvest: Start harvesting from 4 weeks, cutting or pinching off leaves as required.
Troubleshooting:
Aphids; slugs and snails; whitefly
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