Melissa officinalis 'Citronella'
Citronella lemon balm
Common names: Lemon balm
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 35 cm, rows 40 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −20 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Lazaregagnidze · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
The 'Citronella' variety emits a particularly intense lemon scent and produces a refreshing, calming tea. The perennial is hardy, reliably regrows each spring, and is popular with bees and children alike.
Care instructions
Plant the lemon balm in a half‑shaded to sunny spot with nutrient‑rich soil. Harvest the leaves between June and September, preferably before flowering, when the aroma is strongest. After flowering, cut the plant back hard once to keep it fresh and bushy. In a pot it does not spread as much as in the garden.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 12 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, loamy, well-drained
Lemon balm likes loose, humus-rich soil with good drainage. A loamy-sandy mix is ideal, because it holds moisture without waterlogging. Loosen heavy, compacted soils with sand and mature compost before planting, as waterlogging leads to root rot.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Jul
In spring, as it starts to shoot, work in a thin layer of mature compost at shallow depth; this is usually enough for the lemon balm for the whole season. If it stays in the same spot for several years, you can also scatter some horn shavings in spring. After the first cut in summer, a further light dose of compost is possible so it shoots strongly once more. Feed sparingly: too much nitrogen encourages lush foliage but dilutes the lemon aroma.
Overwintering
Leave the lemon balm to overwinter in the bed without protection. It retreats into the rootstock in autumn and shoots vigorously again in spring; cut dead stems back close to the ground in autumn or only in spring, and avoid thick mulch so the soil can dry out and the roots do not rot. In a container, keep it bright and frost-free, because pots freeze through faster than garden soil.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
Lemon balm can be propagated in three ways, and the most reliable for keeping the cultivar true is by vegetative methods.
Division (recommended method for ‘Citronella’): Divide older clumps in early spring, as soon as the soil warms up and the first shoots appear. Dig up the plant, pull the root ball apart or cut it into segments with a sharp knife. Each piece needs at least two strong shoots and its own roots. Replant the divisions straight away (spacing 35 to 40 cm) and water well. Dividing every three to four years is also worthwhile to rejuvenate the plant.
Cuttings (true to the cultivar, ideal for pots or when there is little of the mother plant): From May to August, take healthy shoot tips 10 to 15 cm long, cut just below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves and keep two to three pairs of leaves at the top. Insert the cuttings into moist herb compost with some sand, or stand them in water first; roots form after about two weeks. Cover the pot loosely with a clear dome to keep the humidity up, and keep it warm and bright, but out of full sun.
Sowing (only partly true to the cultivar, as the offspring of ‘Citronella’ can vary, so for plants true to the cultivar prefer division or cuttings): Sow from February/March under glass or from mid-May directly outdoors. Lemon balm is a light-germinating seed. Just lay the seeds on the surface and press them down lightly, without covering them with soil. At 18 to 22 °C it germinates after about ten to fourteen days. Plant out into the bed after the Ice Saints (from mid-May), spacing 30 cm. Note: lemon balm readily self-seeds in the garden.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberryChili and 13 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageRadishKalebroccolicauliflowerBrussels sprout and 40 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Citronella lemon balm yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?