Dracocephalum moldavica
Turkish dragonhead
Common names: Moldavian dragonhead, Turkish lemon balm
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 25 cm, rows 30 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Jul–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 0 °C
- Water need
- Medium
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Turkish dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) is an annual herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that emits a delicate lemon‑mint fragrance. From July to September it produces violet to blue‑white flower spikes that are among the most rewarding nectar sources for bees in herb gardens. The fresh leaves are excellent for tea, salads, and as a lemon‑basil substitute in cooking. It grows compactly and bushy up to 60 cm tall in full sun and warm conditions.
Care instructions
Sow seeds mid‑April (week 16) directly outdoors or start indoors at the end of April for stronger direct‑sown plants. Prefers full sun, well‑drained soil and tolerates brief dry spells better than waterlogging; water moderately and regularly rather than keeping soil constantly wet. Regularly prune the shoot tips to encourage bushy growth and extend flowering into autumn. The plant is frost‑sensitive, so its season ends with the first cool nights in October; leave some flowers to set seed, and it often returns the next year from seed.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestJul–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving, dry
Moldavian dragonhead likes it warm and dry, as it knows from its Central Asian home. A free-draining, rather poor soil prevents waterlogging at the roots; loosen heavy loamy soils best with sand. It tolerates chalky soils well, whereas soil that is too rich makes it lose its delicate lemon aroma.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a light feeder, Moldavian dragonhead needs hardly any extra nutrients. A thin dose of compost when planting in spring is quite enough. Over-generous feeding harms the aroma more than it helps growth, so when in doubt, rather leave it out.
Overwintering
Moldavian dragonhead is an annual and does not survive winter outdoors. At the end of the season let it ripen and finish flowering; it then often self-seeds for the next year. Collect ripe seeds in dry weather and store them cool and dark for sowing the following spring.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Propagation from seed is straightforward. Sow directly in the open ground from mid-April · week 16, or start the plants on the windowsill from March. The seeds germinate in light, so only press them down lightly instead of covering them with soil. At room temperature of around 18 to 20 degrees, dragonhead germinates reliably within two to three weeks.
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 PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 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 cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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