Thyme is an easy and practical herb to grow. FAQs How do I use bee balm in an herb garden? Bee balm flowers are magnets for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Bee balm attract pollinators to your garden. A native wildflower hybridized for gardens, the flowers of bee balm are at their peak in summer. Dried leaves and flowers are also useful in sachets and potpourri. The aromatic leaves serve as a substitute for mint and can be dried for tea. Use fresh flowers as a garnish for green salads, fruit salads, cakes, or preserves. Pick flowers for drying just before they open. You can cut whole stems of bee balm to enjoy the flowers in a vase. Pick bee balm flowers in summer as they appear. Also, cut back plants in the fall, remove old stems, and clean up old mulch. To avoid mildew, plant where there is good air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Troubleshootingīee balm can get powdery mildew. Discard the old center section and replant the outer roots and shoots. Every 3 or 4 years, dig up and divide the plants. For a bushier shrub, pinch the tips of the stems when new growth appears each spring.īee balm spreads but not as aggressively as other members of the mint family. In the late fall, cut plants back to within several inches of the ground. Apply a liquid fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® Edibles Plant Nutrition, every week throughout the growing season to feed the soil as well as your plants.Īlthough it will tolerate drought, bee balm will do much better if it gets adequate moisture however, protect it from poor drainage, especially in winter. In addition to starting with great soil, you'll want to feed your bee balm to produce excellent growth. Improve your native soil by mixing in a few inches of compost or aged compost-enriched Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® All Purpose In-Ground Soil before planting. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rich, well-drained soil with a pH from 6.0 to 6.7. For best results, start with strong, vigorous young bee balm plants from Bonnie Plants®, the company that has been helping home gardeners find success for over a century. Picking the flowers encourages a second round of blooms. Flowers can be enjoyed as decorations or as a gorgeous garnish in salads and desserts.įor prolific blooms, plant in full sun in the South and Southwest, a little afternoon shade helps flowers last longer.Encourage big, beautiful blooms by feeding bee balm with a water-soluble plant food.Bee balm can withstand a dry spell, but for best results, water whenever the top inch of soil becomes dry.Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter.Space bee balm plants 18 to 24 inches apart in an area with full sun and fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.7.Plant bee balm in spring or fall, once all chances of frost have passed.In a sunny field or meadow, let plants spread and multiply to create a blanket of color. Bee balm also attracts butterflies and bees. Try growing bee balm in view of a window so you won't miss the acrobatics of hummingbirds that visit in summer. Add bee balm to flower beds or an herb garden for life and color.
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