How to Grow Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a pungent, attractive herb that has lots of uses. A few leaves can infuse and uplift your tea or why not add a couple of fresh leaves to garnish desserts and garden salads.

Full sun

Regular watering

Well drained/organic matter

Tropical and subtropical climate

How to grow lemon balm in a garden

Step 1

Choose a spot in the garden that receives full sun or a spot under a fruit tree. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. If the soil is clay based, add gypsum and fork in well.

Step 2

Sprinkle the seeds over a small area.

Step 3

Cover seeds lightly with soil. To retain moisture, mulch the sown area with pea straw or sugar cane. Water in to keep the soil moist.

Step 4

Once they have sprouted you can then plant space is about 20 cm and space between rows is 20 cm.

Step 5

Feed every few weeks with Yates Thrive Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food.

How to grow lemon balm in a pot

Step 1

Choose small pots 150 mm wide. Position in full sun or partial shade or along the garden border and fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.

Step 2

Place a few seeds in each pot and cover them with the potting mix to about 5 mm deep.

Step 3

Water in well with a rose head fitted watering can.

Step 4

Once germinated keep them well watered, but avoid keeping the potting mix to wet.

Step 5

Feed them with Yates Thrive Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food every few weeks to promote foliage growth.

Harvesting

Harvest the leaves by plucking the stems off as needed. Pruning them will encourage more vigorous growth.

Growing tips

Borage do tolerate some shade, so if you do not have a sunny spot you can still grow them.
Initial growth may be damaged by snails and slugs. Protect them with Yates Blitzem Slug & Snail Baits.
Bees and other beneficial insects love to forage on borage flowers, so avoid using systemic chemicals.
Borage being annual tolerates some frost, but will eventually sprout in spring.