Growing Lemon Balm in Scotland: The Complete Guide

Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm is fully hardy and easy to please, with one catch: it spreads readily and can take time to remove completely once it's settled in, so plan for that before planting rather than after.

It's a perennial with a strong lemon scent when the leaves are crushed, happy in sun or partial shade and tolerant of most soil types short of waterlogging.

Site and soil

Choose a spot in sun or partial shade for the plain species. For the yellow-leaved and variegated forms (All Gold, Aurea) the RHS is not consistent: its growing guide says light shade, while its plant pages for both say full sun with protection from excessive winter wet. Most soil types work, but avoid waterlogged ground. Space plants 45cm apart. For containers, use a pot at least 25cm wide and deep with peat-freeCompost made without peat, which is harvested from a slow-forming, carbon-storing wetland habitat that peat extraction damages. Full definition → loam-based compost, which also curtails the spreading a border planting would allow.

Sowing and planting

Sow indoors in spring: cover seed with only a very thin layer of fine compost, and keep in a heated propagator or under plastic in a warm, bright spot; germinationA seed sprouting: breaking dormancy and putting out its first root and shoot, given the right warmth and moisture. Full definition → takes up to three weeks. Direct-sowing outdoors works from late spring to early summer, sown thinly and only lightly covered. Harden offGradually getting young plants raised indoors used to outdoor conditions over 7–14 days before planting out, so cold, wind and direct sun don't shock or damage them. Full definition → indoor-raised plants before planting out. DividingPropagating a clump-forming perennial by digging it up and splitting it into several smaller pieces, each with roots and shoots attached. Full definition → an established plant in spring or autumn is an alternative to sowing from scratch, and softwood cuttings taken from mid-spring to early summer root readily, even in water.

Care through the year

Established ground-grown plants need no routine watering; container plants should be kept evenly moist. Pinch outRemoving the soft growing tip of a stem to stop upward growth and make the plant branch out sideways instead. Full definition → growing tips while young to encourage a bushier plant. Cut the whole plant back to just above the base straight after flowering and before seeds form, for a fresh flush of leaves and to stop unwanted self-seeding.

Dividing clumps every few years in spring or autumn also helps manage its size. Plants die back naturally over winter and resprout in spring; the only real winter care is keeping container plants somewhere sheltered from prolonged, heavy rain, since cold, soggy conditions rather than cold itself can cause root rot.

Harvesting

Harvest spring through autumn, whenever needed, choosing the youngest leaves. Leaves can be dried for winter tea, though the flavour is milder.

Varieties

Aurea has dark green leaves splashed yellow at the margins, to about 30cm, and a strong lemon flavour; its plant page recommends full sun and a south- or west-facing site, and lists it for cottage and wildlife gardens and for banks and slopes.

Also worth considering

Best Lemon Balm Varieties for Scotland → compares all named lemon balm varieties head-to-head, with the practical detail that doesn't fit in a summary card.

Common problems

• Powdery mildew can cause white fungal growth and leaf distortion.
• Sage and Ligurian leafhoppers cause coarse pale mottling.
• Root rot is mostly a container risk: cold, soggy compost over winter, rather than cold itself, is what causes it, so keep pots sheltered from heavy rain.

Common questions

Sources