Bee Balm Care
Here are the main care requirements for growing easy-care bee balms.
Most garden soils are entirely adequate for bee balm.
you could also add a layer of mulch atop your soil to ensure this shallow-rooted plant stays moist.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Water
Bee balm is a moisture-loving plant and enjoys having consistently damp soil.
The standard garden practice of offering 1 inch of water per week will work fine for bee balm.
To prevent problems with powdery mildew, water at ground level and avoid getting the foliage wet.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
It prefers relatively dry atmospheric conditions, good air circulation, and water at ground level to reduce diseases.
The named hybrid types are usually sold simply asMonarda, without any further species designation.
The varieties with red or reddish-pink flowers are usually based onM.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
didyma,while those with lavender or purple flowers haveM.
fistulaas the principal parent.
fistulaspecies are somewhat better at handling dry soil.
MonardaThe Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
This will not affect the health of the plant, and it will return with full vigor next spring.
Then cut back the stems in late winter/early spring.
Light, yearly pruning keeps this plant bushy.
Robin Wilson Photography/Getty Images
Simply pinch off the tips of the stems in the spring.
Cut the bee balm down to a few inches in the fall to promote new growth in the spring.
Propagating Bee Balm
Bee balm can be propagated through division and cuttings.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
However, division is the easiest propagation method for this plant.
Then follow the instructions below, depending on the propagation method you choose.
Harvest bee balm seeds in the fall that you’re free to collect from their dried flower heads.
The seeds will benefit from a period ofcold stratificationuntil you’ve got the option to plant them.
Then follow these instructions.
Resin plastic makes a good pot material, though any container with plenty of drainage holes will suffice.
Miniature varieties often work best for container culture.
Place the pot in a sunny location and water whenever the top inch of soil gets dry.
Bee balm does not make a good permanent houseplant, as it goes dormant each winter.
To repot, gently loosen the root system until it slides out of the pot.
Amend a new, larger pot with rich soil and plant the bee balm.
Debris should be thrown away rather than added to compost heaps, to prevent fungal spores from persisting.
Pests may includespider mites,aphids, and stalk borers.
Repeated applications, beginning early, will be necessary to fully control the mildew.
Plant foliage tends to decline after flowering, especially if powdery mildew sets in.
Bee balm is also susceptible to rust fungus that can disfigure the leaves.
Control rust with spray fungicides if the disease is severe.
How to Get Bee Balm to Bloom
How Long Does Bee Balm Bloom?
What Do Bee Balm Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Some say bee balms give off a scent that’s like incense.
How to Encourage More Blooms
Bee balm is known for its showy, bright flowers.
Once it’s overgrown, its woody center crown won’t produce stems for flowers.
Dividing the plant every two or three years will rectify the problem.
Deadheading also encourages repeat flowering.
However, some plants are plagued by a leggy appearance and powdery mildew.
Here are some solutions.
Powdery mildew makes the plants look even worse.
To prevent this, be sure to keep plants well-ventilated by pruning, dividing, and weeding.
Water at ground level to avoid getting the foliage wet.
If powdery mildew appears, treat it with a fungicide or other home remedy.
Be sure to remove any fallen foliage.
In the fall, prune away all the affected stems and discard them.
Bee balm is a hardy perennial and will return every year.
It does this by underground rhizomes.
It is also highly susceptible to powdery mildew.
Bee balm is known torepel mosquitos, especially when its leaves are crushed.
Both common names are applied to various species of theMonardagenus.
Monarda and Powdery Mildew Resistance.
What’s the best time to divide bee balm?Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Powdery Mildew.Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Growing Bee Balms in the Home Garden.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
