Trimming lemon balm is a simple process that helps keep the plant healthy and encourages more growth.
Why Trim Lemon Balm?
Pruning your lemon balm plant is beneficial for several reasons:
- Stimulates New Growth: Trimming encourages the plant to produce fresh, tender leaves.
- Maintains Shape: It helps keep the plant from becoming leggy or overgrown.
- Prevents Spreading: Regular trimming can help control its vigorous growth and prevent it from taking over your garden.
- Harvesting: Trimming is necessary when you want to harvest the leaves for culinary or medicinal use.
How to Shear Lemon Balm
According to the reference, a common and effective way to trim lemon balm, especially large clumps, is by shearing the plant by half.
Here's a simple approach:
- Identify the target: Look at your lemon balm plant and decide how much you want to reduce its size.
- Measure (roughly): Estimate about half of the plant's current height.
- Shear: Use clean scissors or pruning shears to cut back the entire clump to about half its original height.
- Discard or Use Cuttings: You can discard the trimmings, compost them, or use the harvested leaves.
Remember, pruning the plant stimulates new growth, so it will quickly fill back out after being trimmed.
Best Time to Trim
You can trim lemon balm throughout the growing season, from spring to fall.
- Spring: Trim to encourage bushy growth early on.
- Summer: Trim regularly (every few weeks) for continuous harvesting and to maintain shape.
- Fall: Give a final trim before winter to tidy up the plant.
Harvesting Lemon Balm for Drying
Trimming is also the first step in harvesting lemon balm for later use. The reference provides specific instructions for air-drying:
- Clip Long Stems: Cut long stems from the plant.
- Bundle: Gather four or five stems together.
- Tie: Tie the bundle securely at the base with string.
- Hang: Hang the bundles upside down in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Dry: Allow the leaves and stems to dry for two to three weeks until they are brittle.
Once dry, you can strip the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container.
Summary of Trimming
| Method | Purpose | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shearing | Reduce size, stimulate growth | Spring, Summer, Fall | Shear large clumps by half |
| Harvesting | Collect leaves for use/drying | Throughout growth season | Cut long stems, bundle for drying |
Trimming lemon balm is an essential practice for a healthy, productive plant. Shearing by half is an effective method for managing larger clumps and encouraging vigorous new growth.
