Garden Chick photos
  • Garden Chick Blog
  • My Story
  • Photo Album
  • Contact
  • Gardenchick Classes and Services

How to Grow Bee Balm

April 19, 2019 By Karen Creel

Share Button

Bee balm (Monarda Didyma) was in full bloom in my garden a few years ago at the side of an old shed we needed to tear down.  I didn’t want to loose it, so I decided to move it to a split rail fence closer to the house.

 Bee balm is easy to transplant.  Since it can grow several feet high, it’s best to cut it back to about 12 inches.  It makes the bee balm easier to handle, and easier to plant without falling over.  I amended the garden soil near the split rail fence with compost and bagged garden soil before I planted it.  I had several stalks left and planted a few in the perennial garden in my front yard.  Bees love it, and it adds  such a bold crimson color to the garden.

Bee Balm has a long history with Native Americans, and the Colonial settlers.  It can be used as a natural antiseptic.  If you are in the garden and get a cut or scratch, break off a leave, mash, and rub the leave and liquid onto your cut or scratch.  A tea can also be  made with the leaves and flowers to soothe sore throat, stomach ache, colds and insomnia.   To make a tea, use 1 Tablespoon leaves and flowers to each 6 ounces water.  Boil water, pour over the bee balm, and allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Remove bee balm.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love bee balm, so it definitely makes a good addition to your pollinator garden.

Bee Balm and other herbs such as thyme, mints, basil, sage, and lemon balm, can be added to the nest box of your chickens, to help prevent mites, lice and other insects.

Although easy to grow, Bee Balm is not without it’s problems.  The most common is powdery mildew.   A spray with made equal parts milk and water can be used each week over two weeks to get rid of the mildew and to help prevent further occurrence.

 Bee Balm multiples quickly, and you will soon have a mass of it.  That’s not a bad thing, it looks pretty planted in large plots, and attracts the bees.  But,  if you find yourself with too much,  jut transplant to other areas, or repot for friends.   I’m eyeing a corner of my new shed to place a few.  I think that you will find this pretty crimson plant to be a great addition to your garden.  If you have a friend or neighbor with bee balm,  I’m sure they will be happy to share. It can also be started from seed.

 

You may also like my post on Tips to Grow Yarrow.  A pretty white or pink lacy flower with fern-like leaves.

Happy Gardening,

Karen

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bee balm, bee balm tea, bee garden, medicinal uses for bee balm., Oswego Tea

« Tricycle Planted with Pansies
How to Keep Cut Flowers Fresh »

Comments

  1. Patti Estep says

    June 23, 2015 at 5:33 pm

    Beebalm is a lovely flower in the summer. I also love the way is smells and makes a decent cut flower.

  2. Heather - New House New Home says

    June 25, 2015 at 9:09 pm

    I’m waiting with anticipation for mine to bloom!! Thanks for the tips. And thanks for sharing on What’s Blooming This Week

  3. Angi Schneider says

    August 21, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    I’m adding bee balm to our list for next year. It’s beautiful! Our son is a beekeeper so I think his girls will like it too.


Instagram   Pinterest   contact me
Garden Chick Newsletter
We promise not to send weeds (or spam). Just thoughtful, helpful gardening-related content :)

Follow my Blog!

Enter your email address to follow my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 88 other subscribers

Are you ready to finally get your backyard vegetable garden started, but not sure what the first step is?  Then join me in my new online course where I will walk you through the fundamentals of creating a thriving garden.  I’ll take all the guesswork out of it, and you will be ready to get your hands dirty in no time!

Use code GARDEN50 for $50.00 off the regular price of $147.00  But hurry, this is a limited time offer.

Click here to register today!

Recent Posts

  • Garden Maintenance Checklist May 11, 2022
  • Printable Strawberry Recipe Card April 18, 2022
  • Tips for Growing Strawberries March 24, 2022
  • How to Grow Peas March 19, 2022
  • What a Seed Packet Can Tell You February 9, 2022
  • Thrift Shop Seed Packet Makeover January 25, 2022
  • Planning Your Garden Projects January 12, 2022
  • Holiday Fragrance November 22, 2021
  • Herbal Dream Pillows October 25, 2021
  • Tips on Growing Garlic October 1, 2021

Archives

Categories

Garden Chick, copyright 2003 - current date. All Rights Reserved.
Wordpress website created by Cherie