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**** The Gardener's Forum ****]
Growing and Caring for Bee Balm Plants
Monarda didyma
August21,1998
Hi! A friend of mine is digging up a perennial garden and gave me bunches
of flowers to transplant. I got some bee balm and don't know what to do
with it. It has already had one bloom and is quite tall - I planted it,
and am wondering... do I cut it back? Will it flower again? I'd never seen
bee balm before, but from the picture on your site I will love it, so now
I'm committed to keeping it alive. It also has a wonderful smell. Thanks
for your help.
The Bee Balm plant, Monarda didyma, grows best in full sun but tolerates
light shade, and will thrive in any moist soil that is rich in organic matter
such as manure, compost, or leaf mold.
It grows from two to four feet tall depending on the variety, and will fit
well into your herb garden or can be used for a perennial border planting.
Be sure to allow for good air circulation around the plants to prevent attacks
from powdery mildew!
Like other members of the Mint Family, Bee Balm can become invasive, but you
can keep your clump contained by dividing the roots in either spring or fall.
The plant should be divided every 3 years to keep it tidy. Dig up the root
clump in the early spring, discard the inner, older portion, and re-plant
the new divisions 12 to 15 inches apart.
You can stimulate a second flowering in the same year by cutting the flowers
right after they bloom.
In the fall, prune your Monarda plants to within an inch of the ground. For
faster growth, fertilize in the spring with a good all purpose (10-10-10)
liquid plant food.
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