Propagate lemon balm from a non-flowering stem cutting in spring or early summer. You can also split a mature clump in spring or fall.
Take a stem cutting in spring or early summer
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Mid-spring to early summer, from soft new tips that have not flowered | Taking a flowering stem. Buds slow rooting |
| Length | A 3 to 5 inch tip, cut just below a leaf pair | A long woody stick with no leaves left to feed the stem |
| Rooting | Strip the lower leaves and push the stem into moist mix, or stand it in a jar of water, in bright light out of hot sun | A soggy cube with no air, or a windowsill that cooks the cutting |
lemon balm roots readily from soft tips. Take the cutting from this season's growth, from mid-spring to early summer. [1] Strip the lower leaves so a node sits in mix or water. Keep the mix barely moist. Roots often show in a few weeks; pot the plant on, then harden it before it goes out. [2] Seed starting lives on Planting Lemon Balm.
- Snip a 3 to 5 inch non-flowering tip just below a leaf pair.
- Strip the leaves from the lower third. Pinch off any flower buds.
- Push the stem into moist potting mix, or stand it in a jar of water on a bright, cool sill. Keep the mix moist, not soggy.
- When roots hold a gentle tug, pot the cutting and grow it on before you set it in the bed.
Can I grow lemon balm from a cutting?
Yes. Take a 3 to 5 inch non-flowering tip in spring or early summer, strip the lower leaves, and root it in moist mix or water.
Divide a mature clump in spring or fall
An old clump can be split every few years, when the center thins or you want more plants. Lift it in spring or in fall, and replant pieces that each have roots and shoots. [3] [4] Named gold or lime kinds are safer from a division or a cutting than from seed.
- Water the clump the day before you lift it.
- Dig wide of the crown and lift as much root as you can.
- Split it into pieces that each have roots and several shoots.
- Replant at once at the same soil line, firm, and water the same day.
When should I divide lemon balm?
In spring, or in fall. Split only a mature clump, and replant the pieces the same day.
Take a non-flowering tip in spring or early summer, or split a mature clump in spring or fall and replant it the same day.
FAQ
Can I layer a stem?
Yes. Peg a low stem to the soil and cover a node. Roots form in a month or two. A cutting or a division is faster for most gardens.
Will named kinds come true from seed?
Often no. Gold, lime, and variegated forms are safer from a cutting or a division. Seed is fine for ordinary green lemon balm.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/herbs/lemon-balm/grow-your-own - [2] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/lemon-balm-melissa-officinalis/ - [3] Illinois Extension -
https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/lemon-balm - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/melissa-officinalis/
This note is part of Melissa Guides.
More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors