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Deliciously fragrant , lemon balm is as popular with pollinators as it is with backyard gardeners . This herb can be harvested to use in tea , smoothies , and baked goods , and , when used in tandem withrose flower petal , to make homemade potpourris . Its brawny aroma makes lemon balm a wonderful companion for a variety of fruit and vegetables because it helps repel dirt ball . But which lemon balm companion plants are right for your garden ?
melon , tomatoes , and squash work well as lemon balm companion plants because they have similar rise requirements . Meanwhile , St. Basil the Great and Anethum graveolens can be grown with lemon yellow balm as a border around your garden to help keep insect off .
What are lemon balm’s growing requirements?
Lemon balm is an unfussy plant life that will grow well when kept in full to partial sunlight in soil that stay moist . This sturdy herb attain maximum heights of around 3 groundwork and can permit acidic to impersonal soils with a pH of 4.5 to 7.5 . Regular waterings and rectify the soil with a healthy back breaker ofhomemade compostimprove performance and support bloom output .
corrupt lemon yellow balm seeded player here !
11 Best lemon balm companion plants for your garden
In terms of fellow traveller plants , lemon balm is one of the most soft . This tough little herbaceous plant can be grown with a all-encompassing variety of plants , and because it ’s so great at keeping insects away , it ’s a must for any garden . When grow the following fruits , vegetables , and herbs , be certain to keep Citrus limon balm nearby to patronise healthy ontogeny .
Melons
lemon tree ointment make an first-class fellow plant life for melon , includingwatermelons , cantaloupes , and honeydew melon . Like melons , lemon balm prefers to be planted in dampish soils . That ’s not to say that it likes the soil to stay muddy . On the contrary , lemon balm needs to be grown in well - debilitate soil . But it care the soil to retain moisture . And by growing gamboge unguent as a primer cover in your melon vine patch , it will dissemble as a live mulch to keep your melon hydrated .
Lemon balm also helps support pollenation . This herb ’s delicate flowers pull bees and butterflies to your garden to pollinate your melon vine harvest . Lemon balm is also a hitting with leechlike wasps , who prey on prejudicial garden pests , like aphids , speck , and whiteflies .
Cabbage
Lemon balm ’s strong scent helps mask the smell of cabbage , protecting itfrom harmful bug . Insects like worms , beetle , and caterpillars are confuse by the herb ’s overpowering fragrance and will deflect confab your garden because of it . Try turn Citrus limon salve as a border around your cabbage crop , or substitute cabbage plant with maize salve plant within the same dustup .
Basil
Whether you have a large in - ground garden or only a small elicit bed , you’re able to safely grow your lemon balm plants with yourbasil plant . These two herbs get along very well because they portion out the same light and dirt requirements . For best results , keep your basil and lemon balm plant life in full to partial sunshine , and water them regularly to keep the dirt moist . tote up a layer of mulch can facilitate the filth retain wet . When these herb flower in the mid to late summertime , they ’ll draw dozens of pollinator to your garden , increasing craw yields .
Tomatoes
Perhaps the most pop vegetable for gardeners , Lycopersicon esculentum are easygoing to grow , and they ’re incredibly rewarding , too . These fertile producers can hand over a humongous 20 to 100 love apple per plant . Most gardeners think that because tomato plant are easy to turn , they do n’t require any outside avail . But your love apple plant will appreciate being engraft with lemon balm , as it aid attract valuable pollinators all while shielding the filth from the rough sunshine , allowing it to retain moisture .
Mint
When grown in moist dirt and a shady location , mint can be invasive . Growing mint in partial sunlight can help throttle its otherwise unlimited growth . And , when uprise in fond sun , it can be used as a comrade plant for lemon balm . When institute together to create a border around your veggie plot , mint and lemon balm work toattract bees , wasps , butterfly , hummingbirds , and other pollinator to your garden . And the better your plants are pollinated , the more fruits and veggies you ’ll have come harvest time .
Squash
Squash grows pretty easy , much like tomato . But because it tends to sprawl as it grows , it can be hard figuring out which plants can stick out being grow together . Lemon balm is one of those adaptable herbs that can fill up in the spaces around other plants . So if you need a ground cover to keep withyour squash cropto assist the ground retain moisture ( and attract more pollinating insect , too ) , you ca n’t go wrong with lemon balm .
Berries
Most berry plants are self - pollinating . But , even still , husbandman have cover an influx in berry yield when their crop have been cross-pollinate by insects and doll . By growing lemon balm near yourblueberries , strawberry , andblackberries , you ’ll be both attract helpful bugs and repelling harmful ones . Lemon balm also acts as a live mulch , throw up shade on the ground to keep back moisture and shedding leave-taking that can be used to nurture your berry crops .
Radishes
Because they do n’t spring up deep root , and because they mature quick in just 21 to 60 days , radishes can be grown in between rows to maximize garden distance . If yourradish cropshave fallen prey to insects in the past tense , engraft them near some lemon balm to aid keep maggots , snails , and aphids away .
Carrots
carrot produce retentive roots that reach deep into the soil and hook up dozens of nutrient . They necessitate familiar plants that have relatively shallow roots that wo n’t contend with them for aliment . Fortunately , lemon balm ’s root distribute outwards rather than downward . This fragrant herb will never steal vitamin and minerals from yourcarrots . Plus , it will avail repel the tent flap , caterpillars , and worms that like to nibble on carrot tops .
Dill
Spider mites can annihilate a garden in an amazingly short amount of clip . Fortunately , both dill and lemon balm can be used to thwart these irritating insects before they get a fortune to ruin your crop . Keepdilland lemon balm as a border around your garden or in between rows of spider speck - taint plant .
Lettuce
get row of herb in between craw that mature quickly , admit leafy immature veggies like lettuce , helps you make the most of the blank space in your garden . Because lemon balm helps rebuff the wanderer jot , aphids , caterpillars , and worms that like to feed on young lettuce plants , using it as a companion plant just makes sensory faculty . circularise a bed of mulch between gelt and lemon balm plants to improve moisture retention and keep the dirt temperature lovesome .
4 Lemon balm companion plants you should avoid
Citrus limon balm gets along well with the immense majority of garden plants . However , there is a handful that should never be planted nearby . When planning your garden for the season , be sure to keep your lemon balm away from the come after plant
Lavender
Like lemon balm , lavender ’s foliage is rich in substantive oils that make it unappealing to garden gadfly , including insects , rabbits , anddeer . Sincelavenderis so heavy at maintain these critter at bay , it can be lure to grow it mighty alongside your maize balm , to pack a fragrance lick . But because lavender prefers to be grown in dry soils , it should not be used as a lemon balm companion plant .
Rosemary
Native to the Mediterranean region , rosemaryprefers arid conditions . If it ’s not produce in ironical ground and watered sparingly , it just wo n’t be felicitous . Because rosemary ’s mature requisite are at odds with lemon balm be sure to keep them separated in your garden space .
Sage
Sageis another strong - smell herb that repels harmful louse . It can play a worthful character in keeping your garden healthy . But because it needs dry soils and infrequent waterings to survive , it should not be spring up near lemon balm .
Thyme
Thyme is a forgiving herb that’seasy to start from cuttings . And while it can be harvested to grow crucial oils for use in ourhomemade insecticide recipe , it needs dry dirt to stay healthy . If you do grow thyme , be sure to keep it away from your lemon balm , or grow it in a pot so you may run to its individual postulate properly .
Is companion planting worth the time and labor?
Gardening is a fun hobby until it starts to sense like a lot of body of work . Companion planting can seem like a daunting task , peculiarly when you only have a small place to plant in . But by taking the time to arrange your plants carefully so they ’re all next to their preferable neighbour , you ’ll be creating a garden that help oneself to sustain itself .
Using lemon balm as a companion supports plant emergence by helping grime stay hydrated , warding off prejudicious louse , and increase pollenation rates to boost crop issue . So make some space for this helpful herb in your garden . You ’ll be glad you did .
