Bee Balm
Monarda didyma
Plant out around your last spring frost. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart.
Photo: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Transplant (Nursery Plant or Division)
From a plantRecommended from a plant- Plant outaround your last spring frost
- First harvestsummer, once established
Optimal Indoor Start
From seedRecommended from seed- Start indoors8 weeks before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off1 week before your last spring frost
- Plant outaround your last spring frost
- First harvestsummer, once established
Growing bee balm
- Spacing in the row
- 18 in (46 cm)
- Between rows
- 24 in (61 cm)
- Planting depth
- Surface-sow or cover very lightly; seed needs light to germinate. Set nursery plants at pot depth.
- Sun
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Soil
- Rich, humusy, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates clay. Acid to neutral pH.
- Germination
- 10-21 at 60-75°F
- Harvest season
- Summer
- Mature height
- 2-4 feet
- Hardy to
- USDA zone 4
- Life cycle
- Perennial
Surface-sow indoors 7-9 weeks before planting out; keep at 68-72°F. Most growers set out nursery plants or divisions.
Watering. Do not let the soil dry out - drought-stressed plants mildew badly. Water at the base, not overhead.
Feeding
- Growing
- Top-dress with compost in spring; rich soil usually needs no other fertilizer.
- How often
- Once a year, in early spring. A light all-purpose feed or a compost top-dressing is enough; heavy or frequent feeding makes soft growth that worsens powdery mildew.
- Note
- Powdery mildew is the main problem: space for air circulation, avoid overhead watering, choose resistant cultivars and remove infected stems in fall.
Your bee balm, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.