How To Collect Bee Balm Seeds

As a fellow member of the notoriously fast-spreading mint (Lamiaceae) family, bee lotion (Monarda spp.) is about as like shooting fish in a barrel to propagate as it gets.

This is a practiced thing because information technology's as well a plant that you can't really e'er have too much of – unless information technology starts taking over other plants in your garden, of form!

With its gorgeous long-blooming, unique display of flowers that are reminiscent of fireworks, information technology'southward natural to want to spread bee lotion effectually.

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And although information technology doesn't need a lot of help spreading to nearby places in your garden beds via hush-hush rhizomes, sometimes it tin can use a lilliputian help in terms of rejuvenating older plants, which tend to go crowded and lose their vigor with age.

By earthworks up your Monarda and dividing information technology, yous tin can restore mature plants to good health, giving them more than room to grow and providing new plants that you can give to friends and neighbors if you wish.

The pollinators love these natives, and so why not share?

Read on to acquire how to propagate bee balm through divisions, seeds, and cuttings.

3 Ways to Propagate Bee Lotion

• Past Division
• From Seed
• From Stem Cuttings

3 Ways to Propagate Bee Balm

If y'all ask me, the easiest way to propagate bee balm is through partition. This involves digging up and transplanting the roots and rhizomes.

You can also propagate Monarda from seeds, or beginning new plants from stem cuttings that you tin root and and then transplant.

The main benefit of choosing to propagate via cuttings or divisions versus seeds is that y'all'll know exactly what type of found yous're going to get.

Allow me explain:

Pieces taken from a parent plant grow into clones with an identical genetic makeup and associated characteristics.

If yous collect seeds from a hybrid cultivar, whatever new plants sprout will non exist identical to what you already have planted in your garden.

In other words, hybrids are not true to seed.

Propagating past dividing mature plants will as well produce larger plants faster than what you would get if y'all started new ones from seed.

And dividing perennials also gives them a fiddling extra room to spread, improving overall plant health.

By Sectionalization

This is generally how I propagate my bee lotion plants.

Bee balm spreads rapidly on its own through specialized underground stems known as rhizomes, then you lot'll accept ample opportunity to make divisions of new growth.

Equally I mentioned above, after virtually two to three years, you may find that the center office of clumps of bee balm has declined, with sections that are growing poorly.

Dividing your plants will help lessen overcrowding and reinvigorate former plants.

The best time to take divisions is in early spring, just as the new shoots start sprouting out of the soil.

Get-go by digging your shovel in around the perimeter of the clump you'll be digging upwards.

Push button in all the manner and slide nether the roots as best you can at a 45° angle, and pry the shovel up. Do this around the unabridged perimeter.

In one case you have the root dodder loosened enough, you should be able to slide under the roots with your shovel and pry up the clump.

Or, you could simply attain under the roots with your hands and pull the root ball upwardly.

Milk shake off as much soil as you can, and divide your dug-up clumps into smaller clumps.

Y'all can practice this by simply tearing them autonomously, or cutting thicker roots with a abrupt garden knife.

How small should these smaller clumps be? Go out two to three shoots per divided dodder with an intact root system that's at least six inches in diameter.

This is also a skillful time to remove whatsoever damaged stems or unhealthy-looking foliage every bit well every bit any dead roots or stems.

Dividing is also a adept fourth dimension to check on the overall health of your plants. If parts of the root system that y'all dig upwardly are slimy, this may indicate root rot.

You desire to go rid of that role of the root system past cutting away and disposing of any diseased portions, and consider alteration the soil in the planting surface area to improve drainage.

Monarda likes moist conditions, but this plant doesn't appreciate wet feet.

You'll want to replant your new divisions immediately, as bee lotion doesn't similar dry out roots either.

Choose their new homes advisedly – these plants can be very ambitious and have a tendency to have over less robust plants via the spreading rhizomes.

Read more than virtually this in our guide to decision-making bee balm.

I also recommend applying a layer of mulch the new plantings to assistance them maintain wet and prevent weed growth while they're becoming established.

As is the case when transplanting about plants, I think it's also a good thought to give them a kickstart with a shot of transplant fertilizer, similar this product from Bonide that's available from Habitation Depot.

Bonide Root Grow Concentrate, i Qt.

This 4-x-3 (NPK) fertilizer mix includes IBA Root Stimulator to stimulate root growth, and helps to prevent transplant shock while providing a heave of nutrients. Be sure to dilute the concentrate and use information technology according to package directions.

From Seed

Growing from seed is easy, with good germination rates, and can be done with store-bought or harvested seed.

If you plan to grow seed that y'all have saved from your own plants, harvest the seed virtually two weeks after the flowers are finished blooming.

Help! There are no flowers on my bee balm! What's going on?

In that location are several factors as to why your plants might not produce whatsoever blooms. Find out more in this guide.

At this time, the dead bloom heads should be dry.

Remember, if your plant is a hybrid – a cross of two or more different species or cultivars – its offspring grown from seed won't necessarily share a resemblance, especially if pollen from nearby varieties have entered the mix.

To harvest, curve the plants over and place a newspaper purse under the flower heads. Gently and rapidly shake the plant to release the seed. If the seeds are set, they should fall into the bag.

Collect your fill up, roll upwardly the handbag at the opening to close it, and place it in a well-aerated and dry place on its side with the seeds spread out.

Allow them to sit and dry for about a week before placing them in a sealed bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. I recommend keeping the seeds in the fridge until yous're ready to sow them.

There are a few ways y'all can sow your seeds, which we'll get over in a moment.

In all cases, sow seeds just under the soil nigh 1/4 inch deep, every bit they are quite small. (The general rule of pollex with all seeds is to plant them at a depth that's 2 to iii times the width of the seed).

Continue the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate. This should have about 10 to xl days at threescore°F.

If you're starting your seeds exterior where temperatures tend to fluctuate, germination may be more sporadic or slow.

Seed sowing options include:

i. Plant in a Cold Frame in Early to Mid-Spring

When plants have 2 sets of true leaves, carefully pick out the seedlings and put them in individual four-inch pots or in their permanent position.

They can exist planted in their permanent position if yous tin continue the soil consistently moist.

However, I find they transplant more readily if I expect until they've had a bit of time to abound potent roots and a wet flavor is about to brainstorm.

For me, in Southern Ontario, this is in tardily August in training for fall rains.

2. Plant Directly in the Basis

Prepare a weed-gratis area for either a plant nursery bed or permanent planting. Sow seeds one inch apart afterwards the last frost.

One time seedlings have grown at least two sets of true leaves, thin them to xviii-24 inches apart, or transplant them every bit desired to their permanent location.

3. Plant in Flats in a Warm Indoor Location

This includes planting your seeds in flats in a heated greenhouse, or placing your seed starting trays in a sunny window viii to 10 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Sow most iii seeds per prison cell in a lightweight, sterilized seed-starting mix.

Choose the strongest plant to keep and thin them to 1 per cell after their first true leaves take formed.

Transplant to four-inch pots when the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, or into their permanent location as described in the cold frame directions above.

Whatever method of sowing you choose, proceed the planting expanse weed-free and well-watered equally they go established in their first flavour.

From Stem Cuttings

Growing from cuttings is a great choice if you take only a few large plants and desire to propagate a specific diversity.

Have cuttings from the tips of new growth in the spring. Cuttings should be about six inches long and the cut should be made just below a leaf node.

Remove the bottom set of leaves and dip the cut finish in rooting hormone well-nigh ii inches up the stem.

Nutri-Root Plus Rooting Gel

I like to use Nutri-Root Plus Rooting Gel, available from Growershouse.

Submerge the cuttings two inches deep in four-inch pots filled with vermiculite or potting mix.

I recommend placing pots in a bottom-watering tray under a humidity dome, or with a clear plastic pocketbook suspended to a higher place the cuttings.

You can do this by taping pencils or dulled sticks to the corners on the outside of the tray, for example.

Continue an eye on the cuttings to bank check for root growth coming out of the bottom of the pots, which should happen in ii to 4 weeks.

I like to water all of my cuttings every few times with regular 3 percent hydrogen peroxide that's available at well-nigh pharmacies and section stores instead of water.

This prevents them from rotting, resulting in higher success rates.

Once they are rooted, remove the bags and place them in a sunny window or greenhouse until yous plant them in their permanent position.

New Bee Balm Beginnings

Although bee balm may be piece of cake to propagate, that doesn't make doing and so whatsoever less rewarding.

Just brand sure to place your plants where you don't heed them spreading out when you transplant, and don't put them near whatever smaller plants that volition be taken over easily.

Bee balm has a tendency to expand outward via its underground rhizomes.

Armed with these methods and tips, go alee and spread the Monarda love effectually in whatsoever way works best for you: through cuttings or divisions to go along the aforementioned characteristics equally the parent found, or via seeds to see what you lot get.

You never know, if yous have some interesting varieties growing in your garden, i of the resulting plants could exist the adjacent big showstopping cultivar!

Take you tried propagating bee balm in your garden? Let us know in the comments below, and feel complimentary to share a picture show!

Ready to learn more nearly propagating other flowering plants? Add together these guides to your reading listing adjacent:

• How to Propagate Angelica
• Into the Cloning Vats: Easily Propagating African Violets
• How to Propagate Hellebores

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