When to harvest lemon balm for drying for the winter

Greens and herbs

Lemon balm, or lemon balm, is a perennial plant whose leaves, stems, and flowers contain many beneficial substances. The infusion has a subtle aroma and a pleasant taste.

Drinking lemon balm tea in the evening has a calming effect and promotes sleep. While many people know about the medicinal properties of lemon balm, there are many questions about when to harvest it for the winter, drying conditions, and storage.

Where does it grow and can it be grown in a summer house?

Lemon balm thrives in fertile, loose soil. It can be found at forest edges, in lowlands or ravines, anywhere with ample moisture. Lemon balm is easy to grow and requires little care, making it easy to grow in your garden, even for novice gardeners. All you need to do is prepare the soil and plant the seeds.

How and when to collect

Only the leaves are plucked from young bushes; the stems are not cut. However, don't remove all the foliage, allowing the plants time to gain strength and bloom. Leaves can be harvested throughout the summer, from May to September.

If you plan to harvest lemon balm for the winter, choose young, small, tender leaves for drying. Coarse and large leaves contain less essential oils, and therefore less aroma and nutrients. After the first harvest, the shoots grow back, allowing you to harvest several times a season from a single plant.

Note!

After just a year, you can safely cut the plants back entirely, leaving a few bushes for flowering and seed development. The shoots are cut with scissors or pruning shears. If the bed is large and there's a lot of foliage, you can use a sickle.

Is it worth harvesting lemon balm during flowering?

The plant typically blooms from mid-summer (around early July) until early September. If the herb is used in cooking, for example, to garnish dishes, desserts, or as a seasoning, then harvesting time isn't particularly important. However, if lemon balm is needed as an ingredient in a medicinal infusion or decoction, it's best to harvest it during the flowering period.

Collection and drying

Melissa, like any medicinal herb, is best harvested in the afternoon, during dry weather, when the dew has dried on the leaves. Avoid harvesting after rain or on hot, sunny days.

In the first case, mold will develop during the drying process; in the second, the lemon balm will "wilt" and lose some of its beneficial properties. Knowing when and how to harvest lemon balm leaves can help you prepare the ingredients for a healthy winter drink.

Young shoots with flowers are cut from each plant. The prepared stems can be placed on a clean surface and tied into bundles. The latter option is better, as it allows for drying larger quantities of the herb.

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There's no need to wash the harvested stems, especially if the plants were picked from a garden bed. Drying wet grass is much more difficult, and mold can also develop. If the greens are dirty, you can rinse them with a watering can beforehand, let them dry thoroughly, and only then harvest.

Note!

Medicinal herbs should not be dried in an oven or in direct sunlight, as this destroys the beneficial substances and loses their aroma. Natural drying, without the use of high temperatures, takes longer, but the herbs' healing properties are preserved.

The prepared herbs are stored under a canopy or in the attic. The key is to dry the lemon balm in the shade, not in the sun. To protect it from insects, you can cover the prepared herbs with a breathable material such as thin cotton cloth or gauze. You should also turn and stir the stems periodically to ensure even drying.

Properly dried lemon balm is easy to chop. If storing the mixture in paper bags or canvas or linen bags, ensure there are no strong-smelling spices or foods nearby on the same shelf. Plastic bags are also not suitable for long-term storage, as the herb will quickly lose its scent and color. Glass jars are the best containers.