Red Monarda Bee Balm Seeds

Start Red Bee Balm seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date, or directly outside in spring, summer, or early fall. Don’t cover them with ground, as Monarda seeds require light to grow. Planting them in soil and then covering them up is the most common reason people don’t get any to grow. Keep soil moist and at 65-70 °F. Mix a pinch of dry sand with the seeds before planting to space them evenly in a tray or bed. Germination takes 14-21 days. Once they are about 2 inches tall, thin to 18 inches apart.

For maximum flowering, full sun is a must, but Red Beebalm will also do well in partial shade. It is not soil-picky and will grow in clay or sandy soil, although it prefers well-enriched beds with moist, well-draining soil. Adding compost to poor soil will also help this plant get off to a great start. Water it well during its first growing season to get it established. After that, it will survive short periods of drought. However, it will rot in waterlogged soil.

Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooming throughout the growing season. If the stems are leggy or the center of a clump is dying off, prune this perennial back a third in mid-summer. It will regrow. Every 3 to 4 years, divide the clumps in early spring. This will keep them thriving and give you free divisions to share and spread around the garden. A balanced slow-release fertilizer each month will help in poor soils, but in decent garden soils, honestly, this plant does not require a lot.