2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The mint-lemon aroma of monarda will appeal to everyone who loves tea with bergamot. For this feature, the plant is often called garden bergamot. And they grow it on their backyards not only as a spicy plant. Monarda is also prized in landscape design for its decorative qualities. In addition, the perennial has medicinal properties
Garden bergamot - Monarda
Monarda is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the Lamb family. It is grown in the garden both as an annual and as a perennial crop. The monard came to our region from North America. The local population used the flower to make aromatic drinks. They gave the body vigor, and the spirit - a good mood. Having appeared in the countries of the Old World, for its outstanding taste and a similar smell, monarda began to be called garden bergamot, lemon mint, and also American lemon balm.
The stem of the monarda is straight, but it branches. The flower is quite tall - it can reach a meter or more. The leaves of the plant are oblong-lanceolate, exude a pleasant aroma. They can be dried, and they will retain the ability to smell for a long time, thanks to which they are widely used in cooking.
In addition to the leaves, monarda flowers also exude a pleasant scent. In addition, they have an attractive decorative appearance and during the flowering period they will exquisitely decorate any garden with blossoming buds with white, yellow, red, purple, purple, pink or speckled petals. Flowers are collected in dense inflorescences up to 7 cm in diameter. Certain varieties of monarda have a two-tiered flower structure.
A perennial is grown in one place for 5-7 years. For landing, a bright spot or partial shade is taken away. The latter option is preferable in regions with hot, long summers. The flower is picky about soil fertility. Therefore, it is recommended to fill the flower bed with rotted manure. When transplanting a plant, a mixture of organic matter, sand and garden soil is introduced into the planting pit. The perennial will tell you that it is time to transplant the plant itself. This is evidenced by the decrease in the leaf plate and the thinning of the bush from the plants.
Growing bergamot from seeds
Monarda seeds remain viable for about three years. Sowing is allowed in two terms - in the fall, immediately after collecting the seeds, and in early spring.
In the southern regions, sowing monarda in open ground can begin in February. Having passed natural stratification, the plant will show seedlings in April. Before sowing, the flower bed is covered with a dark film to prepare the ground. The warmed-up soil is loosened and sand is added, then it is thoroughly mixed with the ground. Sand is also poured into the seeds of the monarda and in this form they are sown. After that, cover with a layer of sand approximately 2-2.5 cm thick.
In those areas, which are characterized by long winters, monarda is propagated by seeds through seedlings. Sowing starts in January-February. The container with crops is covered with foil to create greenhouse conditions with a temperature of at least + 20oС. The emergence of seedlings can be expected after 3 weeks. After another 3 weeks, the seedlings dive in a 3x3 cm pattern.
Transplanting mature plants into open ground is performed in a sunny place protected from wind and drafts. The leaves of the grown monarda can be added to tea already in the year of planting to give the drink an exquisite bergamot aroma.
Those flower growers who want to enjoy the taste of natural bergamot both in winter and in summer can also propagate this citrus perennial in indoor conditions by seeds. Growing bergamot from a seed is not difficult. To do this, the seed must be planted in a pot immediately after removing it from the fruit. The soil mixture for planting is prepared from equal parts of sand and humus.
The seed germinates in about 3-4 weeks. One seed can give birth to two or three seedlings. Only the strongest specimen should be left. It is better not to plant them, but to cut off the weaker shoots with sharp scissors. In order for the tree to branch well, its top should be pinched.
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