How to Germinate Citronella Lemon Balm

Wait until the spring or early fall, as these are the best times to plant and have lemon balm germinate. The seeds of this herb prefer temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Locate a partially sunny section of your garden and build a slightly raised flower bed. Pack a number of large rocks next to each other to form the border of this bed. Lemon balm grows and spreads very quickly and is best grown in its own flower bed that is raised and thereby separated from the surrounding area.

Plant your lemon balm seeds in the full sun as an alternative to planting them in partial sun. Do not, however, plant them in full shade.

Loosen the soil at the bottom of the bed to allow water to easily drain into the earth, as lemon balm prefers well-drained soil.

Add compost to the soil and work it in with a garden fork. Use a soil pH test kit to determine the pH of your soil, which must ideally be between 5 and 7.5. Place a sample of soil into the test tube and add a number of drops as appropriate to the brand of test kit you are using. Compare the resulting color to the color chart provided with the kit.

Plant your lemon balm seeds in the flower bed and cover them with a thin layer of seed-starting mix.

Fill a plastic mist bottle with water and spray the seeds to keep them moist. Apply water via the mist bottle, because the seeds will be washed out of the soil if you use a watering can or garden hose. Your lemon balm seeds will germinate under the soil in seven to 21 days. Once adult, the herb reproduces mainly by sending out underground rhizomes.