When to Start Bergamot

Timing

• The best time to start bergamot is when the plants are dormant, but just before they are ready to send out new, active growth. In more mild climates, plant bergamot in late winter after the ground has thawed and dried out enough to work. In colder regions, wait until the ground thaws and dries. To check soil dryness, squeeze a handful of soil and drop it. If the soil breaks apart, you can plant. Otherwise, allow the soil to dry out further. Nursery-grown plants are usually transplanted after frost danger has passed in spring.

Site Preparation

• Bergamot tolerates most soils as long as the site drains well but dries slowly. They like soil that is rich in organic matter. A location that receives full all-day sun, or full morning sun and part afternoon shade, results in healthy foliage and abundant flowering. You can improve the soil quality before you plant by working a 2-inch layer of compost into the top 8 inches of the ground. Compost improves both the moisture in the bed and the nutrient quality.

Nursery Plants

• Nurseries carry young potted plants ready for transplanting. Bergamot is rarely started from seed because most garden varieties are hybrids and won't produce seed true to the parent. If you are starting bergamot from a nursery plant, dig a hole the same depth but twice as wide as the nursery pot. Lift the bergamot from the pot and set it in the hole, adjusting it until it is at the same depth. After filling in the hole, water the soil until it is evenly moistened throughout the root zone.

Divisions

• Starting your own bergamot from root divisions provides you with new plants at no cost. Bergamot benefits from division every three to four years. Dig up the roots when the plant is still dormant in late winter or early spring, taking care not to break the larger roots or damage the stems. Tease apart the roots with your fingers into two equal-sized plants, cutting through the roots that connect them with a sharp blade. Replant each division at the same depth the bergamot was growing at previously, spacing plants at least 24 inches apart in all directions.