When to sow Lemon balm in the UK
Lemon balm is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Lemon balm is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| East Anglia | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Northern England | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Northern Ireland | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to mid April | early May to mid June | early April to early October |
Growing notes
Vigorous and free-seeding: lemon balm forms a large clump with flower stems to 90cm in a few years and self-seeds unless you cut the faded stems off straight after flowering, so many gardeners keep it in a pot at least 25cm wide and deep. It dies back in winter - cut the old stems down by early spring before new growth appears.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 45 cm
- Plants per m²
- 4
- Yield per plant
- 0.2 kg
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
How long until it crops
Expect the first worthwhile pick about 1 year after planting.
What usually goes wrong
- powdery mildew
- sage and Ligurian leafhopper
- root rot in wet soil
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for lemon balm.