Bee Balm, Monarda didyma
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Vince
Posted on: July 20, 2010

I have been buying Richters seeds/plants for years. I am interested in growing Red Bee Balm for the flowering beauty. I understand this is actually a herb...in the Mint family. Can you grow this plant from seed or does it come from cuttings?

This variety can be grown from seeds or cuttings.

If you can grow this plant from seed...do you sell the seeds?

Yes we sell a mix of many colours and a selection just in shades of red.

Is it easy to germinate and does the plant do well in all growing conditions?

The seeds germinate readily, the only problem being that the seedlings start out very small and have to be kept from damping off until they have grown a bit. I find that the red variety does not like drying out ever. Rich soil will result in lush growth. I also find that it is marginally winter-hardy in zone 4, while the other colours have survived even harsher winters very well. It also seems to do better in a clay mix soil than in sand. The other colour forms tolerate sand well.

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