Planting and caring for monarda in open ground, the best varieties and cultivation

Monarda is one of the most attractive plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Its main feature is that it can grow on all continents of the world, as it has excellent resistance to different temperatures. Before you start growing monarda, it is recommended to study planting and care in open ground, species diversity and methods of propagation of the crop.

Description and characteristics of the monarda

The famous specialist, the father of botany, Carl Linnaeus, was the first to describe the plant in detail and conduct experiments with its participation. He subsequently named it after his good friend, the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes. Nicholas himself called it Canadian oregano. Centuries later, the culture received another name - lemon balm.

Monarda is an ornamental plant, it can be either an annual or a perennial, which is cultivated in open ground. The height of the crop can exceed 1.5 m. The leaves have a pleasant smell, oblong shape with pointed edges. The buds are collected in an inflorescence, forming a brush of regular shape. The colors of plants are very diverse. The fruit is in the form of a small nut containing many seeds, which are characterized by high germination capacity that lasts for 3 years.

The plant does not require frequent replanting and can grow in one place for 7 years..

Gardeners and landscape designers choose monarda both for its attractiveness and presentability, and for its pleasant aroma that can spread over long distances. In addition, the culture is popular in cooking; it is added to dishes as a spice and tea is brewed.

Valuable properties of a flower

Monarda is one of the medicinal plants and is actively used in the medicinal industry due to the large number of beneficial properties that can cure:

• inflammatory processes in the mouth and eyes;
• eating disorders;
• boils;
• gynecological ailments;
• fungal diseases of the feet;
• pneumonia;
• tuberculosis;
• anemia;
• chronic fatigue syndrome.

The plant is widely used in cosmetology due to its ability to inhibit the aging process and accelerate the regeneration of epidermal cells. One of the main ingredients of masks, creams and tonics. Monarda-based oil is used during a massage session.

Varieties of culture

There are a large number of varieties of monarda. Usually experts divide them depending on the length of their life period, namely: annual, perennial.

Annuals

Monarda boasts many annual varieties, including the following.

Citrus monarda or lemon

An annual plant with branched straight shoots that can grow 150 cm in height. Monarda has lanceolate leaf blades with a serrated edge. The two-lipped flowers are painted in different colors: purple, light yellow, white, red. The flower is valued for its lemony aroma, thanks to which its inflorescences are added to tea and used as a spice. The fruit is a nut.

Hybrid Monarda Lambada

This variety is considered an excellent honey plant and is actively used as an ornamental crop. Monarda hybrida was bred artificially, so it is not found in the wild. It was first obtained by breeders in the Netherlands. Its main feature is the strong lemon tart aroma of the leaves and stems of the perennial. It is similar in appearance to lemon monarda.

Point monarda

The second name of the plant is horsemint. Monarda reaches a maximum height of 80 cm. It is actively cultivated not only because of the exquisite fragrant flowers that form elongated spikes at the end of the stem, but also because of the bright salmon-colored leaves surrounding the inflorescences. It happens that such leaves, with their impressive size, overshadow the buds. Flowering duration is about 50 days.

Perennial

The most common perennial species of monarda include the following.

Double Monarda Monarda didyma

Perennial plant reaching 1 meter. Monarda grows in the meadows of the great lakes, has a powerful root system, a strong stem and opposite leaves located on it. The length of the leaf is 12 cm, the edge is pointed at the top, has a jagged edge, is colored green, and the stipules are distinguished by a red-red hue. Monarda blooms lilac-violet, forming a round inflorescence about 5 cm in diameter.

Monarda fistulosa wild bergamot

The main purpose of growing tubular monarda is to prepare spices. The bush itself is of impressive size, reaches 1.2 meters in height, and has a fibrous root system. For a long time, the tops are decorated with capitate inflorescences up to 5 cm in diameter. The petals of the bud have a white or burgundy tint.

Hybrid Monarda x hybrida

A perennial herbaceous plant, sectioned by combining two common species of Monarda Dvuchata and Duchata. An unpretentious crop to care for, it does not require special growing conditions. The main varieties of hybrid monarda include: Scarlett, Mahogany, Elsiz lavander, Lambada. Each variety differs in color and height of the bush.

Popular varieties

Gardeners identify several of the most popular varieties of monarda.

Mahogany

A perennial plant with a long root and up to 150 cm in height. One of the largest flowers among all varieties of monarda with a thick and strong stem and small dark green leaves. The inflorescences have a raspberry-red hue and a pleasant lemon-mint aroma. The minimum diameter of one inflorescence is 7 cm. Flowering of monarda begins in July and pleases until frost.

Citrodera Harlequin

Compact, low monarda, only 30-35 cm in height. The flowers are collected in an inflorescence called a sultan. It has a refined bergamot aroma and a presentable appearance. This variety is in great demand among gardeners.

Panorama

A perennial crop with delicately colored capitate inflorescences crowning the tops of tetrahedral shoots. The height of the central stem can vary from 60-80 cm. The inflorescence reaches 6 cm in diameter. In autumn, monarda complements the landscape with its attractive exotic fruits and nuts.

Terry Tale

Winter-hardy perennial monarda with a variety of inflorescence colors, ranging from white to dark wine color. Thanks to the variety of shades, the culture was called Terry Fairy Tale. The height of the plant is from 60 to 80 cm. The flowers, collected in capitate inflorescences, are located at the tops of tetrahedral shoots.

Pink Lace

Low-growing monarda up to 40 cm in height and 45 cm in width. The flowers form large, lush inflorescences of a pink-crimson hue. The leaves are dark green in color and slightly rough. The plant is fragrant, unpretentious and frost-resistant.

Bergamo

The variety is presented in the form of a small bush with jagged leaves of dark green color. The buds are terry, which is why, according to gardeners, they resemble many-legged insects. It grows from the second ten days of July until the frosts. The greenery lasts until late autumn. Monarda foliage has a bergamot flavor and is therefore added to tea.

Supreme

A popular perennial variety due to the presence of fragrant dissected leaves and fragrant multi-colored flowers. Flowering lasts from July to September and grows well in any soil. Used to decorate home areas in group plantings.

Diana

Decorative monarda with a pleasant mint-lemon aroma, grows in bushes up to 45 cm in height. It has thin peduncles with 5-7 whorls of attractive flowers of various shades, resembling a candelabra in appearance. Capable of blooming profusely and for a long time, it is cold-resistant. The variety is recommended for group and single plantings.

Pink Lace (pink)

Low-growing monarda up to 40 cm in length and a little more in width. It has pink flowers, collected in large and lush inflorescences at the top of the shoot. The name comes from the color of the inflorescences. The leaves have a dark green color and a pleasant smell.

Mona Lisa

Monarda grows wild in North America and Mexico. A fast-growing perennial herbaceous plant, which is sometimes mistakenly called bergamot due to its pleasant smell and botanical similarity to this plant.Monarda has thin twisting stems, on top of which are white, pink or purple inflorescences.

Cambridge scarlet (red)

A hybrid perennial plant with a long horizontal rhizome and erect stems, along which trichomes are abundantly located. The height of the stem varies from 80-100 cm. Oppositely located oval-shaped leaves up to 12 cm long are light green in color. Inflorescences with a diameter of 6 cm develop at the top of the shoot.

Cambridge scarlet

Perennial with an elongated horizontal stem. The height of the bush is 80-100 cm. Pale green leaves are located opposite each other on the shoots.

Jacob Kline

The plant has large flowers of a bright red hue, and the bracts are dark purple. The flowering period occurs in the first ten days of July - the last week of August. The aromatic leaves are used to brew tea. The maximum shoot height is 120 cm.

Prairinacht

A perennial flower with a tetrahedral stem up to 100-140 cm high. Large purple flowers collected in whorled inflorescences, the diameter of which varies from 6 to 8 cm. They bloom from early July to late August. The above-ground parts of the plant have a tart lemon-mint smell.

Dancing bird

The height of the crop reaches 1.5 meters, it is distinguished by a long rhizome and straight branched shoots. The leaves are oval-shaped with a toothed edge. Due to their large number, small flowers form lush inflorescences.

Snow White (white)

The variety, which has snow-white flowers, looks impressive when planted alone and in combination with other plants. Low growth bush, compact. All ground parts of the flower have a pleasant characteristic aroma.

Flower growing technology

Growing flowers from seeds is done in two ways:

• sowing in open ground;
• using seedlings.

After proper planting and proper care, the plant will develop perfectly, respond with vigorous growth and lush flowering.

The necessary conditions

The basic requirements of a plant when planting include choosing the right place, the presence of optimal lighting, the nutritional composition of the soil, a temperature regime favorable for the crop and a humidity level.

Optimal location and lighting

Choose a place that is well lit and without drafts. Tall varieties lose their decorative properties in strong winds.

Planting monarda in dark places is also possible; in this case, the duration of its flowering and color saturation will be significantly less than that of representatives growing in direct sunlight.

The place must be chosen in advance and covered with film so that the ground underneath warms up and thaws. The soil needs to be fertilized with manure, peat and mineral fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus.

Required soil composition

It is recommended to choose a site with neutral or alkaline soil. The main condition for breeding monarda is moist, permeable soil.

Temperature

The plant takes root well in regions with a warm, mild climate.

Required humidity

The perennial needs a lot of moisture, so watering should be regular and timely, especially during the flowering period.

How to sow monarda in open ground

When sowing monarda in open ground, it is worth studying the characteristics of the plant and using the knowledge in practice.

Deadlines

If monarda is planted directly in open ground, then the optimal time for sowing seeds is April.The seedling method is carried out earlier, namely in February or March, since the temperature in the greenhouse can be adjusted.

in spring

If monarda is grown in the south, then its seeds can be sown directly into the ground, in March, choosing a sunny, warm day. Cool weather will promote natural seed stratification. Shoots will appear in April, which will need to be thinned out.

Before winter

It is not recommended to plant in the winter, since due to severe frosts the monarda may not take root and die. Although many people sow in the fall at the end of October, when there is no risk of the material germinating in warm weather. Prepare the bed in advance, then make furrows, keeping a distance of 25 cm. Sow to a depth of 2.5 cm. To obtain beautiful and strong seedlings, pick in the spring.

Sowing technology

Sowing monarda seeds is an activity for hardworking gardeners, since the germination rate of planting material is quite low and sometimes the seeds do not retain their maternal properties.

It should be taken into account that when sowing in autumn, flowers sprout very slowly.

Choose the right day for planting, namely dry and sunny. The depth of the holes should not exceed 2.5 cm; the surface of the dug beds should be covered with sand. After planting, moisten the flowerbed. When the first shoots are noticed, thin out the beds, removing the weakest specimens and weeds. With proper care, flowering will occur only next year.

Nuances of growing plants from seeds to seedlings at home

Planting seeds for seedlings at home is performed using the following algorithm:

1. Plant the seeds in separate containers filled with loose substrate; it is advisable to buy soil specially developed for this purpose at a flower shop.
2. Deepen the seeds at least 2 cm.
3. Cover the container with a plastic bag on top or simply put the containers in a greenhouse.
4. Germination will not take long and will begin on the 20th day after planting. When the seedlings have 4 true leaves, pick and plant each specimen in a separate container.

It is worth noting that monarda develops quite slowly, but after the plant gets stronger, growth will continue more intensively.

We organize competent care for monarda

If the planting was carried out according to all standards, then the perennial will be able to develop quickly and efficiently in the future without any disturbances. The growth and development of the flower in the future will depend on the correctness and regularity of caring for the crop.

Watering

In autumn and spring, monarda does not need a large amount of moisture, but in summer it needs to be watered more often. In extreme heat and in the absence of rain, it is recommended to water daily. A lack of moisture makes the plant vulnerable to a disease such as powdery mildew, which is very difficult for even an experienced gardener to cope with.

Top dressing

Like any other flowering plant, monarda needs timely feeding. During the growing season, fertilizing should be done at least 2 times a month. In spring, apply mineral fertilizers in 2 approaches, once every 2 weeks. At the end of summer, give preference to potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, as they have a positive effect on the formation of flowers and strengthen the root system. Potassium will help Monarda prepare for cold weather.

It is also recommended to carry out foliar feeding. For this, a mineral composition diluted in low concentration is used. In case of prolonged drought, use the Epin stimulant solution.

Mulching and loosening the soil

Mulching and loosening the beds is necessary so that after watering the soil retains moisture longer. For mulching, use humus or peat. These substances are able to protect the soil from water evaporation and saturate the substrate. It is not recommended to use sawdust or pine needles, as they strongly acidify the soil and make the perennial growing conditions extreme. Loosening will enrich the soil with oxygen, improve gas exchange and photosynthesis of the plant.

Do I need to trim the flower?

The time of pruning, as well as its necessity, is determined depending on the variety of monarda. In most cases, you still can’t do without it. Trim the inflorescences in the fall, when they begin to dry out.

Possible diseases and pests: control and prevention

Monarda is a fairly resistant plant, but still needs prevention. To avoid damage to the crop by fungus, you need to create a watering schedule. This will help Monarda forget about powdery mildew forever.

The perennial can also pick up tobacco mosaic, rust and weevil. For prevention, properly care for the plant and choose a preferred growing location in advance.

Preparing for winter

Wintering usually takes place without complications. To prepare the plant for this period, you need to trim the crop, mulch, cover the roots with spruce branches, lightly sprinkling them with soil.

The perennial is frost-resistant and does not require shelter for the winter, as it can withstand temperatures as low as -25 degrees..

Transfer

Monarda can survive in one place for about 4 years. Afterwards it needs to be transplanted to a new place of growth. When replanting, it is worth dividing the bush.

Reproduction methods

Monarda reproduces both generatively and vegetatively. The method of dividing the bush or cuttings is more often used, since the percentage of seed germination is not at a high level, unlike other methods.

Dividing the bush

The bush is divided after the perennial monarda turns three years old. The procedure is carried out 2 times a year:

• mid-spring, when the soil warms up properly;
• the beginning of autumn, when the ground has not yet frozen.

First you need to carefully remove the roots from the soil and divide them into several parts. Send new monarda bushes into the flowerbed to the same depth. The division can be done in two years, when the bush has grown greatly.

Cuttings

To implement this method, select at least 7 monarda cuttings measuring 0.1 m. It is better to use shoots from a large bush that has already grown quite strongly, but has not reached the flowering stage.

Trim off all the leaves on the bottom of the cutting and trim the top a little. Plant the prepared material in a spacious box filled with substrate and fertilize it with minerals. You can also simply place the cuttings in a container filled with water. After 3 weeks, you can notice that the root system has already formed. During this period, the plant should be moved to open ground.

Seeds

Start collecting monarda seeds at the end of September or August; each variety has its own ripening time. You should not allow self-seeding; you need to collect the seed pods on time.

Not every plant, especially a hybrid one, has the ability to pollinate. Seeds are planted in special containers. The optimal temperature for seedling germination is 20 degrees.Growth is quite slow and may take a while, but in the future it will accelerate significantly. After the onset of phase 4 of true leaves, pick. When the monarda seedlings are strong enough, they can be transplanted into open ground. The main disadvantage of this method is that monarda does not bloom even in the second year of development.

Monarda is an ornamental plant that is popular among gardeners due to its attractiveness and unpretentiousness. Even a beginner can cope with planting and caring for this exquisite flower, but first he should learn the rules of planting and caring for a perennial.