Lemon Balm - Ask Extension
The lemon balm I had near my garden for lasr 2 years took over the entire garden area. How do I get rid of it so I can start my garden again. It's the...
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Lemon Balm #864583
Asked April 15, 2024, 12:11 PM EDT
The lemon balm I had near my garden for lasr 2 years took over the entire garden area. How do I get rid of it so I can start my garden again. It's the only plot I can garden in and really want it back. Any help will be appreciated.
Cuyahoga County Ohio
Expert Response
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family. Mints are notorious for spreading from underground stems, regrowing from nodes along the aboveground stems, and even self-sowing. If you want to limit it's spread, plant it in a pot.
I mentioned this question to a friend of mine whose first response was "use it". I presume that the amount you have is way more than anyone needs for teas, attracting pollinators, and deterring pests (all things lemon balm is good at).
You have several choices in clearing your garden space. Which one you choose will depend on the size of the plot, how soon you want to use the garden, and your tolerance of herbicide. There are many herbicides on the market, and they have many different formulations. The time to replant after using one varies considerably with the exact formulation and what you want to plant. It can range from 1 day to 12 months. Some garden plants, especially vegetables, can be very sensitive to herbicide residues. Read the labels very carefully.
If you have the physical ability to dig it out, you will need to remove as much of the root as you can. Since this spread from a plant near to your garden, I presume there is not a raised bed situation, but you might want to create one in the future. A physical barrier several inches underground will likely prevent many of the spreading roots from getting in.
Weed whacking or mowing very short followed by adding cardboard and then 4-6" of compost or new soil is called "Sheet mulching" and is a favorite technique for creating new beds without herbicide use. Most weeds will have trouble coming up through this, and those that do can be pulled fairly easily. Make sure the cardboard overlaps (or use multiple sheets of newspaper), removing labels, staples, and tape before placing it on the ground.
Solarization, using clear plastic or occultation, using an opaque tarp/plastic can be used if you have at least 6-8 weeks before you want to plant. These methods involve putting a heavy cover over the area in question, weighting down the edges to prevent rain, wind, and sun (in the case of occultation) into the space underneath. With these techniques, you will smother/cook the plants underneath the covering material. This works best during hot, sunny weather--exactly when you would prefer to start growing your garden instead of cooking weeds.
I would NOT recommend tillage in this case, as the lemon balm will likely regrow from the many root cuttings you have created.
If the space is suitable for it, you could always put a commercial raised bed (usually metal) on top of the space, fill it with soil, and grow away. Many people use these for vegetables or if they want to garden without bending.
I hope one of these techniques will work for you. If you have further questions, feel free to respond to this answer and we'll see what we can come up with.
I mentioned this question to a friend of mine whose first response was "use it". I presume that the amount you have is way more than anyone needs for teas, attracting pollinators, and deterring pests (all things lemon balm is good at).
You have several choices in clearing your garden space. Which one you choose will depend on the size of the plot, how soon you want to use the garden, and your tolerance of herbicide. There are many herbicides on the market, and they have many different formulations. The time to replant after using one varies considerably with the exact formulation and what you want to plant. It can range from 1 day to 12 months. Some garden plants, especially vegetables, can be very sensitive to herbicide residues. Read the labels very carefully.
If you have the physical ability to dig it out, you will need to remove as much of the root as you can. Since this spread from a plant near to your garden, I presume there is not a raised bed situation, but you might want to create one in the future. A physical barrier several inches underground will likely prevent many of the spreading roots from getting in.
Weed whacking or mowing very short followed by adding cardboard and then 4-6" of compost or new soil is called "Sheet mulching" and is a favorite technique for creating new beds without herbicide use. Most weeds will have trouble coming up through this, and those that do can be pulled fairly easily. Make sure the cardboard overlaps (or use multiple sheets of newspaper), removing labels, staples, and tape before placing it on the ground.
Solarization, using clear plastic or occultation, using an opaque tarp/plastic can be used if you have at least 6-8 weeks before you want to plant. These methods involve putting a heavy cover over the area in question, weighting down the edges to prevent rain, wind, and sun (in the case of occultation) into the space underneath. With these techniques, you will smother/cook the plants underneath the covering material. This works best during hot, sunny weather--exactly when you would prefer to start growing your garden instead of cooking weeds.
I would NOT recommend tillage in this case, as the lemon balm will likely regrow from the many root cuttings you have created.
If the space is suitable for it, you could always put a commercial raised bed (usually metal) on top of the space, fill it with soil, and grow away. Many people use these for vegetables or if they want to garden without bending.
I hope one of these techniques will work for you. If you have further questions, feel free to respond to this answer and we'll see what we can come up with.
