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Lemon balm loosing leaves
I bought my Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) over the summer, I kept it inside on a window sill and watered it frequently. Over time I noticed small brown areas appearing on the leaves as they took a "crusty" texture. Realizing that perhaps the plant was receiving too much sun I have now moved it to the back of the room out of direct sunlight. The plant started to recover but I am now worried that the discoloration may be due to a form of mint rust or verticillium wilt.
I was hoping to get an opinion on the cause of the leaf loss and change in colour and texture of the leaves.Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
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I'd cut it right back and put it outside. It will grow more leaves. It dies back in winter so maybe no new leaves til spring. It may have been over watered and subsequent leaf growth very soft and susceptible to burning. It's a tough plant, seeds about in the garden. It doesn't need, maybe doesn't like, windowsill life
In the sticks near Peterborough
Lemon balm is tough is ol'boots. It seeds all over the place in my garden and I find it more invasive than mint, but a fantastic smell that only lemon verbena can beat.
Mine are looking quite raggedy in the garden too - it's autumn and they're dying back.
As nut says, it'll be much happier outside and will grow strongly next year.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Thanks everyone, ill plant this outside in the garden and hopefully see some nice leaves next spring. Could anyone suggest a fragrant plant more suited to the indoors?
Thanks again!
Anything I grow in the house dies of some sort of neglect so no experience here
But maybe one of the scented leaved pelagoniums?
In the sticks near Peterborough
I agree with nut re cutting it back and putting it outside. I also agree re the scented pelargoniums, my granny had these in her wee flat in Glasgow, and they thrived all year. They have the added bonus ofrepelling midges and other types of biting nuisance, except maybe vampires.