What to Do When Lemon Balm Drops Its Leaves? Cause Analysis and Solutions

Some gardening enthusiasts like to call plants that can absorb harmful substances from the air "air-purifying plants." This is especially true in newly renovated homes, where placing a few of these plants can greatly reduce pungent odors. But some gardeners notice that after a period of time, the plant starts dropping its leaves. What exactly is causing this? And how should you deal with leaf drop in lemon balm? Let us explain in detail.

Lemon Balm

Common causes of leaf drop are as follows:

1. Indoor toxin levels are too high; even an "air-purifying" plant has limited capacity.

2. The light in the environment is too shady; being in an unsuitable environment for a long time gradually weakens growth, and disease soon follows.

3. Too much dust has accumulated on the leaf surface, and pathogens present in the dust have caused infection.

4. Improper fertilizer and watering; fertilizer should be applied lightly, never in strong concentrations; when watering the growing medium, water thoroughly once the topsoil looks dry.

So how should you grow it?

1. Place one large pot per 10 to 15 sq m, and one small pot per 8 sq m. In a new home, after renovation is complete, open all doors and drawers of new furniture; after 72 hours you will notice a clear improvement.

2. Watering

Just water with clean water or rice water every 3-5 days. If the branches and leaves have wilted from lack of water, replenish the water immediately and they will recover quickly. A general-purpose plant nutrient solution can be used to supplement nutrients.

3. Pruning

Lemon balm grows very quickly, so it is recommended to prune it once a week. Simply cut above the new leaves growing on the higher nodes. If black-edged leaves or old leaves at the base appear, there is no need to worry; just pinch them off. (Growth is slow in winter, so prune as little as possible; after pruning, place it in a spot with plenty of sunlight.)

4. Sunlight and Ventilation

If the room gets good light, you can place the lemon balm in a spot with sunlight and normal indoor ventilation is fine; if the room does not get good light, such as a bathroom or kitchen, then place the lemon balm in the room for 72 hours, then move it to a spot with plenty of sunlight, and after 72 hours or so move it back. When the weather is not cold, it can also be placed outdoors to absorb light and get fresh air.

Special Note:

"Air-purifying plants" do not actually absorb toxic substances into their bodies; rather, the toxins adhere to the leaf surface. Therefore, this type of plant with adsorbing functions must be cared for outdoors in the sunlight at regular intervals, and it also needs to release its toxins. So it needs to be placed outdoors in the sun for a day every three to five days to release toxic substances; otherwise it will cause secondary pollution.

How to Grow Lemon Balm, What to Do When Lemon Balm Leaves Turn Black

Nowadays, when people grow green plants, they tend to favor plants with indoor air-purifying abilities, and lemon balm is one of them. Lemon balm - just from the name you can probably guess that this plant's ability is to adsorb toxic gases from the air. So how should this lemon balm be grown, and what should you do if the leaves turn black? Below we will take a look at how to grow lemon balm and the solutions for when the leaves turn black.

What Is Lemon Balm

Lemon balm, also called mint balsam or bee balm, is a perennial herbaceous plant with fleshy roots in the genus Melissa (lemon balm) of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. This plant originally comes from the Mediterranean coast, but its main place of production today is France. Lemon balm, whose English name is Lemon balm, is a fairly well-known indoor foliage plant today. It releases negative ions very quickly and can disinfect and sterilize toxic gases present in the air. For example, formaldehyde, chlorine gas, benzene gas, ammonia gas, sulfur dioxide, as well as smoke odor, unusual odors and carbon dioxide, and so on, are all harmful gases that lemon balm can absorb and disinfect. Its air-purifying ability is very strong.

Common Methods for Growing Lemon Balm

1. Sunlight and Temperature

Lemon balm is a plant that loves light very much and prefers to grow in places with plenty of sunlight. So when growing lemon balm at home, especially indoors, you need to place the plant in a spot with good light and maintain fairly long exposure to sunlight, such as a balcony or a living room windowsill. As for the temperature for growing the plant, lemon balm actually does not have very high requirements; the plant can tolerate low temperatures, and can even survive at 0°C in winter. However, the plant does not tolerate high temperatures: when summer temperatures exceed 30°C, the plant's growth will be severely hindered. Its optimal growing temperature is between 10 and 20°C, and this needs to be kept under control.

2. Watering and Pruning

Lemon balm absorbs moisture, and even if there is too much water in the soil it will not develop root rot. So when growing it, you need to water once every 3 to 5 days. If you want to increase the soil's nutrients or fertility, you can use rice water from home to water the plant, or you can supplement with liquids such as plant nutrient solution to ensure the plant's growth. Lemon balm grows fast, so it needs to be pruned every week. When pruning, just cut off the plant above the new leaves on the higher nodes, or remove all the withered branches, dead leaves and black leaves that appear on the plant. However, since the plant grows slowly in winter, prune as little as possible.

What to Do When Lemon Balm Leaves Turn Black

1. Causes of Lemon Balm Leaves Turning Black

As the saying goes, treat the illness according to its cause. To solve the problem of lemon balm leaves turning black, first you need to understand why this happens to the plant. Generally speaking, lemon balm leaves turning black is mainly caused by these reasons: first, it is a natural phenomenon; second, indoor toxin levels are too high and the plant cannot absorb any more toxins, so it is overloaded; third, the plant gets too little light, possibly because the owner often places the plant in a shady environment; fourth, too much dust has accumulated indoors, causing excessive dust to build up on the plant's leaves; and lastly, the plant lacks nutrients, grows poorly, and develops problems, and so on.

2. Solutions for Lemon Balm Leaves Turning Black

Once you know the causes, you can treat the problem accordingly. If it is due to a natural phenomenon, there is no need to worry; just cut off or pinch off the blackened leaves on the plant and it will be fine. If it is because indoor toxin levels are too high, you can add a few more potted lemon balm plants to give the plant some help, or you can keep the indoor windows open for ventilation for a long time to reduce indoor toxin levels. If the plant gets too little light, then increase the light and let the plant enjoy plenty of sunshine. If too much dust has accumulated on the plant, then clean the leaves more often. If the plant lacks nutrients, you can apply fertilizer or add nutrient solution, and so on.

Conclusion: Lemon balm is a fairly popular indoor air-purifying plant nowadays. Its air-purifying ability is strong and its growing method is simple. Even if the leaves turn black, the problem can be solved quickly. So if you like it, go ahead and grow it.

How to Grow Lemon Balm_Can It Be Grown in the Bedroom_Lemon Balm Growing Methods

From the name lemon balm, everyone should know its function: absorbing harmful gases from the air. Lemon balm not only has a good decorative effect, but can also purify the air, making it a very good potted plant. So how do you grow lemon balm? Can it be placed in the bedroom?

I. Lemon Balm Growing Methods

1. Sunlight and Ventilation: If the room gets good light, you can place the lemon balm in a spot with sunlight and normal indoor ventilation is fine; if the room does not get good light, such as a bathroom or kitchen, then place the lemon balm in the room for 72 hours, then move it to a spot with plenty of sunlight, and after 72 hours or so move it back. When the weather is not cold, it can also be placed outdoors to absorb light and get fresh air.

2. Temperature: Lemon balm does not have high temperature requirements. It can tolerate low temperatures in winter, but if the summer temperature reaches above 30°C, its growth will be restricted.

3. Watering: It is best to water with clean water or rice water every 3-5 days. Lemon balm has a very strong self-repair ability; even if the branches and leaves have wilted, as long as water is replenished immediately, it will recover quickly.

4. Pruning: Lemon balm grows especially fast, so it is recommended to prune it once a week. If the leaves have black edges or the leaves at the base are old, there is no need to worry; just remove them.

5. Pests: Because lemon balm releases volatile oils that can sterilize and absorb harmful gases, it basically does not suffer from pest problems.

II. Precautions for Growing Lemon Balm

1. Lemon balm grows slowly in winter, so do not prune too much. If you do prune, be sure to place it in a spot with plenty of sunlight.

2. As long as the soil is not dry, there is no need to water. If it is dry, then you must water thoroughly.

3. When it is placed in the home for air purification, after each use put it in a spot with good sunlight and ventilation, and wait until it has absorbed sunlight and exchanged air before using it again.

III. Can Lemon Balm Be Placed in the Bedroom

Because lemon balm has a fairly good effect on absorbing toxic substances, many people place it in their living rooms to grow. But many friends ask whether a plant like lemon balm is suitable for placement in the bedroom. Actually, this question is not very complicated. For people, the bedroom is a very important place for rest. Although plants such as lemon balm have a fairly good adsorbing effect, at night they also carry out respiration and release gases such as carbon dioxide, which is not very good for rest. So if your bedroom has good light, you can place plants like lemon balm in a well-lit spot in the bedroom during the day, and move them out of the bedroom when it is time to rest at night. This not only effectively reduces the amount of polluting gases in the room, but also alleviates the problem of plants competing with people for oxygen at night.

The above isLemon Balm Growing Methodsand whether lemon balm can be placed in the bedroom. If you have lemon balm growing at home, be sure to pay attention.