I have the wild red bee balm but not a lot of it. There are a few plants here and there and I would like to group them to get more of a showing. I usually prepare my soil with Black Kow and bone meal and start fertilizaton later. But I'm not sure that is the same path I should pursue with the bee balm. Advice, please?
bee balm soil prep
I amended with compost and manure when I transplanted it. It pouted a little the first year (probably because I moved it later in the spring) and then took off the second. Hope this helps.
I have some type that my mom bought at bluestone. They are not wild but they grow like it at my house. I don't do anything special with my soil. I am new to gardening and wouldn't know what to do with it. I just dug a whole a put them it. My are growing like a wild fire!!! I planted them last year adn I have them all over the place. I believe I saw a dead dandelion in their path (never seen a dandelion chocked out:) LOL I bet I have given away about 50-75 plants. I am fixing to take some more out today. I have a few more to give away. If you want some of these let me know. I have to get them out this weekend I can't think of anymore people to give them to. I think they are a redish color if I remember correctly but I can't be for sure as it was their first year and they didn't bloom much.
Your soil must be perfect for them. If you can't unload the extras on neighbors, just post in the plant trading forum. I'm sure you'll get some nice plants in return or they will pay postage.
dahlianut: I went ahead and dug the area out and then mixed in the Black Kow. My soil is low in phosphate so I am adding super phosphate. I will transplant today. Thanks for the help.
My experience is the same as lars1angel. I do nothing for the bee balm and it spreads like crazy. I have the cultivar "Jacob Kline."
I think my shady yard and cooler climate keeps mine in bound a bit more. Anyway, I transplanted them together used some Black Kow and bone meal. Then used a little red pepper flakes to keep the dog away.
I am simply amazed at how quickly monarda multiplies. I actually bought some this year, but now I am realizing that I am simply overwhelmed because last year's has doubled and triples in some cases.
I distinctly remembered ripping some out in the fall to "thin the herd". It's a good thing that I am planting three new beds this spring.
Lol, it is easy to do that with a plant you like. You can't remember the following spring if you had plenty or need more so you buy more. Ah well, you can always bring some to a Round-up.
I was also surprised by the amount. I knew they mulitiplied but when I saw them this year I was like WOW.. I didn't need that many. Well, they found their way to homes and I got an excellent idea. We have fundraising for the MOD in Apirl and I came up with a new event. We will be selling flowers/plants. This gives people like me away to thin some of our plants, give others a chance to get new ones and raise money for a wonderful cause! :)
Well, they are prepared and transplanted. It's been really warm here for the last 2 or 3 days so I have watered them a lot. Oddly, they seem to get more mildew when they DON'T get enough water
Just plant it and stand back. No soil amendment is needed! Seriously.
Well, that hasn't been my experience but perhaps they are not getting enough sun. I did give them some super phosphates because our soil is so low in phosphates here.
Hi woodspirit, you didn't say what your soil is like? I had to ammend my soil for mine. I have sandy soil and it gets dry pretty quickly. What the Bee Balm prefers is a light, well-drained but moist soil, so I needed to add compost with composted manure. They wouldn't be able tospread well in a heavy soil, so compost would need to be added to this type as well. So depending on what you are starting with would determine whether you should amend. I don't know how you water them but overhead watering will cause the mildew earlier and more severley. I have learned my lesson and only use a soaker hose for them. Mine are in a good deal of shade and they multiply quickly, they get sun in early morning with late morning to early afternoon shade. They can take full sun if they are in a consistently moist soil. Hope they do well for you.
I spent a good part of this morning moving monarda all over the garden, and thinning established patches.
Meredith, that looks like a lovely patch of Jacob Kline. I think that I have four different types of monarda, but the purple one (who's name escapes me) is my favorite.
My soil is shallow because of an effort to bulldoze a road up the mountain, but finding it too steep, it was abandoned. So I covered up the bulldozer scar with a rock garden. The bee balm are at the top. One you dig down about 6 inches you come into a layer a decomposing rock. I use a pick to get it out and amend (change) the soil. That's why I used some Black Kow up there.
Ooh that is beautiful. I love purple too. It seems more popular with butterflies too. I get a lot of Fritillaries on mine.
Oops I posted at the same time as you. It doesn't sound like an ideal spot for them, because they are native to stream banks. They are pretty tough though, so they will probably tolerate it. If you could take a piece and try them some where where the soil is rich and deep they would probably spread better for you.
http://www.floridata.com/ref/M/mona_did.cfm
It doesn't like my soil, which is very clay. My neighbors have old beds that have been amended over time and it grows like a week for them. I think soil makes a big difference for monarda.
I have taken so much poor soil and decomposing rock out of there and replaced it with soil enricher and manure, so that they should be happy. It's pretty rainy here, but when we have a dry spell, I'll be sure to keep them watered.
It sure sounds like it! Sounds like you did a lot of work their. I just was thinking about how you said there is decomposing rock only 6" down. The Monarda aren't very deep rooted but I am thinking that would cause not so good drainage and I think the drainage is important for these ones. I am sure there are tons of plants that would love that spot. Aren't Penstemons supposed to love rocky soils?
Don't know. Do they like part shade (about 1/2 shade)?
Yes certain ones will grow well in half day shade.