Why is my bee balm dying ?

Christy

Here is info on your bee balm.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/garden/2187446-bee-balm-dying.html#:~:text=Powdery%20mildew%2C%20wet%20feet%2C%20heat,problems%20with%20bee%20balm%20plants.&text=My%20suggestion%20is%20to%20trim,eliminate%20any%20'fungus%20among%20us.

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/grow/plants/q-bee-balm-plant-is-black-and-dying-other-plants-near-by-are-thriving-31219621#:~:text=Try%20sprinkling%20a%20teaspoon%20of,the%20plant%20and%20then%20water.&text=Yes%2C%20I%20agree%20with%20Naomie,probably%20needs%20better%20air%20circulation.

Hi Christy, here's some info on bee balm you may want to read:

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-bee-balm-droop-81017.html

Is it getting enough water or maybe too much water? I would be tempted to remove most if not all the blooms. This way, no energy from the plant goes to the blooms but instead goes to the plant itself. This may help

I agree about removing blooms - if you remove the blooms, it won't try to use energy to create seeds which can help the plant to heal.

Check to make sure it has been watered and then give it a pull to see if something at the roots!!

The blooms are done - you could leave them on the plant to dry out for the seeds but the plant will keep sending energy there. However, it also looks as though the stems are becoming "woody" which means they are also drying out. It's time to cut the plant back almost to the ground (1-2" tall).

Water and soil instructions as well as plant diseases

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-bee-balm-droop-81017.html

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/4-5/beebalm.html

"As your flowers start to fade, you should deadhead bee balm just above the next flower bud to encourage further flowering. Once a stem has finished flowering, trim it back down to the ground or pinch it off."

Bee balm "should" easily spread either by reseeding itself (let those blooms go to seed! Allow to dry and put directly into the soil, keep moist until sprouting) or via underground rhizomes.

From the location, I'd guess that it hasn't gotten enough water (limits rhizome spreading). Pull the stones at least 4" from the plant(s) and add some compost to the area. Make sure when you water that the soil where the roots are gets wet - if it's really dried out a lot of the surface watering spreads out rather than going deeply into the soil. You'll need to keep a sprinkler/hose on it for at least 1/2 hour to get down to the roots while actively growing. Water can be cut back while it's in its "resting" phase.

"You can divide and transplant your bee balm either after it finishes flowering, or wait until next spring when the emerging shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall. In either case, dig up the entire clump and separate it into equal chunks."

"Divide the bee balm when the center of the plant begins dying out, every two to three years. Dig up and divide the plants in early spring, as soon as the new leaves begin to appear. Cut the plant into divisions with a sterile knife. Each piece needs a clump of roots and two or three shoots. Replant the divisions 18 to 24 inches apart in full sun and moist soil. Small divisions may be potted."

"Bee balm is usually pinched back to make the plant bushy, deadheaded to encourage new flowers and cut back severely (almost to the ground) in late summer after flowering."

Is there weed block fabric under the stones? I've always found that it smothers my flowers. If there is, pull back the stones and cut out a section where the plant is so water gets to the soil.

Hopefully, this info will help you feel confident in collecting seeds, cutting your bee balm back to the ground, and then dividing and replanting it. 😎

Some of these posts might help you:

https://www.hometalk.com/search/all?filter=bee%20balm

Thank you everyone! This helps 😊

It does look like it needs more water and perhaps better soil.

It looks dry

I think it needs more water

It does look dry, none the less, I would remove the flower portion and consider giving it an area where it can spread out. The rhizomes need dirt to grow in and your plant has stones to limit it's growth. Removing the blooms allows the plant to have it's core energized and keep alive. The blooms are a peripheral function to make seeds.

Hello. Do you have inground sprinklers or is it getting enough water? It seems like everything is struggling in my zone seven with the lack of a substantial rain to water my plants. Even my tomatoes have a curl.

Hi Christy: Bee Balm requires a lot of water. If your area has been hot like mine, we're in our 4th day of over 90 degree weather, I water in the morning and in the evening. I have loads of plants and do not want to see my water bill when it comes due :( But, give it some fertilizer and water and they should come back. I wouldn't put Seven on it, but a wash of Dawn and water to kill the bugs. Good luck