Bergamot is a fragrant and flavorful herb that can be used in many different dishes. It is easy to grow and does not require much care. With just a little bit of effort, you can have a thriving Bergamot plant in your kitchen.
Botanical Name: | Citrus bergamia |
Other Names: | Bergamot orange, Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia |
Type of Plant: | Fruit tree |
Size and Appearance: | The Bergamot is a small citrus tree that grows to about 5-6 meters in height. It has glossy, dark green leaves and white flowers with purple streaks. The fruit is a yellow-green color and is about the size of an orange. |
Planting Time:
Spring.
Blossoming Time:
Late spring to early summer.
Propagation:
From seed or cuttings
Sun:
Full sun.
Temperature:
Between 64 to 77 °F or 18 to 25 °C
Soil:
Well-drained, sandy soil.
Watering:
Moderate.
Fertilize:
Fertilize your bergamot once or twice during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer for use on flowering plants.
Uses:
Bergamot oil is used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, and as a flavoring agent in food and drink.
In this article, you will learn how to grow Bergamot in your garden or in a plant pot.
How to grow Bergamot in the garden
- Buy a Bergamot Plant.
- Choose a sunny spot in your garden with well-drained soil.
- Prepare the soil by loosening it with a spade or tiller.
- Dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball of your bergamot plant.
- Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen any roots that are bound up.
- Water the plant deeply immediately after planting.
- Mulch around the base of the plant with an inch or two of organic material.
- Water your bergamot regularly during its first growing season.
- Fertilize your bergamot once or twice during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer.
- Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming throughout the season.
- Bergamot is not typically bothered by pests or diseases.
- Bergamot can be left in the ground year-round in most climates.
In the following, I will explain each step in more detail.
1. Buy a Bergamot Plant
Some places where Bergamot Plant can be bought are at a local nursery, online, or at a garden center.
The best place to buy a Bergamot Plant is at a local nursery because the plant will be acclimated to the local climate and soil.
2. Choose a sunny spot in your garden with well-drained soil.
Bergamot does best in full sun but can tolerate some light shade.
The ideal spot for Bergamot Plant in the garden is a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Bergamot Plant prefers soil that is neutral to slightly acidic.
3. Prepare the soil by loosening it with a spade or tiller and removing any weeds.
If your soil is heavy clay, consider amending it with some organic matter to improve drainage.
The Bergamot plant prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained, sandy soil. The soil should be prepared by tilling to a depth of 12-18 inches.
If the soil is too heavy, amend with sand or other organic matter.
Bergamots are not tolerant of wet feet, so make sure the site has good drainage. Remove all weeds and debris from the planting area.
If you are planting more than one Bergamot, space the plants 3-4 feet apart. When preparing the soil, possible obstacles include compacted soil, heavy clay soils, or soils that are too sandy.
If the soil is too compacted, amend with organic matter to improve drainage. If the soil is too sandy, add organic matter to help retain moisture.
If the soil is too heavy, amend with sand or other organic matter to improve drainage.
4. Dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball of your bergamot plant.
When digging a hole for a Bergamot Plant, it is important to make sure the hole is deep and wide enough for the roots of the plant.
The roots of the Bergamot Plant need plenty of space to grow, so it is important to make sure the hole is at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide.
It is also important to dig the hole in an area that gets plenty of sunlight. Bergamot Plants need at least six hours of sunlight each day to grow properly.
5. Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen any roots that are bound up.
Place the plant in the hole and fill in around it with amended soil, tamping it down lightly as you go.
6. Water the plant deeply immediately after planting to help settle the roots into their new home.
Bergamot plants need a lot of water when they are first planted.
They should be watered every day for the first week, and then every other day for the next two weeks. After that, they can be watered once a week.
7. Mulch around the base of the plant with an inch or two of organic material to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
A Bergamot plant needs 1-2 inches of mulch. This helps the plant retain moisture and keep the roots cool.
8. Water your bergamot regularly during its first growing season, keeping the soil moist but not soggy.
Once established, bergamot is quite drought tolerant.
9. Fertilize your bergamot once or twice during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer formulated for use on flowering plants.
Follow package directions for application rates and frequency.
Bergamot plants are relatively easy to grow and are not too fussy about their fertilizer needs.
A general-purpose fertilizer will suffice, although you may want to use a slightly higher phosphorus fertilizer to encourage blooming.
Fertilize bergamot plants monthly during the growing season, using one-quarter to one-half the recommended amount on the fertilizer package.
Too much fertilizer can damage the roots and make the plant more susceptible to pests and diseases.
10. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming throughout the season.
Bergamot will bloom from late spring through early fall if kept deadheaded.
To deadhead spent flowers on a bergamot plant, first cut off the stem of the flower just below the bloom.
Then, using your fingers, gently pull the spent flower off of the stem. Finally, cut off any remaining leaves on the stem. Deadheading spent flowers helps to encourage the plant to produce new flowers and also helps to keep the plant looking tidy.
11. Bergamot is not typically bothered by pests or diseases
It is important to watch for signs of aphids, Japanese beetles, or powdery mildew and take action accordingly if needed, however.
Consult your local extension office for specific pest control recommendations for your area.
12. Bergamot can be left in the ground year-round in most climates.
They may need to be dug up and overwintered indoors in areas that experience freezing temperatures for extended periods of time each winter.
How to grow Bergamot is a pot
- Choose a planting pot that is at least 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep.
- Fill the pot with a high-quality potting mix, and water it thoroughly.
- Sow the Bergamot seeds in the pot, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting mix, and water them gently.
- Place the pot in a warm, sunny location, and keep the soil moist but not soggy.
- When the seedlings emerge, thin them to one per pot.
- Water the plants regularly, and fertilize them monthly with a balanced fertilizer.
- When the plants are 6 inches tall, pinch back the tips to encourage bushier growth.
- After the blooming season is over, cut the plants back by half to promote new growth in the spring.
- Overwinter the plants indoors if you live in an area with cold winters.
- In early spring, prune the plants again to shape them as desired.
In the following, I will cover each step in a little more detail.
1. Choose a planting pot that is at least 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep.
The perfect pot for Bergamot Plant is a well-drained pot with plenty of space for the roots to grow.
Bergamot Plants need room to spread out, so a pot that is too small will not work well. The pot should also have drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
2. Fill the pot with high-quality potting mix, and water it thoroughly.
The perfect potting mix for Bergamot Plant should be light and airy with a slightly acidic pH. This will help the plant to stay healthy and thrive.
Some examples of the best potting mix for Bergamot Plant include a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.
3. Sow the Bergamot seeds in the pot, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
The best distance between bergamot plan seeds in a pot is about 2.5 cm (1 inch). This allows the roots to have enough space to develop and the plants to have room to grow.
4. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting mix, and water them gently.
When sowing bergamot seeds, be sure to keep the planting mix moist but not wet. Water the seeds lightly until the mix is evenly moist.
5. Place the pot in a warm, sunny location, and keep the soil moist but not soggy.
The perfect spot for a Bergamot Plant indoors in a pot would be a sunny location with good drainage.
6. When the seedlings emerge, thin them to one per pot.
To thin Bergamot Plant seedlings, first wait until they are about 3-4 inches tall.
Next, using a sharp knife or garden shears, cut off the weaker seedlings at the soil line, leaving only the strongest plants.
Be sure to water the remaining plants well and fertilize if needed.
7. Water the plants regularly, and fertilize them monthly with a balanced fertilizer.
The perfect fertilizer for Bergamot Plants that grow indoors is a slow-release fertilizer with a low nitrogen content.
Bergamot plants are easy to grow and do not need to be picky about fertilizer.
A general-purpose fertilizer is fine, although you may want to use a fertilizer with a little more phosphorus to encourage blooming.
Fertilize bergamot plants once a month during the growing season, using one-fourth to one-half the recommended amount on the fertilizer package.
Too much fertilizer can damage the roots and make the plant more susceptible to pests and diseases.
8. When the plants are 6 inches tall, pinch back the tips to encourage bushier growth.
To remove spent flowers on a bergamot plant, first cut off the stem of the flower just below the bloom.
Then, using your fingers, gently pull the spent flower off of the stem. Finally, cut off any remaining leaves on the stem.
Removing spent flowers helps to encourage the plant to produce new flowers and also helps to keep the plant looking tidy.
Allow the plants to bloom, and then deadhead the spent flowers to encourage more blooming.
9. After the blooming season is over, cut the plants back by half to promote new growth in the spring.
After the blooming season, bergamot plants should be cut back to about 6 inches above the ground.
This will help the plant to regrow and produce more blooms the following season.
10. Overwinter the plants indoors if you live in an area with cold winters.
Bergamot plants need to be overwintered indoors in a cool, sunny location. They should be watered regularly, but allowed to dry out between waterings.
Fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer.
11. In early spring, prune the plants again to shape them as desired.
Bergamot plants can be pruned in spring using a variety of methods. One method is to use sharp shears to remove any dead or dying leaves and stems.
Another method is to thin out the plant by removing any crowded or leggy branches. This will help promote new growth and produce a fuller, healthier plant.
How to use Bergamot
Bergamot is a citrus fruit that is used in many different ways. The most common use for bergamot is in Earl Grey tea, where the oil from the peel is used to flavor the tea.
Bergamot can also be used in other teas, as well as in baked goods and candy.
The oil from bergamot can also be used in perfumes and cosmetics. In traditional Chinese medicine, bergamot is used to treat digestive issues and skin problems. It is also said to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Some people believe that bergamot has spiritual and metaphysical properties. It is said to promote peace, love, and happiness. Bergamot is also sometimes used in spells and rituals for these purposes.
Facts about Bergamot
- Bergamot is a citrus fruit that is native to Italy
- The name “bergamot” comes from the Italian city of Bergamo, where the fruit was first cultivated
- Bergamot is used to flavor Earl Grey tea
- The oil from bergamot peel is used in perfumes and cosmetics
- Bergamot has a unique flavor that is somewhere between lemon and orange