Lemon Balm doing TOO well?

[PDXContained]

I have a lemon balm that started last year as a 6" transplant (which overwintered in my house and went outside early this spring) and is now over 3 feet tall. It's been living in a 3 gallon black plastic container for the last several months. It's lush and green and popping out new leaves all the time.

Here's my question:

When I water it, the water runs right through the container and out the drainage holes almost immediately. The plant still seems to be doing fine, and since it's grown so much I'm afraid to re-pot it into an even bigger container for fear it will get even bigger.

However, I worry at how fast the water is going through it. Do I need to? Is there something I need to fix or do differently?

[In case it's helpful, I'm a beginner gardener, growing my first vegees and herbs this year, and I'm in Portland, Oregon.]

Thanks!

Lynne

[applestar]

I think I would slip the entire rootball out of the container, cut it in half (I have a cheap old serrated chefs knife -- delegated to the garden when I moved in with *my* knives ages ago -- for jobs lik this), then repot each 1/2 individually. Now you have two.

[rainbowgardener]

You shouldn't need to bring the lemon balm in for the winter. Mine stays in the ground year round and I think we have colder winters than you. It is actually kind of weedy, spreads itself around a bit too freely by self-seeding. But it's easy to pull so I don't worry about it.

[PDXContained]

Thanks! I appreciate the info and will split it tomorrow. I will have to find a friend to take the 2nd one!

And thanks for the info on winters. I had a previous lemon balm plant that died last year. I was trying to make sure this one kept going. It's too big to bring in now, so if will just have to make it.