Its aroma is one of the most recognizable and beloved, leaves are present in the kitchen supplies of almost every housewife, and natural properties help relieve nervous tension and restore a healthy, sound sleep.
Mint is a herbaceous plant that has earned the respect of culinary craftsmen and experts in traditional medicine. How to grow peppermint at home on your own?
Characterized by jagged leaves and tiny pink, purple, white flowers, the perennial is widespread in the wild and in cultural gardening. Mint at home is not a whimsical and easily adaptable plant.
Vegetative growing method
How to grow peppermint at home? The most common method of propagation is vegetative, in which you can use cuttings or rhizome segments with shoots.
To obtain a handle in the summer of an adult plant, cut a twig with leaf nodules and place it in a glass of water or in sand. In a week you can observe the appearance of small white roots. Once they reach a decent length, the plant can be planted in a constant place of growth. You can also get planting material by digging a mint bush in early autumn and dividing it into several parts. On each of them there should be shoots with roots and several buds.
Propagation of mint seeds
The seed method is less in demand and quite long. As a rule, peppermint seeds are purchased in stores. They need to be planted in containers with barely damp earth to a depth of not more than 0.5 cm, to create greenhouse conditions for them, covered with plastic wrap or glass. After 7-16 days, mint seeds will germinate; emerged and strengthened seedlings should be transplanted into pots and determined in cooler conditions in order to gradually acclimatize. After 7-10 days, the young plant will be ready for determination at a constant place of growth.
How to grow peppermint at home: useful tips
Mint can be grown both in open ground and as a pot culture. For indoor maintenance, in which the plant can be grown year-round, a drainage layer should be placed in the planting container, and the soil composition of 1 part humus and 2 parts of leafy soil should be used as nutrient soil. Here also plant a new plant.
Peppermint on the windowsill will feel good in the western or eastern side of the room, without direct sunlight. In summer, the plant will be comfortable on the balcony, in winter - on the illuminated windowsill. In indoor conditions, it should be controlled so that the soil is constantly moist, and there is always water in the pan of the pot. Mint on the windowsill needs regular watering with soft water at room temperature, it is also recommended to periodically spray the leaves. A weekly shower in the warmer months only benefits the fragrant indoor culture. With regular tearing off the leaves, it is recommended to feed the plant once a month.
Mint: open growing conditions
When grown in open ground, peppermint should be determined in a sunny place, in fertile, well-drained soil. The best precursors for peppermint are turnips, carrots and potatoes. The seedling depth is 10-12 cm, the recommended distance between plants is 15-30 cm. The bush will root better if when planted at a distance of 5 cm from the soil surface, cut off its aerial part.
How to grow peppermint at home so that its supplies are not depleted? Peppermint tends to grow greatly. It can be limited in active growth to the sides by planting a bush in a wide container, which can be immersed in the ground. The planted plant will please young leaves with a couple of weeks. The top of the fragrant grass should be kept trimmed: this inhibits the growth in height, causes the growth to the sides, thereby increasing the yield.
After planting, you can feed the mint with a urea solution at the rate of 2 grams of the drug per 1 liter of water. It is not recommended to fertilize the plant with nitrogen-containing agents: they will cause an active increase in the vegetative mass, which will negatively affect the accumulation of mint of essential oils.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting can begin in the second year after planting: about 3 cuts are made per season. It is best to collect mint leaves during flowering (June – September) - it is at this moment that it contains the highest content of essential oils.
Dried leaflets and petioles, which are an aromatic component of herbal tea and seasoning for dishes, should be stored in a dark place in a glass bowl. In one place, a garden culture is recommended to be grown no more than 4 years.
Diseases and Pests
Peppermint can be affected by pests such as spider mites, slugs, whiteflies and weevils. To keep the plant healthy, it is necessary to ensure good air circulation in the soil and drainage. The insects that most often choose a place to live on the underside of the leaves can be washed off with water from a hose.
Species of mint in home growing
On your own site, you can plant several types of mint or stop at one of them.
So, apple mint , characterized by a pleasant aroma and a gentle refreshing taste, does not give bitterness and is tasty in compotes, jelly, jams. For culinary purposes, the entire aerial part of the plant is used. Green and variegated varieties, combining spice and taste with decorativeness, are characterized by wide egg-shaped leaves with a clearly visible thick pile. The height of the herbaceous bushes is about 70 cm.
Curly mint is ideal for use in culinary purposes, because it does not have the cold menthol taste inherent in peppermint. The plant is characterized by powerful stems and bright green, serrated leaves along the edges. Mint in a pot looks very nice, giving indoor cultivation a year-round crop.
Field mint fully reveals its qualities in tonic drinks. The long-leaved species contains a large amount of vitamin C and, thanks to the high content of essential oils, is successfully used in cosmetology and home soap making. Therefore, it is worthwhile to acquire on your own site such a useful culture, which is both a medicine, spice and seasoning.
In cultural horticulture , peppermint is a widespread plant with long creeping roots, numerous branches with green egg-shaped leaves and tiny purple-pink inflorescences. Due to the high menthol content, the aerial part of the herb gives off a strong aroma and is characterized by a specific “cooling” taste.
Mint young herbs are used to flavor drinks, sauces, desserts, fruit and vegetable dishes. Peppermint, which has sedative and antiseptic properties, is a component of many medications, is effective in the treatment of colds and improves digestion.