You can grow mint at home

Its aroma is one of the most recognizable and beloved, the leaves are present in the kitchen supplies of almost every housewife, and its natural properties help relieve nervous tension and restore a healthy sound sleep.

Mint is a herb that has earned the respect of culinary craftsmen and experts in traditional medicine. How to grow mint at home yourself?

Characterized by jagged leaves and tiny pink, purple, white flowers, the perennial is widespread in the wild and cultivated horticulture. At home, mint is not a capricious and easily adaptable plant.

Vegetative growing method

How to grow mint at home? The most common method of propagation is vegetative, in which cuttings or rhizome cuttings with shoots can be used.

To obtain a cutting in the summer from an adult plant, you should cut off a twig with leaf nodules and place it in a glass of water or in the sand. After a week, you can see the appearance of small white roots. When they reach a decent length, the plant can be planted in a permanent place of growth. You can also get planting material by digging a mint bush in early autumn and dividing it into several parts. Each of them should have shoots with roots and several buds.

Propagation of mint by seeds

The seed method is less in demand and is quite lengthy. Typically, mint seeds are purchased in stores. They need to be planted in containers with barely damp soil to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm, create greenhouse conditions for them, covered with plastic wrap or glass. After 7-16 days, the mint seeds will sprout; the emerging and matured seedlings should be transplanted into pots and determined in cooler conditions for the purpose of gradual acclimatization. After 7-10 days, the young plant will be ready to be assigned to a permanent place of growth.

How to grow mint at home: useful tips

Mint can be grown both outdoors and as a pot plant. For indoor maintenance, in which the plant can be grown all year round, a drainage layer should be placed in the planting container, and a soil composition of 1 part humus and 2 parts of leafy soil should be used as a nutrient soil. Plant a new plant here.

Mint on the windowsill will feel good in the west or east side of the room, without direct sunlight on the green leaves. In summer, the plant will be comfortable on the balcony, in winter - on a lighted windowsill. In room conditions, it should be controlled 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 spray the leaves from time to time. A weekly shower during the warmer months will only benefit a fragrant room culture. With regular cutting off of the leaves, it is recommended to feed the plant once a month.

Mint: outdoor growing conditions

When grown outdoors, mint should be placed in a sunny location in fertile, well-drained soil. The best precursors for mint are turnips, carrots, and potatoes. The planting depth of the seedling is 10-12 cm, the recommended distance between plants is 15-30 cm. The bush will root better if, when planting at a distance of 5 cm from the soil surface, its aboveground part is cut off.

How to grow mint at home so that its reserves are not depleted? Mint tends to grow strongly. You can limit it in active growth to the sides by planting a bush in a wide container, which you can immerse in the ground. The planted plant will delight with young leaves in a couple of weeks. The top of the fragrant grass should be kept trimmed: this inhibits growth in height, causes overgrowth 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 growth of the vegetative mass, which will negatively affect the accumulation of essential oils mint.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting can begin in the second year after planting: about 3 cuts are made per season. It is best to harvest mint leaves during flowering (June – September) - it is at this moment that it has the highest content of essential oils.

Dried leaves and petioles, which are the aromatic component of herbal tea and seasoning for dishes, should be stored in a dark place in a glass container. It is recommended to grow a garden culture in one place for no more than 4 years.

Diseases and pests

Mint can be affected by pests such as spider mites, slugs, whiteflies, and weevils. Keeping a plant healthy requires good air circulation in the soil and drainage. Insects, which tend to reside on the underside of leaves, can be rinsed off with a hose.

Home-grown mint varieties

On your own plot, you can plant several types of mint, or stop at one of them.

So, apple mint, characterized by a pleasant aroma and delicate 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 spicy and tasteful qualities with decorativeness, are characterized by wide ovoid leaves with a clearly visible thick pile. The height of the herbaceous bushes is about 70 cm.

Curly mint is ideal for culinary purposes because it does not have the cold menthol flavor that peppermint has. The plant is characterized by strong stems and bright green, jagged leaves along the edges. Mint looks very nice in a pot, giving a year-round harvest when grown indoors.

Field mint fully reveals its qualities in tonic drinks. The long-leaved species contains a large amount of vitamin C and, due to the high content of essential oils, is successfully used in cosmetology and home soap making. Therefore, you should definitely acquire such a useful culture on your own site, which is at the same time a medicine, a spice and a seasoning.

In cultural gardening, peppermint is widespread - a plant with creeping long roots, numerous branches with green egg-shaped leaves and miniature purple-pink inflorescences.Due to the high content of menthol, the aerial part of the grass emits a strong aroma and is characterized by a specific "cooling" taste.

Young mint greens are used to flavor drinks, sauces, desserts, fruit and vegetable dishes. Peppermint, which has sedative and antiseptic properties, is a constituent of many medicines, is effective in treating colds and improves digestion.

Drinks made with fresh mint can be enjoyed all year round, even when there is snow outside and there is severe frost. And it's not at all about going to the nearest store and buying fragrant leaves or getting the dried last year's harvest. Anyone can grow this plant at home, on their windowsill or in the country.

Green mint all year round on your windowsill

It would seem why add unnecessary trouble to yourself and grow mint at home, if you can make the necessary supply from the summer by drying the fragrant greens for future use. However, dried mint does not have such a bright taste and rich aroma as a fresh plant, and some of the beneficial properties of mint are lost during processing, which is also quite important. No essential oil can compare in its properties with a living plant. In addition, growing mint on the windowsill does not require much effort - it is enough to carry out the simplest care of the plant and there will always be fresh greens on the windowsill! There are two possible ways to grow mint both in the country and at home. The first option is to grow healthy greens from seeds, the second using cuttings. But keep in mind that mint sprouting from seeds immediately after the emergence of sprouts gives very tender, incomparable greens, while mint from cuttings is already "adult", that is, somewhat tough and coarse. However, the "cut" mint has a more pronounced taste, but the "seed" - the aroma.

Growing mint at home is not only useful, but also beautiful.

Whichever of the two methods you choose, the first step is to prepare the seats.

As for the containers, it all depends on your own preferences and capabilities, since mint can be grown, including in flower pots, especially since a green mint bush will look like an ornamental house plant, so growing mint at home is not only useful, but also beautiful. But we do not recommend taking a too small container, since the plant has a branched and strong root system, and if there is not enough space, the greens will be frail and not powerful enough.

Video about how to grow mint at home

As for the soil, it is best to take care of this issue in advance. Since mint grows best in acidified soil, you can prepare a soil mixture based on peat. If there is no time to prepare the soil, then you can purchase a ready-made substrate in the store, or dig up land in the country. In the latter case, when digging land in the garden, it is worth taking a more oily and fertile soil. In addition, if the land was taken from the garden, it cannot be used without making light disinfection to destroy pathogenic microbes. The easiest way to do this is to spill the prepared soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then ignite it.

Further actions depend on which method of planting mint (cuttings or seeds) you have chosen.

Growing from seeds

In order to grow mint from seeds, you first need to get them. The most correct way is to purchase seed in a specialized store. As a rule, varieties such as Pepper or Lemon are purchased for the home, since, on the one hand, they have a pronounced taste and aroma, and on the other, they do not require any kind of exotic soil or special fertilizers.It is possible to grow a more exotic variety, but this should be done by "stuffing your hand" on the simplest one.

Planting in pots or trays with wet soil is done after the preliminary preparation of the seeds has passed. Seeds are poured into grooves, up to 5 mm deep, sprinkled on top flush with the ground. Further care is watering with a spray bottle and covering with a film. The film remains on the pot constantly until the sprouts appear, only 2-3 times a day the soil must be aired for 30-40 minutes, and it is better to do this in the evening and morning hours.

The plant sprouts in just 2-3 weeks. After the sprouts appear, some of them (with especially frequent sowing) can be moved to another container, however, when extracting the plants, you should be extremely careful, since the root system of young mint is still very tender.

Planting in pots or trays with wet soil is done after the preliminary preparation of the seeds has passed.

Growing from cuttings

Growing mint from cuttings is extremely simple and even easier than growing from seeds. To do this, you need to buy (or take in the garden) a strong stalk, which is placed at home in a glass or glass jar for germination of the root system. Plastic containers are not recommended for use.

Video about growing mint on a windowsill

Experienced gardeners advise putting a gauze-cotton pad on the bottom of the container, which imitates the soil and immediately gives more branched roots. As soon as the roots reach a length of at least 7-10 mm, the stalk is transplanted into moist soil, and the plant is placed in a sunny place, but for the first months it is protected from direct rays with a white translucent cloth or thick gauze.

Plastic container is not recommended for use

Mint care

Special care is not required for home mint; it is enough to perform a few simple steps:

• regular watering is also the main care. In no case should the soil be allowed to dry out, since mint does not tolerate dryness well. However, you cannot fill the plant;
• dust removal. Using a sprayer, you should regularly remove dust from the foliage - this will make the mint only bushy and aromatic;
• top dressing. In the summer, you can feed with urea once (1 g / 1 l of water), in the winter, no feeding is needed;
• supplementary lighting. In summer, an abundance of light is not required, but from October to March daylight hours must be extended to 12 hours;
• direct sunlight is detrimental to foliage, so the plant must be hidden from it behind a light canopy;
• maintaining the temperature. Mint does not tolerate cold, the optimum temperature for it is 20-22 grams Celsius. In the summer, mint can (and should) be kept on the balcony, and in the winter it can be moved to the windowsill;
• leaves should be pinched off at a distance of 15-20mm from the stem, which stimulates the emergence of new shoots.

No special care required for homemade mint

Caring for mint at home is not difficult and not burdensome, but you always have at hand not only fresh and tasty greens, rich in vitamins, improving sleep, memory, increasing the body's defenses, but also just a beautiful-looking bushy plant.

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Mint is a very healthy and tasty plant. It is added to tea to calm the nerves, improve mood and tune in to a sweet dream. And if you just touch the mint leaves, then the space will be filled with a wonderful aroma. Therefore, many want to know if it is possible to grow mint on a windowsill in winter. You can, for this you need to know the basic rules for planting a bush in the ground and basic plant care at home.

Features of growing on a windowsill

Growing mint at home on a windowsill is considered a bit exotic.She usually lives well in the open field. But some people really want to grow it in a pot and keep it not only for the beauty of the interior, but also for the health and wellness benefits.

To do this, you need to take into account some of the features of planting and caring for a young plant. There are several ways to grow homemade mint on the windowsill. If rooting is carried out by seeds, then you need to be prepared for the fact that the seedlings sprout poorly and slowly. Most importantly, in most cases, young seedlings have poor heredity and often get sick.

It is best to grow mint on the windowsill with cuttings, they take root faster and carry all the useful qualities taken from the mother shrub.

Important! You need to keep mint at room temperature not lower than + 250C, in winter you should adhere to +17 .. + 200C. Hypothermia for an indoor flower is destructive.

Watering is required in the summer to be of high quality. Over-irrigation should be avoided during the winter months, supplying nutrient moisture to the shrubs only when needed. But unlike summer, since January, you need to spray the leaves daily with warm room water.

Thus, the features of growing mint on the windowsill are not too different from other rooted plants in indoor living conditions. The main point of keeping a shrub on the window is a comfortable temperature, a sufficient amount of light and watering provided.

Video: features of growing mint on a windowsill.

What varieties are suitable for growing on a windowsill

Mint is considered a spice that grows in the open field, so there are not so many varieties for growing on the windowsill. A small list is represented by the following species, suitable for planting on the windowsill in the room. Here are the varieties of mint that can be grown on the windowsill:

1. Pearl - small size. It is distinguished by wrinkled leaves of medium volume with a dark green tint. In order for the bush to start branching, it is required to pinch the top growth point. Then lateral dormant buds will grow. The smell of the species is distinguished by a spicy mint aroma.
2. Penniroyal - home bush of compact volume. Its advantage is the formation of a large number of long processes. Its foliage is insignificant in length, the leaves are close to each other. Inflorescences are small, give off a purple tone. The smell of foliage when touched is bright, clearly expressed.
3. Ceremony - an essential oily deciduous plant. The foliage vaguely resembles the Pearl variety, having the same wrinkled leaf plates and a rich dark shade. It is imperative to pinch the upper bud so that the shrub begins to actively branch. Without this, the flower will begin to stretch out in a single trunk. The taste of fresh leaves is mint, intense, and the aroma is bright, spreading over a large area.

In addition to these varieties of mint, you can try to grow garden bushes in pots on the windowsill. For this purpose, a larger flowerpot and constant monitoring of active growth will be required. Perfect for planting on a windowsill are such varieties of mint as Garden Menthol, Garden Pepper and Anise Lofant.

How to plant and grow on a windowsill - features, conditions and step-by-step instructions

To grow mint on the windowsill at home, you need to know how to plant correctly, at what depth to place seedlings or mint seedlings.

Reference! A correctly selected planting substrate will provide the shrub with good germination and rapid growth. Therefore, you should adhere to the basic recommendations during planting.

What should be the place

To safely grow mint on a windowsill in an apartment or private house, you should choose the right place. Mint prefers sunny windowsills. But at the same time, the midday rays of the luminary can burn young tender leaves. Therefore, it is recommended to expose slides with shrubs to the western or eastern windows.If it is not possible to place flowerpots on these sides, then the southern window sill should be shaded at noon or the plant should be moved into the shade for a while.

Interesting! If the bush does not have enough light, the shoots begin to stretch excessively, and the leaves become light in color and small in size. Therefore, there should be an optimal amount of sun.

The shrub is very sensitive to moisture. Therefore, on hot summer days and at times when in winter the battery located next to the window glows with heat, it is imperative to adhere to high humidity. To do this, the leaves should be sprayed 1-2 times a day with boiled, settled water.

The temperature regime at which mint shoots grow rapidly is +23 .. + 250C. If the degrees fall below, then the shrub tends to slow down active growth. Therefore, in winter, the temperature in the room where the mint is located is reduced to +17 .. + 190 C. This is done so that the mint rests and gains strength for the spring release of young shoots.

What container to plant

It is necessary to organize the planting of mint for growing on the windowsill in pots of a small size in height, but with a sufficiently large width. Mint grows in breadth, rather than rooted in depth. A ceramic pot is ideal for planting. If you plant mint at home on a windowsill in a plastic flowerpot, the roots of the shrub can rot.

Attention! The plant takes root well in a ceramic pot. It has the ability to absorb excess moisture and allow the air required for the roots to pass through.

It is also important to choose a fairly large flowerpot. If the root system is cramped, then the shrub will slow down its growth and will not please with a rich color.

What soil to plant

Mint is not picky about the soil substrate, but its active growth is noted in loose, fertile soils. The acidity of the earth is not recommended to exceed pH 6. If the indicator is higher, then the plant will sit in one place, showing no signs of an increase in green shoots.

A fragrant bush will not refuse to take root in peat soil. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase soil mixtures based on peat and humus. It is they who have a beneficial effect on the transformation from a young cutting into a beautifully developed plant.

Attention! If possible, you can prepare the soil for planting yourself. To do this, you need to take in equal proportions the soil from the garden or vegetable garden, river sand, deciduous humus and crushed peat. Mix the contents thoroughly and leave the entire consistency for a month.

There is another option for preparing the land for planting mint at home on the windowsill. Land is taken from the garden and combined in a 2: 1 ratio with deciduous humus. Such a concentration is somewhat poorer than the first option, but in the presence of additional dressings, such a composition is perfect for growing.

Preparing seeds and cuttings for planting

Mint propagates in two ways: seeds and cuttings. Before planting begins, planting material should be prepared. Seedlings can be collected from the mother bush after the inflorescences have faded. The main point is to take into account the moments of seed ripening. If you collect them green, they will not rise.

Important! To grow mint on a windowsill from seeds, it is better to buy planting material in a specialized store. Additional processing of seedlings purchased in the store is not required. They are immediately buried in the ground.

To prepare the cuttings, they are cut from the mother bush. The seedling should be up to 10 cm tall. It can be put in water until the stalk sprouts. Or immediately root it into wet soil.

For the rapid release of young roots, the plant must be warm, constantly irrigated with moisture. The main thing is to control the process of germination of the root system.

As soon as the first roots began to appear, the seedlings should be immediately planted in the ground.

The disadvantage of this method is the moment of rooting. After all, if the root system grows significantly, it is possible to damage or completely break the roots during placement in the ground.

Video: how to grow mint on a windowsill using cuttings.

Direct landing

Seeds are sown on the soil, and sprinkled on top with a small amount of earth, but so that the seedlings are at a depth of 0.5 cm from the top. In turn, the cuttings are buried to a depth not exceeding 7 cm.

When growing mint on a windowsill with seeds, it is recommended to plant them in March or April. After planting, they need to be covered with glass or film. This is necessary in order to reproduce the greenhouse conditions for rapid germination.

Attention! Cuttings, as opposed to seedlings, should be rooted in the fall. It is at this moment that the mother bush contains a large amount of nutrients that have a beneficial effect on the rapid release of young roots.

Further growth depends only on quality care, which includes watering, feeding and loosening young seedlings.

Video: how to grow mint at home on a windowsill.

How to care after planting and before harvest - tips

To successfully grow mint on a windowsill in an apartment, you need to properly care for it. And proper care must be carried out according to the established rules. You need to follow the advice and then the shrub will begin to grow rapidly and delight with a persistent aroma. There are the following recommendations:

1. The temperature should be at + 250C.
2. In winter, on a short daylight hours, plantings should be highlighted. If you do not light for an additional 6 hours, then the sprouts will begin to stretch.
3. If additional lighting is organized, then it is recommended to reduce the temperature to +17 .. + 180C and reduce watering.
4. A moisture content of 80% should be adhered to. Such a moment is relevant on winter days, when heating devices are turned on and sufficiently dry air is observed. It is required to put containers with water.
5. In addition to containers with water, it is required to spray delicate leaves. The moisture should be boiled, separated, at room temperature.
6. To simplify the care of mint on the windowsill, a small amount of hydrogel can be introduced into the soil. It accumulates moisture and evaporates it for a long period, which reduces the frequency of watering.
7. Top dressing is carried out with potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. With the latter, you need to gently act on the shrub. When it is oversaturated, fertilizers begin to be deposited in the soil.

Thus, by caring for the mint and controlling its constant state, you can achieve a chic bush that will delight with its appearance, aromatic smell and additives to cooking.

Diseases and pests

Young mint sprouts, like the mother bush, are a tasty morsel for diseases and parasites. The most common attack is the mint flea. It spoils both the root system and the ground part. To combat it, they are exposed to chemical insecticides (Karbofos).

Important! Also likes to settle on foliage leaf beetle. He often attacks a bush with increased dampness and excessive watering. To combat, it is necessary to eliminate the beneficial conditions for the living of the pest - to ventilate more and reduce watering.

In addition, the plant can be affected by diseases - rust and powdery mildew. To fight rust, the bush is ruthlessly removed from the collection so that the disease does not have time to move to other specimens. And in the case of powdery mildew, it is sprayed with colloidal sulfur.

To prevent the appearance of parasites and disease, you need to constantly monitor his condition. If you notice the appearance of pests at the first stages of settlement, it is possible to get rid of them without significant losses.

Terms of germination and harvesting

When growing mint on a windowsill using seeds, the first shoots appear after 21 days. After 14-17 days have passed, you can pick off the first leaves.By this time, the shrub will be 25-30 cm tall, after which the young leaves can be used in cooking.

When rooting by cuttings, you need to wait until the young leaves grow. They will appear 10-15 days after planting the cuttings. Only then can you pinch off the greens.

Attention! If the foliage is needed for drying and using in tea, then it is better to wait until more essential oils are collected in the leaf plate. This period begins simultaneously with the beginning of the formation of peduncles.

Thus, growing mint on a windowsill in winter (or any other season) at home is not difficult at all. The main thing is to fulfill all the requirements for planting, choose the correct soil composition and constantly take care of the plant, and then the mint on the windowsill will delight you all year round.

In the cold winter, drink tea with mint leaves ... Who doesn't love? And even with fresh ones! And where can we get them in January? It is expensive to buy in the store, and such weed does not smell especially. So, we will breed ourselves.

How to grow mint on a windowsill? It's not difficult at all. We follow the recommendations and wait for the result.

Windowsill mint can be grown in three ways:

• adult plant
• grafting
• sowing by seeds

Let's take a look at each method. The first two give rough leaves with a strong taste, and the third - young fragrant greens.

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Grow mint as an adult bush

To do this, in the fall, we choose a pretty neat bush in the garden. Together with a small lump of earth, we transfer it to the pot. The container should be large enough, because the mint root system is of a decent volume.

We add a little humus so that the bush does not stagger in the pot. At the same time, this will be the nutrition of the plant for the first time. Now you need to periodically water the mint and be sure to arrange additional lighting. For normal development, you need at least 12 hours of daylight hours. Otherwise, the leaves will be pale, stunted and practically odorless.

By the way, you need to water the mint only after the top layer of the soil has dried. She does not like to swim with her roots in a swamp, so after watering, be sure to drain the excess liquid from the pan.

The temperature of the mint content on the windowsill should not exceed + 25 ° C. Otherwise, the plant will simply begin to dry out and turn yellow. And all your attempts to drain it with water will end in root rot.

Advice. Tear off young leaves often. This stimulates the growth of new shoots.

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Growing mint from cuttings

If you do not have a plant in your garden that can be transplanted into a pot as a whole, then go to the market or to the store. Choose the freshest and evenest sprigs of mint there. Further actions are as follows:

1. We bring the mint home, cut off the bottom leaves. They can be used for their intended purpose.
2. We take a plastic or glass cup, pour in clean, settled water.
3. Throw in a grain of any rooting stimulant or drip a little of any biological adaptogen. For example, epin, zircon, aloe juice.
4. We put the prepared sprigs of mint in the container without the lower leaves, and wait for the roots to appear.
5. We maintain lighting and temperature as described in the first method.

Twigs can be planted in a pot with soil after at least 5 roots have formed. Care in the future does not differ from the usual. The same regular watering, periodic loosening and breaking off fresh leaves.

By the way, the soil for planting mint on the windowsill does not have to be bought at the store. It is very easy to mix it yourself. To do this, you need to take in equal parts good fatty humus, sand and earth from under the birch. For looseness, you can add a little peat. About a handful of 3 liters of soil.

A drainage layer must be placed on the bottom of the pot under the mint. Not moss or eggshells. It will be compressed and there will be no effect. Better to take fine gravel, marble chips.Expanded clay of a small fraction or medium-sized pebbles are also suitable.

Instead of water, you can root the twigs in wet sand. In this case, the cut of the cutting should be dipped into a rooting stimulator, stick it in the sand and cover the structure with a mini-tile for a while. After about 10 days, the shelter is removed, and after another 7 days, a new plant can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Advice. Don't let the mint bloom. Otherwise, it will lose all its taste and aroma properties.

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Growing mint from seeds

The first two methods give the required amount of fragrant leaves. But they turn out to be rude. If you want the most delicate greens without fibers, then try growing mint from seeds on the windowsill. Moreover, this business is not at all troublesome.

First, let's prepare the container. This can be a wide plastic tray or a small wooden box. A small clay planter is also suitable.

We fill it with soil. It should consist of humus, garden soil, peat and clean sand in equal parts. Now it is necessary to make shallow grooves on the surface. 0.5 cm, no more. Place the seeds carefully. Gently sprinkle on top with a thin layer of earth. 0.8 cm will be enough.

Now we need to moisten the whole thing. It is impossible to water, there is a high probability of blurring the plantings. Therefore, we use a spray bottle. We have some water at room temperature. Spray the soil until lightly moistened. It is difficult to overdo it in a transparent container.

Next, close the entire structure with a lid. You can just use a piece of transparent plastic, glass. Even dense polyethylene will do. Then we place the plantings in a dark, warm place. Periodically ventilate and remove condensate. To do this, it is enough to turn the shelter to the other side.

After about 9-12 days, the first shoots will appear. Now the shelter can be removed completely, and the container can be taken out to a bright place. Not in direct sunlight. They are capable of burning foliage even in an adult mint plant. What to say about young plantings?

The first days we do nothing with the seedlings. We only moisturize when the soil dries up. When the second true leaf appears, the mint can be sorted into separate cups. In order not to damage the thin delicate roots with your fingers, use a teaspoon. It is very convenient for her to transfer the sprout to another container along with a lump of earth.

After the appearance of 5 real leaves, you need to pinch the top of the mint. This contributes to the appearance of side shoots. If you do not pinch, then a lone branch will stick out in the pot. But mint grows up to 90 cm in height. Why do you need willows on the windowsill?

And each new shoot after 5 leaves is pinched again. Then the bush will be dense, lush and neat.

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Helpful hints

1. The mint on the windowsill needs to be fed. It responds well to organic fertilizers, but it will not refuse mineral fertilizers either. Just don't overdo it with nitrogen. It is also better not to use urea. There is no doubt, the green mass grows quickly after such a treat. But you are unlikely to like the taste of such leaves.
2. Of the pests, mint is most loved by aphids. On a windowsill made of seeds, plants are completely protected from it. But those transferred from the garden by adults may well be a surprise. Washing the leaves and shoots with laundry soap will not help much. Better to use a short-lived insecticide. This is necessary so that the mint can then be used for food purposes.
3. Do not grow mint on southern windowsills. Direct sunlight can burn foliage in one day. If there are no other options, then be sure to use shading in the form of white paper or thick tulle.
4. In winter, it is recommended to spray the air around the plantings more often. This will increase the humidity of the microclimate and it will be much easier for the mint to live. Instead of spraying, you can put additional containers with water next to it.Even a saucer with wet expanded clay or peat saturates the air with the required amount of moisture.

How to grow mint on a windowsill? As you can see, it is very simple. Mint does not need any special care. A little of your attention and a little bit of care is enough for her. But she will thank you in full. And you can enjoy the fresh leaves with a charming aroma all winter long.

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Video: how to grow mint at home in a few days