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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Useful article - an overview of how mint grows on the windowsill, as well as its relative, the herb lemon balm. Secrets of planting, care, selection of seeds, watering, harvesting.

Mint and lemon balm are very common and beloved by everyone, without exception, spicy aromatic plants.

Many people know about their most valuable medicinal properties and use these gifts of nature for the benefit of their health.

Melissa and mint on the windowsill - how to grow and have a fresh spice at your fingertips all year round? This will be discussed below.

Mint on the windowsill - the secrets of growing

Mint - (lat.Méntha is a genus of plants of the Lamiaceae family. All species are highly aromatic, most of them contain a lot of menthol

Mint can be grown on windowsills, on loggias, using flower pots or large special containers.

The name of the genus comes from the name of the nymph Minfa (or Minta), the goddess of Mount Mente in Elis, the beloved of the god of the underworld, Hades. Hades' wife Persephone turned her into a plant - a fragrant mint

What breeding methods are there?

There are two ways to grow: seeds and cuttings.

Of course, with the graft propagation method, you will get a harvest faster than using the seed method.

Therefore, if you have such an opportunity - to prepare cuttings, then it would be most reasonable to do so.

Or simply, knowing this moment, plant the seeds in advance, calculating in time the date of the expected first harvest.

What capacity should I use?

It is necessary to choose a container for planting from those considerations, how much you need to get a harvest by volume.

What kind of soil does mint like?

It feels great on loose humus soil, the acidity of which should not exceed 5-6 pH.

Peat soil is also suitable for her. Therefore, on the basis of these points, and buy the necessary soil mixtures.

You can prepare the necessary soil mixture with your own hands.

How to do it?

There are two options:

1. Take in equal proportions garden soil, humus, peat, sand. Stir evenly. The mixture is ready.
2. You can mix just garden soil and humus in a 2: 1 ratio. This option is poorer in composition, but it is also quite suitable.

Growing mint from seeds

You can buy seeds at any garden store, or you can collect them yourself from mature plants.

Advice

There are many varieties and types of mint, therefore, if you are growing this plant for the first time, but it is most advisable to try several of its types and then choose which fragrant herb you prefer.

• So, make grooves or holes about 5 ml in the soil. in depth, sow seeds, water, sprinkle with soil.
• The first shoots appear in two to three weeks.
• Comfortable temperature for growing is 18-25 degrees.
• There must be a sufficient, good level of lighting.

Mint on the windowsill - Growing spices from cuttings

In the fall, when the growing season of the plant is over, it is necessary to prepare cuttings for yourself.

The rhizome must be carefully dug out together with a lump of earth. If you do not plan to plant immediately, then store the rhizome in a cold cellar, sprinkle with sand on top.

Attention!

All types of mint are suitable for propagation by cuttings, except for water mint.

• Before planting, carefully examine the dug roots, divide into small parts so that each has root suckers with dormant buds.
• Next, plant the cuttings in flowerpots or boxes filled with soil mixture for 2/3 of the volume. After laying, water abundantly, sprinkle with soil.
• Within ten to twelve days you will have the first leaves ready.
• After planting, it is recommended to feed the plant with fertilizers.
• You can use urea for this purpose - one gram of fertilizer per liter of water. Stir, pour.

How to care for mint?

She is not picky, but there are still some points.

In winter, it should be watered carefully to prevent too much waterlogging.

At this time of the year, plant growth slows down, so its need for nutrients and moisture decreases.

But at this time of the year, heating radiators in apartments work hard, the air becomes too dry, so it is recommended to spray the plant with a spray bottle.

Mint does not tolerate drafts, consider this moment when caring for it.

In summer, do not overdry the soil, this will lead to the death of the plant.

This spice is very light-requiring, but still, carefully observe how it behaves in direct sunlight. Shade it if necessary.

How to grow lemon balm on a windowsill?

Seed growing method

To do this, plant the seeds in a box, which you must fill 2/3 with soil mixture, which must be purchased at a special store.

• You can make such a soil mixture yourself. To do this, take in equal proportions ordinary turf soil, peat and humus. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour into containers prepared for planting, make grooves there 0.5 cm deep, at a distance of about 5-6 centimeters from one another. Pour water over them.
• Before planting, the seeds should be dry, sprinkle them sparsely, cover them with soil, water.
• Moisten the soil regularly before the first shoots appear.
• Seedlings should appear in about ten to fourteen days.

Reproduction method by cuttings (vegetative)

From absolutely identical to what is written above in relation to propagation by cuttings of mint.

Plant care

In winter, you should not leave lemon balm on the balcony, it is better to bring the flowerpots or boxes into the house and install them on the windowsill.

• In this case, it is necessary to be careful not to overcool the plant with drafts, not to dry it out, since, as a rule, there are central heating batteries under the windowsill.
• During this period, the plant can do for a long time without moisture, but do not overdo it. You just need to slightly reduce the number and frequency of watering compared to the summer period.

Important!

Melissa thrives on the same soil for several years in a row, so there is no point in changing the soil mixture every year or two.

• Be sure to keep the soil loose, loosen it periodically so that the plant breathes better.
• Remember that lemon balm is a fairly light-loving plant, so provide it with plenty of sunlight.
• When grown in shade, the plant slows down the production of a sufficient amount of essential oil and loses its aromatic properties.

Growing seedlings at home

If you want to pre-grow lemon balm at home on a windowsill in order to then move it into the ground in the spring, after sowing the seeds, you can cover the soil with a film for faster first shoots.

• As soon as the first true shoots appear, dive the plant.
• It is necessary to plant lemon balm seedlings in the ground in the first decade of May, when all danger of frost has probably passed.
• Plant the plant at a distance of 40-60 centimeters from each other, so that the bushes do not interfere with each other during growth.

Mint on the windowsill - Useful video

Be sure to watch this video, where Oktyabrina Ganechkina tells everything about growing aromatic herbs on the windowsill.

Collection, preparation, storage of mint and lemon balm.

The collected leaves must be laid out on a dry surface in a dark place, out of direct sunlight.

It is necessary to dry the leaves to their absolute fragility.

Raw materials are stored in paper or cloth bags, in a dry and cool place.

Be careful to keep moisture levels low during storage. Otherwise, it will lead to damage to your blanks.

mint on the windowsill - Useful plaque memo

Save to yourself, add to bookmarks and share with your friends on social networks and you will always know the basic principles of growing mint and lemon balm at home.

Try to grow mint and lemon balm on the windowsill and have a Lush harvest!

Read about what other plants can be grown on the windowsill in this interesting article.

sources

Mint is one of the most popular spicy plants. It is grown not so much for decorative purposes (Mint flowers do not differ in particular originality and beauty), but because of their beneficial properties. Mint is actively used in cooking, cosmetology, folk medicine. In addition to the fact that it can be grown in garden beds, many housewives are happy to grow it in pots at home. Thus, you can have at hand throughout the year not only fresh spicy herbs, but also refresh the air in the apartment with the aroma of menthol.

General information about Mint

Mint is a perennial herb from the Yasnotkov family. Grows well in regions with different climatic conditions. More than 300 species of this plant are known, but the most common are about 25 varieties of Mint, among them such varieties as Peppermint, Curly, Lemon, Long-leaved, Spikelet, Water and others.

The stems and leaves of Mint, depending on the species, can be green or reddish with a purple tint. Flowers are small, collected in paniculate inflorescences of purple color.

How to grow mint at home

Mint is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Many peppermint lovers often choose the second option because it is easier. In addition, only with the help of cuttings, you can get the same variety as the mother plant. Growing mint seedlings at home

The process of growing Peppermint by seed is much more complicated. It is more durable and requires some effort.

Basic requirements and rules for growing Mint seeds

• Sow seeds for seedlings in early spring. Since mint seeds are very small in size, they are not buried when sown, but are applied superficially and sprinkled on top with a very thin layer of substrate. If the seeds are buried, then they will not have enough strength to break through the soil.

It is recommended to sow different types of mint seeds at the same time in one container, since the plant tends to be pollinated and the variety that is declared on the seed bag does not always grow.

• The seed container should not be too deep. It is desirable that it be transparent and with the same lid, then it will be possible to observe how the seeds germinate. The cover should be removed only when it is necessary to water the soil, for ventilation. Water only with a spray bottle. You can provide the container with ventilation by making small holes in it in different places. This will prevent condensation from forming on the walls of the container.
• The soil must be prepared in advance. It should be nutritious, loose. You can buy it in a specialized store, or it is better to cook it yourself by combining humus, compost and wood ash. It should be borne in mind that a soil containing a large amount of lime will reduce the menthol flavor of the Peppermint. This is especially true for people with allergies.

Before proceeding with sowing seeds, the soil must be disinfected by spilling it with a manganese solution, and then calcining it in the oven.

• The most favorable air temperature for seed germination is + 22-24 ° C. To create optimal wet conditions, place a container of water next to the container. As it evaporates, it will humidify the air.
• The first shoots appear in about 10-15 days from the moment of sowing. It is best to place the container on a windowsill so that the seedlings receive the ultraviolet rays they need during the day. However, it must be remembered that mint does not like when direct sunlight falls on it, so the container is best placed on the west or northeast side.
• As soon as the seedlings get stronger, they will have several leaves, the sprouts can be transplanted into separate containers. They must be deep, filled with fertile acid-alkaline soil. Expanded clay or crushed stone should be laid out at the bottom of the containers, which will serve as drainage. The formation of the bush takes place within two months.

Mint Care

Mint, which grows in the garden, does not require special attention. But the bushes that grow in pots indoors need care, and the care is different depending on the season.

In summer, it is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out, and therefore there must be water in the pan. From time to time, the bushes need to "please" with a shower, spraying leaves from a spray bottle. You can feed with fertilizer once.

In winter, watering is reduced: the plant at this time is filled with juice, essential oils. Be sure to protect from drafts that have a detrimental effect on the mint bushes.

Since Peppermint is a light-loving plant, it is necessary to install additional artificial lighting, extending the daylight hours up to about 12 hours.