Mint is a highly valued aromatic plant, mainly because of its multiple uses both in cooking and in the preparation of infusions and other drinks. For this reason, many people choose to plant mint at home. In addition, its special smell helps to scent your home. And as if that wasn’t enough, the health benefits of this plant are so numerous that we decided to show you how to care for a mint plant.
Mint, no longer dry and wilted. The gardener’s trick to get more lush, fragrant leaves!
To grow mint, the first thing to keep in mind is that this plant needs temperatures between 13 and 15 °C at night and between 18 and 21 °C during the day . When planting, the season must also be taken into account, because in spring and summer the plant should face east. However, in autumn and winter, it is best to orient the mint plant to the south or west. In any case, the right time to plant is spring or autumn and you should place it in a place where it has sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. In any case, you can choose to take a small seedling that has already grown and take care of it.
1. In what soil should mint be planted?
If you plan to plant the mint plant directly in the ground, do so in a moist spot in your garden with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Before proceeding with the harvest, remove weeds to ensure that your mint plant receives the necessary amount of nutrients to prevent the development of diseases.
2. How to grow mint in pots
Growing mint requires enough space to grow well. Therefore, you should give your starter plant the space it needs, as it provides us with cuttings and/or seeds. Use a large pot with holes in the bottom to drain excess water and place a saucer underneath so that excess water can be reabsorbed into the plant.
3. How to plant mint in the garden
Perhaps the biggest problem with caring for mint plants in the garden is their overgrowth. To control this, you can place a container in the place where you want to plant the mint plant buried in the ground. This will slow down growth, but check the container regularly to prevent the plant from getting out of control.
It is important to moisten the soil before sowing the seeds or cuttings to facilitate their growth. Spread a light layer of humus and keep each cutting or seed 15 to 30 cm apart. If you use seeds, plant them no deeper than 3 cm, but for cuttings, the depth should be about 5 cm.
READ ALSO: I prepare this super creamy cake with yogurt and eggs: now I make it every 3 days | Only 110 kcal!
4. Use cuttings or seeds to grow many mint plants.
As mentioned above, you can grow a mint plant from cuttings or seeds. Cuttings are obtained by cutting off some ends of another healthy plant with a length of 12 to 15 cm. Then remove the lower leaves from the cutting and place the stem in a jar. Then place it next to a window where it gets 4 to 6 hours of sun a day.
When the roots have grown and are long enough, it’s time to plant them in the ground. And remember to add water to the glass during this time if necessary. If you want to plant mint in a pot, use a sprig for each pot. However, if the vase is large, you can use more branches while maintaining the specified distance.
5. What is the best way to care for a mint plant?
Caring for the mint plant is not complicated at all, but you need to give it some fertilizer from time to time. You should also keep the soil moist by mulching around the plant. This also prevents the plant from spreading too much. If your mint plant is potted, we recommend rotating it every three to four days so that it continues to grow evenly, as it tends to face the sun. Don’t forget to add a layer of compost after a few months, and mulch is also a good option during the cold months.
6. Peppermint water, how often
To care for your mint plant, you need to water it continuously. However, it is not even necessary to water every day, but you need to make sure that the soil is always moist and not waterlogged. If you notice your plant wilting, it may be due to a lack of sunlight or too much or too little water.
7. Mint harvest, when and how
Caring for a mint plant at home also includes harvesting, which should be done just before flowering so that the leaves have more flavor and an intense smell. To do this, harvest the mint plant just above the first or second set of leaves. Finally, even when harvesting, it is advisable to remove all yellowish leaves to promote optimal and denser growth of your plant. You can harvest up to three plants per season.
If you plan to plant this plant in your garden, it will interest you to know that it can grow alongside cauliflower and broccoli. However, avoid planting a mint plant next to parsley.
