Mint: like having it always fresh! Cultivation and cuttings

Mentha is a genus that includes around 20 species of aromatic rhizomatous perennials (more rarely annuals), widespread in Europe, Africa and Asia, often native in humid environments, sometimes in bank areas, in shallow waters.

They are very resistant plants, appreciated as aromatic and ornamental (in particular the less invasive species), widely used in cooking and in the preparation of cocktails such as the Mojito and the Hugo; dried they can become part of potpourri and in general they are attractive plants for bees.

What exposure to give to mint

Generally mint loves asunny exposureeven in full sun. It can be grown in less bright positions but will tend to elongate the stems a lot.

What temperature does mint want

Mint is a hardy perennial in the cold and tolerates temperatures down to -15°C (some species even lower, up to -20°C).

As regards summer temperatures, they tolerate intense heat well as long as they are always provided with slightly moist soil.

How to water mint

Mint should be watered regularly during the summer season so that it has always a minimum of moisture in the soil. You can proceed in the flowerbed when the first centimeters of soil are dry. In pots it can also be watered daily during the summer. If we notice that the substrate tends to remain rather soaked it is preferable to reduce the watering and if possible intervene by sub-irrigation.

If possible, watering in the early hours of the morning can be preferred in order to provide the soil with a sufficient quantity of water to face the hot days.

In winter, wetting is much less frequent and proceed only if the soil is drying completely.

The right substrate for mint

mint It adapts to any type of soil in terms of pH. It grows inside clayey, sandy and medium-textured soils although when growing in pots I recommend a well-drained soil such as ONE or ONE+. This is to avoid situations of persistent and stagnant humidity which can in the long run create rot or encourage fungal diseases.

How to fertilize mint

AND not very demanding regarding fertilizations. During the growing season (from spring to autumn) you can accompany the plant with fertilizers for herbs and vegetables, we recommend Biotablets!

Mint propagation

Mint can be propagated via cutting. It is best to propagate between late spring and early summer, when the plant is in full growth but before it has flowered.

Here’s how to do it (the process will take about a couple of weeks):

1. with sterilized scissors cut a healthy piece of stem of about 10cm;
2. remove the leaves from the lower half of the stem;
3. place the stem in a vase with moistened soil (or if you prefer in a container with water), and place everything in an area that receives direct sunlight;
4. if you have chosen the hydroponic method, change the water every few days. Once the roots have reached a few centimeters, move the plant into the ground;
5. water the soil to keep it slightly moist.

How to prune mint

If you want to harvest mint soon we will explain how and when to do it, however if the harvest is not done consistently you can proceed with pruning about 1/3 of the plant towards the middle of the season, in order to fortify it. The right time to carry out this operation is when you notice that the stems are lengthening and the leaves are shortening.

Repot the mint

Repotting will become necessary when the roots emerge from the ground, but it is advisable to take a cutting and start a new plant rather than repotting if you want to use the mint for food purposes as an older plant will have a less strong flavour.

Pests and diseases of mint

Mint fears some fungal parasites such as powdery mildew (powdery mildew) and rust.

Mint is usually quite resistant to attacks by pests and diseases. However, it may happen that whiteflies, mites, aphids and scale insects can make an unwelcome visit.

Sometimes they can be subject to rust, which manifests itself as small orange spots on the underside of the leaves. In this case it is necessary to use a fungicide and it is recommended to let the soil dry between one watering and another.

Since mint has a rather sustained and aggressive growth, it is advisable to keep it separate from the other plants in the garden to prevent it from consuming the nutrients intended for the other plants and then growing significantly. The ideal is to grow this plant in a pot, so that you can limit it without problems.

When is it best to plant mint?

Outdoors, it is advisable to plant mint in spring, once the risk of frost has been averted. Spring rains are usually very useful for it to grow.

Growing mint in pots

Some time ago we told you about terracotta vases, well, they are really perfect with mint! An unglazed terracotta pot with drainage holes is the ideal home for mint as it will allow excess moisture in the soil to escape through the drainage holes and the pot material itself.

A good quality soil should be used and kept moist but not soaked.

You must pay attention to where you place the pot as the stems, once grown, could touch the surrounding soil and take root.

Growing mint from seed

As we mentioned before, if you intend to sow mint outdoors you will have to wait until late spring, when the risk of frost has passedotherwise you can start the process in a pot in the apartment about 8/10 weeks in advance of the expected duration of the cold.

Here too, a bit like cutting, the operations are very simple:

1. lightly cover the seed with soil;
2. keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, which takes approximately 10 to 15 days.

That’s it! In about two months your mint will already be beautifully grown 😉

Collect the mint

You can start harvesting mint leaves once the stems of the plant reach a length of about 20cm. Under optimal conditions this height is achieved after two months for plants grown from seed or less if you purchase a plant already started. Ripe mint can be harvested in summer and autumn before the shoots fade.

However, you must be careful not to collect too many leaves (more or less you should never go beyond 1/3 of the leaves present) so as not to harm the plant.

Mint are aromatic perennials rhizomatous with opposite toothed leaves and small tubular flowers gathered in spikes, which flower in summer.

The leaves can take on various shades from light and dark green, purple, blue or gray.

The long stems grow upwards, bend and roots will form where the stems touch the ground allowing the mint plant to spread quite intensively.

The small white or purple summer flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Mint plants grow fast.

The size of these plants ranges from 30 to 45cm in height and from 45 to 60cm in width.

Taxonomic description

Genus composed of around 20 species of aromatic, rhizomatous perennials, rarely annuals. It is part of the Lamiaceae family.

Habitat

It is native to Europe, Africa and Asia, where it can be found in shallow water or moist soil.

Mint is not pet-friendly

If ingested, mint is toxic to animals.