How to grow mint at home all year round?

Growing spice plants at home on the windowsill is an ecological trend and an entertaining hobby. Mint forms a favorable microclimate, emits a pleasant aroma.

The leaves of the plant are used as a seasoning, added to tea and lemonade, desserts to improve taste. The smell of mint repels mosquitoes from the house. Known useful properties of the plant to get rid of nervous disorders, insomnia. How to grow mint at home all year round?

So, how to grow mint at home in a pot - further in our article.

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TOP mint varieties for growing at home

For home cultivation, it is better to select varieties with small roots and a compact ground part. Varieties with excellent taste and good survival in pots:

• “Ceremony”, a plant with a profusely leafy stem with light green leaves and a slight spicy aroma;
• “Clear Note”, cold hardy perennial with erect shoots and emerald leaves. Inflorescences and flowers are pale pink;
• “Menthol”, useful in the treatment of digestive disorders. Tastes less cooling than peppermint;
• “Kuban”, grows well in moist soils, in sunny places.

It is better to buy seeds in specialized stores.

Video: How to Grow Mint From Cutting (Step By Step Guide)

Growing mint

Cultivation of any indoor plants requires desire and attention. It is necessary to accumulate theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Questions and problems arise constantly: how often to water ficus Natasha, when women's happiness finally blooms, how to prevent yellowing of the leaves, < strong>how mint hibernates and so on. But the process is fascinating and repeatedly rewarded with aesthetic pleasure from the work done.

Mint is not the hardest option, a good experience for beginners. Mint varieties adapted for home cultivation grow quickly during long daylight hours, tightly wrap their roots around the pot, and reproduce easily.

Where to plant a spicy plant

First, you need to decide where the culture will grow. The plant prefers well-lit places, but not direct, but diffused sunlight.

The best option is the western or eastern window sill. Direct rays can cause burns on the leaves and overheat the soil in the pot. In addition, under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the essential oil is destroyed, and the leaves lose their cooling taste.

Soil and containers

The culture is unpretentious to the soil, but it grows better in loose nutrient soil of neutral acidity. You can make a soil mixture of peat, fine sand and humus in proportions of 2: 1: 1. Peat can be replaced with garden soil. Ready potting mixes for ornamental plants are also a good option.

The mint root system develops not in depth, but in width, so it is advisable to choose a pot that is not high and wide.

A layer of expanded clay up to 3 cm thick is laid on the bottom of the pot. There should be drainage holes in the container. The soil is filled up with an indent of 2-3 cm from the top edge.

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Growing methods

There are two options for planting from seeds and from cuttings. Seeds are better to choose two or three varieties to increase germination and ensure cross-pollination.

Seed planting algorithm:

• Perform even surface seeding. It is impossible to bury the seed in the ground;
• moisten the soil with a spray gun;
• cover the container with plastic wrap;
• put in a warm place with a temperature of 25-26 °C;
• ventilate the container once a day by opening the film;
• wait for sprouts to appear.

There are many surprises waiting for beginner gardeners, including not too pleasant ones. For example, why do anthurium leaves turn yellow, although everything is done correctly? Or why didn't the mint sprout from the seeds?

Florists recommend growing mint from cuttings. Even beginners can do it.

For cuttings, you can use market or shop mint, but always fresh cut. Procedure:

• Place a stalk about 10 cm long with 2-3 rosettes of leaves in a container with water;
• wait for roots to appear. This happens in about a week;
• transplant the plants into the prepared container.

You can also grow mint from root cuttings. If someone you know is planting a plant, ask him for layering. It should not be buried deep, it is important that the earth only covers the roots.

When using one container for several bushes, plant them at a distance of 15 cm so that each has enough space.

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Mint Care

In the first year of growth, mint is watered frequently, but do not allow excessive moisture. In summer, the bush is watered more often than in winter. The plant responds well to spraying with a spray bottle.

Care measures:

• periodic pinching of the top to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots;
• cutting buds to keep them compact;
• seating every 2-3 years;
• Feeding the soil with urea once a year. 1 g of fertilizer is required per liter of water. With good development, top dressing is not necessary.

Mint develops well at a temperature of 22-25°C. As the temperature drops, growth slows down. This feature is used to keep the mint in a pot in the winter, give the shoots a rest, rearrange the pots at t 18-20°C.

Light deficiency is determined by external signs: the stems begin to stretch and thin, and the leaves turn pale. Without sufficient lighting, mint will not grow, but wither, and eventually die.

The leaves of the plant can be affected by rust, brown spots will appear on them. The problem is solved by spraying with a fungicidal solution.

Should I prune my mint for winter? No, this is not necessary, it is enough to cut the flowers. Pruning is done for garden varieties.

Harvesting and storage

How long does mint grow in a pot? The same plant lives 15-20 years, of course, subject to the rules of care and regular seating. You can use the leaves when the stems reach a height of 20-25 cm as needed for culinary or household needs. If mint is grown for oil, on a large scale, the leaves and stems are cut at the beginning of flowering.

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