Mint is a highly appreciated aromatic plant, especially for its various uses in the kitchen as well as in the preparation of infusions and other drinks . This is why many people decide to plant mint at home . Furthermore, its particular smell will help to aromatize your home. And as if that wasn’t enough, the health benefits of this plant are so many that we decided to show you how to care for a mint plant.
Mint, never more dry and wilting. The gardeners’ trick to have lush and more fragrant leaves!
To grow mint, the first thing to keep in mind is that this plant requires temperatures between 13 and 15°C at night and between 18 and 21°C during the day. You should also consider the season of the year for its planting, since in spring and summer it should be placed towards the east. In autumn and winter, however, it is better to orient the mint plant towards the south or west. In any case, the right time to plant it is in spring or autumn and you should place it in a place where it receives sun in the morning and has shade in the afternoon. In any case, you can choose to take a small, already grown seedling and take care of it.
1. In what soil to place the mint
If you plan to directly sow the mint plant into soil, do so in a moist area of your garden with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Before proceeding with cultivation, remove weeds to ensure that your mint plant receives the necessary amount of nutrients and therefore prevents the development of diseases.
2. How to grow mint in pots
Growing mint requires enough space to grow well, so you will need to give your starter plant the space it needs , as it will provide us with cuttings and/or seeds. Use a large pot with holes in the bottom to drain excess water and place a saucer under it to help the excess water be absorbed by the plant again.
3. How to plant mint in the garden
Perhaps the biggest problem when caring for mint plants in the garden is their overgrowth. To control it, you can place a container in the area where you will be planting the mint plant buried in the ground . This will contain the growth, but check the container periodically to prevent the plant from growing out of control.
It is important to moisten the soil before sowing the seeds or cuttings to facilitate their growth. Also spread a light layer of humus and place each cutting or seed with a separation of 15-30 cm. If you use seeds , insert them to a depth of no more than 3 cm, but if it is a cutting the depth should be around 5 cm.
4. Using cuttings or seeds to grow lots of mint plants
As we said, you can grow a mint plant using cuttings or seeds. Cuttings are obtained by cutting some of the ends of another healthy plant with a length of between 12 and 15 cm . Then remove the lower leaves of the cutting and place the stem in a glass. Then place it in a window where it receives 4-6 hours of sun per day.
When the roots have grown and have an adequate length , it will be time to put them in the ground. And remember to add water to the glass as you deem necessary during this period. If you plan to plant mint in a pot, use one branch for each pot. However, if the vase is large, you can use more branches while maintaining the indicated distance.
5. How to best care for a mint plant
Taking care of the mint plant is not at all complicated, but you will need to give it a little fertilizer from time to time . You should also keep the soil moist by applying mulch around the plant. This will also prevent the plant from spreading too much. If your mint plant is in a pot, we recommend rotating it every three or four days so that it grows evenly, as it tends to orient itself towards the sun. Don’t forget to add a layer of compost after a few months and mulch is also a good remedy during the cold months.
6. Watering the mint, how often to do it
To care for your mint plant, you need to water it continuously . However, it is not even necessary to water it every day, but you need to make sure that the soil is always moist, not waterlogged. If you notice that your plant is wilting , it could be due to these factors: lack of sunlight or too much or too little water.
7. Harvesting mint, when it should be done and how
Caring for a mint plant at home also includes harvesting, which should be done shortly before it flowers 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, during harvesting it is also advisable to eliminate all leaves that are yellowish to promote optimal and thicker growth of your plant. You can harvest up to three crops per season.
As a matter of interest, if you plan to plant this plant in your garden, you will be interested to know that it can grow alongside cauliflower and broccoli, but avoid planting a mint plant next to parsley.