by johnah on November 8, 2020
Mint plant is one of the most common plants in the garden. It grows naturally all over the world. It’s a perennial herbaceous plant which means it will grow year after year without any special care or attention from humans. However, if you want to keep your mint plant alive and healthy then you need to take some precautions. You must not allow its roots to get too dry because they could die out completely and cause your mint plant to wither up and die!
The best way to prevent your mint plant from dying is to provide it with proper moisture. You can do so by watering it regularly. If you don’t water your mint plant enough, then it won’t survive very long! But if you water it too much, then you risk damaging the delicate leaves and flowers of the plant.
So how much water should you give your mint? How often? What kind of soil does my mint grow in?
These are questions that every gardener wants to know the answers to.
It is true that there are many different kinds of mint available in the market today. Some have small white flowers while others have large purple ones. They come in various sizes and shapes, but they all share one thing in common – they’re all edible! That being said, there are certain types of mint that taste better than others.
If you’re going to grow your own mint, then why not try to grow one of the best kinds available?
Here is a list of some of the best types of mint you can find in the market today:
Peppermint. Most people think that this is the only type of mint available for them to buy and use in their cooking, but that’s simply not true. This is just one of the most common types of mint there is in the market. If you want to have mint flavor with a little “zing” to it, then this is the kind of mint for you.
Its leaves have a purple tinge towards the edges and are quite wrinkly as well.
Apple mint. If you love the taste of apples, then you’d definitely love this type of mint! It has a greenish hue to its leaves and the overall appearance of the plant looks like a little apple tree. Apple mint has leaves that are larger in size than the usual mint leaves you see.
It is a little bit on the pricy side too, but it’s worth every penny you spend! This type of mint is great for making tea and other beverages.
Orange mint. This is one of the most underrated types of mint in the market today. It is quite unique because its leaves are oval in shape and have a dark green hue to it. The leaves tend to have a bit of a waxy coating on them and have a very strong citrus smell to them.
This mint is great for cooking, especially if you love desserts and sweets! It blends well with chocolate as well as vanilla flavors.
Jamaican mint. This type of mint has a woody sort of smell to it. It’s quite tough to come by because it’s grown primarily in Jamaica, hence the name! It’s quite similar to the apple mint, but its taste is a little bit different.
The best way to describe the taste of this mint would be “cool and earthy.” If you find Jamaican mint in your local store, then definitely give it a try. You might like it!
Tips For Growing Your Own Mint From Seed.
One of the best ways to get your hands on mint seeds is by going online. There are a lot of gardening websites that offer these seeds as part of their inventory. Look for websites that also offer equipment and tools for gardening, as these websites tend to have better quality products than the other ones out there. If you aren’t sure about which website to go on, then try Ebay.
They tend to have a little bit of everything when it comes to items for sale.
Another way you can get your hands on mint seeds is to buy them at your local gardening store. Depending on where you live, there are a lot of these stores available for you to choose from. The people that work at these stores can also be helpful when it comes to questions about the seeds you want to buy. These people can also be a great help if you’re a beginner and have no idea how to go about planting these things.
You can also get mint seeds from your local supermarket. More and more supermarkets are starting to carry gardening products and tools now so you’re bound to find mint seeds in there. The advantage of getting them here is that you can see the seeds up close and even touch them, something you can’t do online. The obvious downside to this is that you won’t get advice from any garden experts and the seeds aren’t guaranteed to grow correctly.
Try Growing It From Cuttings.
If you want a more inexpensive route to take when it comes to getting mint seeds, then try looking around local nurseries. Many of these places have starter plants for a low price and all you need to do is water them regularly. You can also plant these starter plants in your own garden so you don’t have to worry about taking care of a big plant if you don’t have the room for it or don’t want the hassle.
Another way to get these starter plants is by taking cuttings from a friend’s plant or even at a restaurant. When you take cuttings, all you have to do is water them and place them somewhere with direct sunlight. Below, you’ll find some helpful tips on getting your mint plant started.
Tips For Taking A Cutting.
Cut the stem of the leafy part of the plant. This is the part that grows out and up, not the root that grows down.
Cut off any flowers or fruit from the stem you plan on taking so all your energy goes into the roots and not the flowers and fruit.
Place the cutting in a small glass or cup of water with the leafy part just floating in the water. This will help it to grow its roots.
Place your cup full of cuttings in a warm place that has a lot of sunlight. Keep the water level full and change it every couple of days.
Add a few drops of liquid fertilizer to the water every once in a while.
Once you see roots starting to form ,plant your cutting in your garden or pot.
These cuttings can also be planted directly into your garden without first putting them in water. The main thing is to make sure the stem has a chance to start growing its roots before it’s planted. It will wither and die if you plant it first and then give it a chance to try to grow roots.
Be sure to put your cuttings in a warm place that gets a lot of sunlight and keep the soil around the stem moist but not wet. Add a few drops of liquid fertilizer every once in a while as well.
Another method of getting cuttings is to take a shovel and divide the root ball of an established plant. This method is usually reserved for plants that are hard to find starters for such as bananas, pineapples, and even black pepper.
Plant Your Mint In The Best Location.
Mint grows best in a moist, rich soil and a location that gets a lot of sunlight. Of course, it also helps if the location isn’t too hot because mint can burn easily.
You can plant your mint in a container or directly in your garden. If you’re planting it in a container, make sure that it has a drainage hole in the bottom because mint doesn’t like to have wet feet.
Sources & references used in this article:
Evaluation of drying parameters and desorption isotherms of garden mint leaves (Mentha crispa L.) by KJ Park, Z Vohnikova, FPR Brod – Journal of Food Engineering, 2002 – Elsevier
Chemical composition and biological properties of essential oils of two mint species by ML Tsai, CT Wu, TF Lin, WC Lin, YC Huang… – Tropical Journal of …, 2013 – ajol.info
Comparative analysis of some active principles of herb plants by GC/MS by C Gherman, M Culea, O Cozar – Talanta, 2000 – Elsevier
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