Garden mint refers to plants that everyone has heard of, regardless of whether they have their own garden or not. It is used in medicine, used as a seasoning for a variety of dishes, as well as a variety of cool drinks and cocktails. In addition, the mint is still used in perfumery, and everyone at least once tried the mint gum.
Peppermint: Description of Medicinal Plant
Peppermint belongs to perennial herbaceous plants of the yasnotkovye family, the cultivation of this variety is especially popular in the country. Mint received its unique aroma thanks to special essential oils that are found in the leaves.
Peppermint can reach a meter tall, leaves of dark green color have a heart-shaped base with a pointed end, petioles are almost not expressed. Below they are light green in color, about 2 cm wide, and 4-6 cm long. Peppermint has small flowers, but this plant is not grown because of this.
Did you know? Peppermint is a hybrid obtained by crossing garden mint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica).
Features planting peppermint
The main thing that must be remembered before planting peppermint is that this plant belongs to creeping plants, and if its growth is not controlled, then it, like a weed, will flood the whole area.
But do not worry - this problem is very easy to fix. To do this, it is necessary to drive in the soil limiters that will inhibit the further growth of rhizomes. If you approach the matter with all seriousness, the mint can be grown in large containers with drainage holes, but also sheets of slate or iron hoops with barrels are perfect for this purpose. 
Did you know? Mint was actively used in ancient Greece and Egypt, and it received its current name in honor of the nymph Cops. According to the legends, it was turned into a plant with a cold-refreshing, but gentle aroma.
When is it best to plant mint
It is believed that pepper mint is best planted in the middle of spring or at the beginning of the last month of summer.
Important! Do not plant this plant too close to others, it can simply survive them.
How mint growth depends on lighting
Choosing a place where to plant mint, you should pay attention to the lighting. Mint loves the light, but at the same time does not like the dryness that the sun provokes. Because of this, mint is best planted in partial shade, the best for mint is 4 hours of sun per day.
What should be the ground for planting
Peppermint prefers well-drained, fertile soil. Clay soils do not suit her at all, the plant will not survive in them. Excess moisture will affect the appearance of mint, so it is not recommended to plant it in places where groundwater flows close to the surface. For not too rich soils, it is advised to add manure to them, however, it is recommended to use exclusively rotted soil.
Important! Fresh manure contains a lot of nitrogen, which will increase the growth of the deciduous mass of the plant and at the same time reduce the content of essential oils in them.
Mint reproduction, how to plant peppermint correctly
There are several types of mint breeding, each has its own pros and cons. In the most difficult way, peppermint is grown using seeds. Most often gardeners propagate this plant. grafting or division of the bush.
Growing peppermint seeds
Due to the technological complexity of this method, some do not know how to grow mint from seeds, so it is not recommended for novice gardeners. But if you have experience, or you like difficulties, then you need to land in this way:
In small pots or trays, seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. The surface of the earth should be barely moist. The container is covered with a transparent plastic film and placed in a place with a temperature of 22-24 ° C. Now you need to wait for the germination of seeds, usually it happens in 1-2 weeks.- After the seedlings grow, it is necessary to transplant it in pots of at least 8 cm in diameter. In order for seedlings to begin to acclimatize, they must be placed in cooler conditions.
- After 8-10 days, when the young plants are already strong, you can plant mint in open ground. When planting, it is better not to plant the plants too close to each other so that the rapidly expanding root systems do not interfere with each other.
In small pots or trays, seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. The surface of the earth should be barely moist. The container is covered with a transparent plastic film and placed in a place with a temperature of 22-24 ° C. Now you need to wait for the germination of seeds, usually it happens in 1-2 weeks.Peppermint cutting
With the cuttings, the situation is much easier. As with any others, you first need to root the cut mint. In a glass of water we place a fresh cut sprig of mint (approximately 10 cm in length). In a week you will see tiny white roots in the water. Continue to add water to the glass so that the roots are always in the water until they are about 3-5 cm in length. After that, the cuttings are planted 5 cm deep, while not forgetting about the distance between the plants. 
As mint propagated by dividing the roots
When breeding by dividing the bush, peppermint must be carefully dug, the rhizomes cut so that there are at least ten nodes on each. Mint can get a lot of stress because of this, so you need to know how to plant it properly. Then you plant them in prepared holes at a depth of about 10 cm. Newly formed peppermint bushes should be at least 30-40 cm apart from each other. For best results, experienced gardeners recommend putting a little bit of humus into each well before planting.
What peppermint loves: plant care
Peppermint is unpretentious, so the cultivation and care of this plant does not require special knowledge. It is enough to follow simple rules: do not forget to water the plants, regularly loosening, remove weeds and perform a simple subcortex.
Soil care
In summer, the soil must be regularly loosened. You can confine a couple of times, but you can make loosening and more often - it will not be worse. It is also necessary to regularly remove weeds around peppermint, it can be done at the same time as loosening.
When and how to water peppermint
Mint is not too demanding for watering, it is enough to water the plants twice a month. In dry weather, the intensity of irrigation needs to be increased, peppermint does not like over-dried soil.
Feeding peppermint
Opinions gardeners than fertilize mint, often vary. However, there is a universal recipe, which uses the most common fertilizers that give excellent results. Mint is fed once a year in spring using the following fertilizers (at the rate of 250-300 g per 10 m2):
- ammonium nitrate;
- superphosphate;
- potassium salt.
When and how to harvest peppermint
Frankly, mint leaves can be harvested whenever you like, as needed. But mint leaves are valued for essential oils that have many useful properties, therefore, it is better to collect peppermint when their content in leaves is maximum. That is why It is recommended to remove mint at the very beginning of flowering. The stems are cut, tied up in bunches and hung out in well-ventilated places. You can also spread them out on a cloth or paper in a thin layer.
Now you know when to sow the mint on the seedlings and how to care for it in the future. Peppermint is not the best ornamental plant, but for those who care about their health and prefer to eat organic products of their own production, planting mint in their garden will be a great solution. Mint does not require a lot of time from you, planting and caring for it in the open field do not pose any difficulties at all.
