Mint practically grows itself! Not only does mint add fruity, aromatic flavor to foods and tea, but also it’s useful for health remedies such as aiding digestion and relieving headaches. All you need to do is confine this spreading perennial herb to a container or confined bed to keep it from taking over your yard! See tips on planting, growing, and controlling mint! About MintMint is a perennial herb with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. There are many varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem. Rolling it between your fingers, you’ll notice a pungent scent and think of candy, sweet teas, or maybe even mint juleps. As well as kitchen companions, mints are used as garden accents, ground covers, air fresheners, and herbal medicines. They’re as beautiful as they are functional, and they’re foolproof to grow, thriving in sun and shade all over North America. Since mint can be vigorous spreaders, you simply have to be careful where you plant it.
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The best way to propagate mints is by taking cuttings from those that you like best. It’s easy—take 6-inch cuttings of rooted stems and plant them horizontally in the soil. Mint stems will also root in a glass of water. Start with a small cutting from an established plant. Any gardening friend will give you a cutting of a favorite mint. Photo Credit: Joannawnuk/Shutterstock “If any man can name … all the varieties of mint, he must know how many fish swim in the Indian Ocean.” –Walafrid Strabo (c. 808–849) Serious cooks generally prefer spearmint for savory dishes and peppermint for desserts. For a delicate mint taste in fruit salads, yogurt, or tea, try apple or orange mint. Mint lurks in the background in Middle Eastern salads, such as tabouli, and does well with lamb. It also goes with peas, zucchini, fresh beans, marinades for summer vegetables, cold soups, fruit salads, and cheese. See our recipe for a delicious (and healthy) Mango Mint Smoothie! Credit: Anna Shepulova/Shutterstock Tip! Make flavored ice cubes by freezing trays of strong mint tea, then use the ice cubes for your drinks! BONUS: You’ll also receive our free Beginner Gardening Guide! What do I feed my mint plant?For the best flavour, keep cutting mint to stimulate new leafy growth. After flowering is over in late summer, cut back plants to just above soil level and feed with a high-nitrogen fertiliser to encourage a fresh flush of leaves for autumn picking.
How do you fertilize mint plants?Fertilize existing mint once yearly in spring as the plant begins putting on new growth. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of 16-16-16-blend fertilizer around each plant, but avoid applying the fertilizer directly to the stems or leaves.
How do you keep mint plants healthy?Keep the growing substrate/soil moist. Don't let the surface of the growing media dry out between waterings as you do with other plants. Mint likes moist, but not waterlogged, conditions around its roots due to its Mediterranean stream bank origin. Be careful when you water mint though, excess water can cause root rot.
Will mint come back after it dies?Mint is frost tolerant. It usually dies back in the winter but comes back in spring. Because mint tends to take over, many gardeners plant mint in a small pot and then plant that pot in the ground or inside a larger container.
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