Green, wild, peppery, on the cob, from Japan, Scottish or Moroccan: whether in the ground or in a pot, Mint exposes its leaves in 50 shades of green to anyone who wants them. Its flavors? Camphorous, sweet and more or less refreshing. To grow it at home, all you have to do is choose from the 70 species and follow the guide. Plus, with mint, there’s little chance of going wrong!
Is it easy to grow mint?
Mint is known to be very easy to grow. In fact, it is both:
- a perennial plant, that is to say it does not need to be replanted every year,
- it reproduces very quickly,
- it is rustic, that is to say it is very resistant and tolerates cold and frost very well,
- likewise, it is not very susceptible to diseases, especially if it is well ventilated and its soil drained.
When to plant mint?
Mint is also a very easy to plant aromatic herb. The easiest way to grow mint at home is to buy it in a supermarket or garden center (ideally organic) in pots. It can thus be replanted in a pot, in a planter or in the ground.
The ideal period for planting the mint from the pots is from March and April. If you are superstitious, avoid the month of May, that of the Ice Saints, although mint is very resistant to cold and should survive it.
How to apply the mint?
To plant mint (or, more commonly, “plant” mint), the best way is to buy it in pots (these plastic containers are what is most commonly sold in stores). It’s easy, quick, and very effective. Here’s how to do it with advice from Gamm vert:
In the open ground:
- “Prepare the location by working and loosening the soil, weeding and digging.
- Also remember to scratch the earth to break up clods and level the ground.
- You can also incorporate compost into the soil, mint appreciates fertile soil.
- Space the plants 20 to 30 cm in all directions. To limit its expansion, you can surround it by burying various materials which will act as ramparts (tiles, rot-proof boards, anti-rhizome barrier, etc.).“
Pot :
- “Once the mint in a pot has been acquired, it is appropriate to repot it directly into a larger pot. The larger the container, the more the plant will be able to grow and the more leaves you will be able to harvest.
- Mint requires a very well-drained substrate. You can therefore place a layer of clay balls at the bottom of the pot. This will need to be pierced to avoid water stagnation. We will use potting soil mixed with compost.“
- Place a mixture of soil and compost on top.
- Loosen the soil from the plant so as to aerate the roots and place the mint in the middle.
- Cover with soil without compacting it and finish by watering.
Is it possible to grow several varieties together?
It is possible to plant several varieties of mint together. In a garden or in a pot, the ideal is still to separate them with a piece of plastic (such as a piece of soil bag torn off) to prevent the roots of the most invasive varieties from preventing others from developing. In a pot, a large planter is ideal.
Take a cutting from a branch
It is also possible to grow mint from a cutting in a few weeks. To do this, take the longest branches possible. If you can extract the roots, even better.
We advise you to take the cutting in a glass of water (ideally rain):
- Immerse the mint stems in making sure that the leaves do not touch the water.
- The water must remain clear and clean. Also, renew it every 2 to 3 days.
- Within 4 to 6 weeks, the first roots will develop. You can then replant them!
Choosing the right location and exposure
Mint is a very easy aromatic plant, adored by northerners and especially Parisians! His favorite exhibition? The North. To develop at its best, it will need shade, just like chives, chives, lemon balm, nettle, sorrel.
Indoors, you can place it on a windowsill (if it faces north or in the shade). Very practical for moistening it regularly and using it!
Mint care and harvesting
The most important thing for mint is to have soil that is always moist. Be careful especially if it is in a pot. In the open ground, there will be no real maintenance. If it is well placed, it will develop on its own and quickly… Even far from where you planted it!
For the care of potted mint, here are some recommendations:
- Water it so that it is always wet (ideally with rain, dishwater or cooking water),
- Cut the stems floral (the stems which contain the flowers) but not all so that they can be gathered. This will give them more energy to develop the edible leaves.
- “Cut back the clump in the fall and cut off the spent flowers once flowering has passed“, also specifies Gamm vert on its site.
- Finally, repot “every year by changing the substrate because it runs out quickly.” In the ground, hoe and cut unwanted weeds regularly to stem the growth of weeds. “Bring compost to the surface each spring.“
What about the harvest? Ideally, wait until the mint has reached its adult size (40 to 60 cm high). Then, harvest as needed by cutting fairly low and always making sure to leave at least a pair of leaves for the stem to branch and produce new leaves. Avoid cutting everything at once to encourage faster regrowth.
As for consumption, if the mint purchased is not organic, wait at least 1 month before consuming it. And, in either case, rinse it with clean water before using it to remove dust from the leaves and stems. If you cut too much, you can keep the excess in a damp cloth, in sugar or even freeze it.