Pineapple mint Variegata is considered a unique plant that has a pleasant and strong aromatic smell. Pineapple leaves are added to dishes to give them an unusual aroma and are used in medicine to treat certain diseases.
Description
A distinctive feature of the Variegata variety is the low growth of the bushes, which grow up to 40-50 cm in height.All mature seedlings are covered with small downturned leaves with a white frame around the edges. Variegata mint leaves are very tasty, with a faint tart aftertaste. Because of this, many housewives add them to sauces, salads and even fruit drinks.
In addition to the leaves, flowers colored lilac with a reddish tint are formed on adult bushes. They are located in the upper part of the shoots, forming large and fragrant inflorescences there.
Uses of Pineapple Mint
Pineapple mint is most often used in cooking as a dietary supplement. It is used to add piquancy to meat or fish dishes. It is also used in summer to create refreshing fruit drinks. Some housewives add mint leaves to preserves to extend their shelf life.
The second most popular area of application for this plant is medicine. Decoctions of pineapple mint have a diuretic effect, thanks to which you can clear the gallbladder of stones. Mint leaves are used to create remedies to reduce pain in girls during menstruation and treat liver diseases.
Conditions for culture growth
To grow healthy Variegata bushes, you need to provide optimal conditions for their growth. This variety loves high levels of humidity and therefore, when growing, you will have to take care of watering. The soil should never dry out, as this will slow down the growth of seedlings. It is recommended to moisten the soil daily, especially in summer.
If seedlings are grown in a greenhouse, you will have to independently control the humidity level in it. To do this, every day you need to spray the greenhouse with a spray bottle and moisten the mint leaves.
When to Plant Pineapple Mint
You can get a good harvest of mint only if you plant it on time. It is not recommended to sow Variegata seeds in the fall, as in winter the seedlings will freeze and die. It is also impossible to sow in the summer, since by the first frost the root system will not have time to become well established, and the plant will also die. Therefore, the best solution would be to plant pineapple mint in mid-spring, after the night temperature has risen to 5-10 degrees.
Preparation of planting material
Preparation of seed material begins with the selection of seeds for planting. It is recommended to select only large seeds, as they will germinate better. All selected planting material is pre-disinfected. For this, a weak manganese liquid is prepared. To create it, about a gram of the substance is added to 100 ml of water. Then the seeds are poured into a container with manganese for 25 minutes. The disinfected seed material is washed with water, dried and planted in the ground.
Soil preparation
Pineapple mint, like all other varieties, grows best in fertile soil with micronutrients. To increase the fertility of the soil, you will have to add fertilizer to it in advance. To do this, the earth is mixed with compost, ash and humus.
When fertilizing, you can use ready-made commercial mixtures that contain lime.
Experts recommend disinfecting the soil before planting. To do this, it is watered several times with hot water and manganese solution. This will protect the seedlings from attacks by pests and diseases.
Planting mint
To plant pineapple Variegata, all the seeds are laid out on the surface of the prepared soil.Then the seed is carefully pressed into the soil and covered with polyethylene on top. After the first shoots appear, the plastic film is removed, and all seedlings are watered for the first time.
If the temperature outside is too high, it is not necessary to cover the area with mint planted..
Plant care
Every person who plans to grow mint bushes should become familiar with the features of caring for them.
Watering rules
All planted mint bushes must be watered with warm water. Watering cannot be done in bright sunshine, so the procedure is carried out in the evening. In cloudy weather, it is not necessary to moisten the soil every day.
Loosening and weeding
It is recommended to weed the mint area regularly to remove weeds from it. If you do not weed, the grown weeds will consume many nutrients from the soil, which will impair the growth of mint.
Plant diseases
Verticillium wilt is considered a dangerous disease, due to which the leaves of the plant gradually begin to darken and dry out. To protect pineapple mint from this disease, you need to:
- follow the rules of crop rotation;
- promptly clear the area of weeds and plant debris.
Pests
The most common pests are:
- Peppermint mite. The insect overwinters in the soil and appears on bushes in the spring. The pest feeds on mint leaves and stems, which leads to death.
- Meadow moth. Appears on mint in the spring, after the air temperature rises to 10 degrees Celsius. The insect feeds on the sap of the leaves, and therefore they dry out after the appearance of the meadow moth.
Harvest and storage
It is better to collect ripe mint in mid-July, since by this time its leaves will be filled with useful components and oils. All collected stems are collected in bunches and hung under a canopy outdoors or in a room with good ventilation. It is very important that the leaves are not exposed to sunlight, as this will negatively affect their aroma.
Conclusion
Every gardener who wants to grow Variegata pineapple mint must prepare for this in advance. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with the nuances of planting this variety and the rules for caring for it.
