The window sill is a place where you can comfortably place spices that will not only fill the room with fragrance, but will also be used in dishes. A plant that feels great at home is fragrant mint. Before growing mint at home, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the simple requirements of the spice that will have to be met in order to get a generous harvest.
Features of growing on a windowsill
It’s not difficult to get a generous harvest by growing an aromatic spice, and you don’t need a garden for this - for mint you just need to allocate a place on the windowsill. In an apartment in winter, a plant will feel no worse than in a garden bed under the open rays of the sun.
There are no special features in growing spices; the main thing is to provide proper care, which includes:
- preliminary preparation of the substrate;
- watering;
- feeding;
- lighting.
Even novice gardeners who have not grown indoor plants will certainly be able to cope with the spice - mint is unpretentious and does not require regular attention.
Suitable varieties for home cultivation
Mint is a spice that is most often grown in open soil, so not all varieties are suitable for indoor use. To get a harvest, it is recommended to use planting material of the following varieties:
- Ceremony. The peculiarity of the variety is the abundance of essential oils in the composition. The leaves are wrinkled and have a rich emerald hue. To obtain shoots, it is recommended to pinch the main trunk, otherwise the bush will begin to stretch upward. Has a persistent aroma.
- Pearl. A distinctive feature of the variety is its small size. Compact bushes do not produce side buds, so you will have to pinch them. The smell of the variety is spicy-minty and will improve the taste of any drink or dish.
- Pennyroyal. Recommended only for growing at home. A distinctive feature of mint is its long side shoots, turning the plant into a compact, lush bush. In summer you can observe flowering - scatterings of small lilac flowers emitting a spicy aroma.
Important! Garden varieties can also be used for growing on a windowsill, but in the summer they will have to be taken out into the fresh air, otherwise the mint will wither.
How to plant and grow on a windowsill
There won’t be any particular difficulties when planting; the main thing is to avoid mistakes in the first stages of growing mint. There are several ways to plant:
- seeds (labor-intensive and time-consuming method);
- cuttings (the harvest will be harvested in a month);
- layering (the first fragrant leaves can be collected after 3-5 weeks).
Regardless of the chosen variety and method of propagation, the composition of the soil, the choice of location, and the amount of watering differ little - mint is extremely undemanding and does not differ in maintenance conditions from indoor plants.
Preparing seeds and cuttings for planting
The first stage in growing mint is choosing planting material. When purchasing seeds, it is better not to give preference to hybrid varieties - they rarely retain their maternal characteristics. Planting should be done in early spring; soaking the planting material is not required - it is better to send the seeds directly into the ground. The first sprouts at the correct temperature (not lower than 25 degrees) will appear in just half a month.
Be sure to spray the surface of the substrate - dry soil will cause the death of plants.
Cuttings are an easier way to get young mint bushes in a short time. The upper shoots of adult plants are usually cut for rooting. The length of the cutting is up to 10 cm. Be sure to remove the lower leaves, put the shoots in water - roots will appear in a week and a half. All that remains is to plant the cuttings in the ground - in just a week the growth of young leaves will begin, which can already be used in cooking.
What should the place be like?
Even at room temperature, you will have to find the most convenient place for mint.Be sure to choose the sunniest window sill, but you need to take into account that bright rays can cause burns to the tender shoots of the plant.
To prevent burns, you will have to create artificial shade on the hottest days. You can use a thin curtain or newspaper for this. If it is not possible to constantly protect the bush from the sun, it is better to give preference to western or eastern windows.
Where to plant
For planting, it is better to choose containers as for indoor flowers. It is also recommended to use containers. The main thing is to take into account the size of the root system of the bush; it branches heavily and may not fit in a small pot.
If you plan to grow a lot of plants, it is better to purchase a large, long container - this will make caring for mint easier. In order to get just a few bushes, it is better to use pots.
What soil to plant in
The soil for growing mint must be light and nutritious. You can prepare the substrate yourself (mix sand, peat, compost, garden soil in equal parts) or purchase it at the store.
If you purchase a ready-made substrate, it is better to give preference to soil for growing indoor plants. You can replace it with soil for seedlings - it is nutritious and easily saturated with oxygen and moisture.
Landing
Planting will not be particularly difficult, regardless of the exact method of propagation. Grown seedlings should be planted in pots after four good leaves appear. Picking is not necessary - it is recommended to send the bushes directly to containers for adult mint.
Rooted cuttings or layering require more attention - be sure to add 10-15 g of wood ash to each hole, which will protect against diseases and pests that can damage the root system.To prevent burns, the ash must first be mixed with a small amount of substrate.
Important! Another important rule for planting is that it is best done in cloudy weather.
Plant care
Caring for mint is simple - follow the basic rules of agricultural technology recommended for indoor plants. There are few of them - watering, pest control or disease control, timely addition of nutrients.
Another indispensable requirement for mint care is pinching, which allows you to form a lush bush. It is recommended to carry out the process throughout the year - if you miss a moment, you can get a long stem with few leaves.
Watering rules
Watering mint can only be done with warm water. The recommended time for irrigating the substrate is evening hours. During the day in sunny weather, it is better not to water - adding moisture to an overdried substrate can destroy the root system.
Be sure to regularly spray the bushes. Mint likes moist air, so in summer you can place a bowl of water near the container with the plant.
Top dressing
Unlike growing indoor plants, mint will not need frequent feeding. You need to add nutrients once per season. Use urea solution as fertilizer (1 g of substance per liter of water).
The addition of nutritional components should be carried out only in summer - in winter, mint should be at rest. If you apply fertilizing in winter, shoots will actively begin to grow and stretch.
Diseases and pests
Diseases and insects rarely attack mint. The persistent aroma and rather hard leaves do not attract pests; they try to settle on more tasty plants.
If trouble does occur and unwanted neighbors are noticed on the bushes, you need to use gentle folk remedies against them; chemicals are not recommended.
Usually, it is enough to wash the mint with soap suds several times to ensure that the pests disappear for a long time. Diseases most often develop due to improper care - overwatering, lack of moisture, wrong choice of location. Correcting mistakes is simple - reconsider your actions and find out what exactly was done wrong.
Harvest and storage
Store mint usually in dried form. It is recommended to use tender young leaves for this. Lay them out in one layer on clean paper (rinse them first) and leave them on a sunny windowsill until the moisture has completely evaporated.
Place dry mint leaves for storage. Use clean glass containers that close tightly for this. The storage location is cool and dark, with low humidity.
Mint is a universal plant that can be used not only in preparing refreshing drinks, but also added to dishes and preserves. Self-grown raw materials are much healthier than purchased spices, and there are no particular difficulties in this process; even an inexperienced beginner can cope with the job. The main thing is to satisfy all the requirements of a fragrant, lush bush, and there are not so many of them.
