Garden mint is familiar to everyone, regardless of whether they have their own garden. This plant is used for medicinal purposes, as a seasoning for various dishes, as a base for soft drinks and cocktails, and as a perfume and cosmetic component. The culture is divided into varieties that differ in taste and aroma. Peppermint is the most popular and widespread everywhere. She feels great in open ground, under film cover and on the windowsill. You just need to know how to propagate mint and care for it.
Peculiarities of peppermint propagation
There are several ways to propagate mint, with certain pros and cons:
- sowing seeds;
- cuttings;
- division of the mother bush.
It is most difficult to grow peppermint from seeds, so gardeners most often tend to take cuttings or divide the bush.
The difficulties of seed propagation lie in poor germination.
Propagation by seeds
To sow peppermint, choose a warm, sunny place. During dry periods, plants need shade. When growing the crop at home, you should place pots or boxes on windows facing southwest or east to provide at least four hours of light.
Seed propagation is recommended for experienced gardeners or those who are not afraid of difficulties. Planting is done in this way: the container is filled with soil, which needs to be slightly moistened. The seeds go half a centimeter deep. The containers are covered with glass or polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature of +24 degrees. Plantings need to be ventilated and moistened.
Shoots appear in one to two weeks. The stronger plants are transplanted one at a time and sent for adaptation to a cooler place, if further cultivation outside is planned. Planting in open ground is possible in 7-10 days. Due to the active growth of the root system, the seedlings are located at a distance from each other. Mint grown from seeds is characterized by slow development when compared with vegetative propagation methods.
The positive aspect is the long period of softness and tenderness of the leaves and stems.
Root layering
The long roots of mint are strewn with dormant buds, from which new shoots and bushes emerge.This feature of the plant makes it possible to reproduce using root cuttings, which are stored in late summer - early autumn. A few cuttings 10 cm long are enough. The root shoots are placed in moist soil to a depth of 5 cm.
Rooting cuttings and leaves
Propagating peppermint by cuttings will not cause problems for a novice gardener. This method is easy to implement. In addition, further cultivation and care will require a minimum of attention. Optimal time for planting: late April - early May. A ten-centimeter piece of stem with an ovary of leaves is cut from the bush. The branch is placed in clean water for a week. During this time, it will produce roots, which must be constantly in the water. When the roots reach 2-3 cm, you can replant the plants on ridges or in pots at home.
Despite the resistance of mint to adverse weather conditions, it is preferable to wait until the end of spring frosts.
Sprouted branches are planted in the ground with a depth of 5 cm and an interval of 15 cm, which is necessary for the bushes to develop normally. It is advisable to plant in a place exposed to the sun in the morning and afternoon. You need to prepare the soil in advance by removing weeds and rhizomes while simultaneously loosening them. High ridges are built in damp places; in dry places, deepening is necessary.
Dividing the mother bush
The simplest method of propagation is to divide a dug up mint bush into parts and plant it in the soil. An important condition is the presence of buds or shoots on each division. The above-ground part of the daughter plant is cut off, which stimulates the rooting process. Planting is carried out in holes 10 cm deep at a distance of 30 cm. It is recommended to add humus to each hole before planting.After a couple of weeks, the plantings are covered with young foliage, this indicates the normal development of the bush, which will need fertilizing with urea (1-2 g per liter of water).
Do not forget about the aggressiveness of the crop, which can grow over large areas, displacing other plants and shrubs. To avoid this, install a limiter: dig iron plates or pieces of slate to the depth of the rhizomes along the perimeter of the plantings. An effective way is to plant mint in bulk containers: an old bucket, basin, bathtub, which are dug into the ground. This option will protect neighboring crops.
Features of cultivation:
- It is preferable to plant mint in place of legumes and root vegetables. Suitable beds after harvesting melon and buckwheat, which enrich the soil with calcium, necessary for the successful development and growth of peppermint.
- Avoid planting next to crops that require treatment with pesticides that make mint unsuitable for consumption.
- The culture prefers light fertile soils, loamy and sandy loam.
- Wetlands are detrimental to these plants. Drying out of the soil can be avoided by mulching.
- Regular fertilizing with organic, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers is encouraged.
- Loosening is carried out twice a year.
Mint will respond to your care with its luxurious appearance and inimitable aroma. Harvesting is carried out from the first year of planting during the beginning of flowering. Dry the leaves in a shaded, ventilated place. Dry products are wiped or placed entirely in paper bags or glass jars with lids. To stock up on aromatic and healthy crops for future use, it is not necessary to have the appropriate experience, a lot of time and finances.
