If the mint will grow in the room, you can plant it at any time. On the windowsill, greens take root in both summer and winter, provided that good lighting. In the cold months, you can not do without lamps, fluorescent or special phytolamps.
For open ground, the deadlines are different. Sowing seeds and rooting cuttings is carried out from March to July, seedlings are planted from May to September. In the spring it is important to wait for steady heat. Freezing can destroy young sprouts.
How to choose a peppermint variety
Mint is different and is distinguished by the height of the bush, the shape of the leaves, the intensity of the smell. For a home, compact varieties are better suited: fragrant and apple. The first has tender leaves with a light border and a soft aroma. And the second is characterized by rounded velvety foliage and a more delicate smell.
Pepper mint is the most famous. Her spicy menthol taste and pointed leaves make a variety universal. But long -leaved, growing to a meter, it is better to plant in the garden. She will be crowded in the pot.
Growing from seeds
Mint seeds are sown without prior preparation. It is better to use containers or cassettes with a depth of 7-10 cm. The soil is necessary universal for vegetable seedlings. After moisturizing the substrate, small seeds are scattered on the surface, without sprinkling with earth, since they need light.
The containers are covered with a film and put in a warm bright place. Seals appear in 5-14 days. When lighting – even on the fourth day. After the appearance of the sprouts, the shelter is removed, and the temperature is reduced to 20–22 degrees. The soil is maintained moderately wet, daily ventilating the greenhouse.
Reproduction with cuttings
Cuttings are cut off from young shoots about 10 cm long. A couple of leaves are removed from below and put in the water. Every 1-2 days the liquid is changed. After two weeks, roots appear. Then the cuttings are planted in pots of 500 ml with universal soil. The earth is slightly tamped and watered.
Care on the windowsill
Mint feels comfortably at 20–25 degrees. In winter, the temperature should not drop below 17. Pots are placed on the southern or eastern windows. The plant needs 6 hours of light daily. Young seedlings are shaded so as not to burn tender leaves.
Watering depends on the age of the plant. Fresh sprouts need more moisture, adults need moderate mode. In winter, it is enough once a week, and in the summer – 2-3 times. Mint loves spraying. This refreshes and rinses dust.
The plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers 2-3 weeks after seedlings, then monthly. Before that, the soil is slightly moistened.
After a month and a half, the mint is transplanted into a larger pot. If the roots peek out of drainage holes, the time has come for the transshipment. You can divide the bush if it has become too thick.
Open -ground
For the beds, choose a lighted place or light partial shade. The soil should be well drained, since mint does not like stagnation of water. So that the bushes do not capture the entire site, it is better to isolate them from other plants or even plant them in a pot directly into the ground.
The hole is made a little larger than the size of the root coma. Superphosphate is added to the bottom. After planting, the plant is abundantly watered. The distance between the bushes should be at least 30 cm.
Care in the garden
After rooting, the mint does not require much attention. Water it in dry weather usually every two weeks. The first time after planting is a little more often. Sometimes you can arrange a light shower from a hose.
This approach will allow you to grow fragrant greens both in the apartment and on the site without special costs.
