Grow mint at home all year round to always have a fresh supply to hand
Mint is one of the most cultivated and utilized aromatic herbs, appreciated for its refreshing flavor and numerous health benefits. Widely used in the preparation of tasty recipes for both savory dishes and refreshing beverages, mint is also commonly employed in remedies that help maintain well-being due to its refreshing, digestive, and anti-inflammatory properties.
There are numerous varieties of mint, with the most common being Mentha arvensis, known for its strong aroma and slightly bitter aftertaste; Mentha viridis, the most commonly used variety in cooking, and; Mentha piperita, whose intense and pleasant scent makes it the most popular.
If you wish to harness the beneficial properties of this fresh herb throughout the year, you can start growing it at home. With a few simple tips, you can ensure its long and lush life even in a pot. But how do you grow mint in a pot? Here are some simple and helpful tips:
How to grow mint at home
You can choose to buy your mint at a nursery, but you could also choose to propagate it by cutting or dividing a clump you got from a friends' plants. Propagating mint using cuttings is very simple, and you can do this in just a few easy steps.
Start by taking a cutting about 20 cm long from the donor mint plant. Remove the lower leaves, leaving only the top two pairs. Insert the cutting into a container filled with potting soil, in which you have put holes in the bottom (for drainage). Wait for 2 weeks before transplanting your new mint plant.
Breaking up a clump of mint involves extracting the clump from the soil and dividing it into one or more parts, which you can then plant in separate pots.
For container/pot cultivation, choose a container with a minimum diameter of 45 cm; the plant grows out quite wide, and it will need enough space to spread out.
Mint cultivation techniques at home
To successfully cultivate mint at home, you just need to follow a few simple rules:
- The first condition for your mint to thrive is light: make sure to place it near a window facing east or west so that the plant receives plenty of light in the early morning or afternoon.
- Maintain a constant temperature: this plant is sensitive to cold and does not like cold or hot drafts.
- Plant your mint in a pot with well-draining and loamy soil, slightly acidic pH, and always provide the right amount of fertilizer so that it has all the necessary nutrients to thrive.
Following these simple steps, your mint will thrive at home.