Mint is an aromatic plant of the Lamiaceae family. It is widely used in medicine and cooking. But there is more than one type of mint. Now more than 25 are known. They contain different essential oils. Therefore, they have different smells, on which their use depends. In addition to natural ones, there are about a dozen hybrids. One of the species is spearmint.
Description of mint
Spearmint is a perennial plant. Its height depends on the conditions of growth and cultivation. It can reach from 30 cm to 1 m. The stem is straight, rather soft. The leaves are ovate, wrinkled, pubescent with soft hairs. Their edges are jagged.
Spearmint differs from peppermint in a lighter and sweeter aroma. It can grow in one place for many years. But if the site is not dug up, it soon degenerates and disappears. The top of each stem ends with an inflorescence - a false whorl. Spearmint blooms with small white or light pink flowers. This happens in July and August.
Spearmint became the basis for the creation of the well-known peppermint - one of the most popular hybrids of this crop. And their appearance is not very different.
Growing regionsmint
In the wild, spearmint has long been found in Western Asia, Egypt, and southern Europe. Now its habitat has expanded. Spearmint grows in temperate climates.
Use of raw mint
Spearmint has an original menthol flavor. But, unlike peppermint, it does not cool in the mouth. It is used in cooking to make chewing gum, sweets, gingerbread and other confectionery.
Fresh leaves put in desserts and salads. Peppermint tea helps with insomnia, neuroses. Widely used in the manufacture of liqueurs and other wine and vodka products. Used in the manufacture of soap and cigarettes.
Eye lotions will help restore the condition of tired eyes, mint decoction will remove excess sweating. With flatulence, it is also recommended to use spearmint.
Use in horticulture
Spearmint is planted in fragrant gardens and pharmaceutical gardens. Beautiful leaves allow you to use it in mixborders. Mint is planted on the shores of lakes, including artificial ones. It is only necessary to take into account that it is growing rapidly and occupies new territories. Therefore, periodically you need to remove excess growth. It can be planted in a new place.
Growing mint
The soil for growing spearmint is better to choose fertile and moist. Reproduction methods: from seeds, layering, dividing the bush. Which one to choose? The easiest way is to propagate by layering. mint formsthere are a lot of them. One has only to dig out some of them with a shovel and transplant to a new place. It's just as easy to get a new seedling by dividing the bush.
Growing from seed is much more difficult. You need to constantly monitor the humidity of the earth. Seeds are sown to a depth of about 0.5 cm. The distance between them should be 15 cm. It can also be planted thicker. But then it will be necessary to thin out the seedlings. Watered, covered with foil. After the seeds sprout, it is not removed. Waiting for the first true leaves to appear.
Growing spearmint in the garden does not require much effort. It is planted in a sunny area or in partial shade. There it will need to be watered less often. After the bushes take root, you need to weed out the weeds, loosen the soil, and water periodically. You can fertilize once a month. After the mint grows to a height of 35 cm, pinch the tops of it. Bushes that are too dense are thinned out using cut stems with leaves and flowers for drying or freezing. In one place, spearmint is recommended to be grown no more than 3 years.
If it is not possible to plant garden mint in the garden, in summer and spring it can be grown in pots on the balcony. The soil must be moist, it will be able to replenish water supplies from the pan. So that the plant does not grow up, but in the form of a bush, pinch its top. For potted plants, it can be carried out at a height of 25 cm.
By winter, the pot can be moved into the house. Installed where there are no drafts. Spearmint will also grow there. But she needsfeed regularly with mineral fertilizers.
Spearmint tolerates a drop in temperature. But getting it out from under the snow is quite difficult. Therefore, mint leaves can be prepared for the winter. They are dried or frozen.
