Mint: The aromatic medicinal herb in your own garden

In Germany, mint is one of the most popular herbs. Here you can find out everything about growing, caring for and harvesting mint from the kitchen garden.

To the genus of mint (Mentha) count more than twenty different types. As a mint (Lamiaceae) are mints with other famous garden herbs like rosemary (Rosmarinusofficinalis), thyme (Thymus) or the Real lavender (Lavandulaangustifolia) related. They are all native to areas in the northern hemisphere with a temperate climate like our latitudes. Mints are herbaceous plants that are, however, perennial. The leaves of the mint have an intense smell. This can cover a wide variety of aromatic directions. More than a thousand years ago, various Mint types cultivated specifically for use as a condiment or brewed into a tea. The great thing is that mint is a very thankful plant. Even with little horticultural skill, it thrives splendidly in your own garden.

Grow mint

Location

Mint is generally happy about a warm and sunny location. However, direct and hot midday sun should be avoided. The perennial herb does not care whether the location is in a bed and the plant is planted out or cultivated in a pot on the terrace or balcony. The soil (or the substrate) should be permeable and loose when growing in a pot. Calcareous and nutrient-rich soil also promotes the growth of mint.

Propagate mint

There are several ways to multiply mints.

Of course, seeds are more diverse Mint types available. The seeds can be brought forward in early spring or outdoors from the beginning of May. At room temperature, the first seeds germinate after one to two weeks. So that the germinating seeds do not dry out, they should be covered with some substrate and watered well (but carefully). Furthermore, mints form subterranean parts of the shoot, so-called rhizomes. If you separate out these expiring rhizomes, you can grow them as independent plants. The separated runners are planted in new substrate or on the spot and then well watered.

Tip: With a growing kit like that Plantura herb growing kit sowing succeeds without problems. It contains all the materials you need to sow mint and four other types of herbs. In addition, detailed instructions for cultivation are included.

Another quick and promising way to propagate the mint is by using cuttings. The best way to do this is to remove the shoot tips of the mint. The so-called head cuttings are placed in a special substrate for propagation of the cuttings in spring and rooted within two to three weeks when the humidity is high.

Pour and fertilize mint

Mints should not dry out in summer - especially when grown in pots. Regular watering is compulsory and may even be necessary when the plants are in the bed. However, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs so as not to provoke an infestation with dangerous root fungi.

And when it comes to nutrients, the mint should also be cared for benevolently. It is advisable to re-fertilize with a predominantly organic organic fertilizer during the main growth in summer. However, if too much fertilization is used, this can compromise the aroma of the mint. Our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer is ideal for the mint, as it releases its nutrients slowly and gently.

Maintain mint

Mint grows extremely quickly. Therefore, it must be kept in check by pruning it in order to preserve the growth habit and aroma intensity. It doesn't really matter when and how strong it is Mint cut he follows. Mint is very robust and regenerates very well from pruning. Mint is also very robust when it comes to cold temperatures. As such, no special protection is required. However, to be on the safe side, you can protect the mint from frost. On the one hand, the parts of the plant that die in autumn can only be cut back in spring and left as warming protection for the winter. In addition, you can cover the plant with twigs or leaves. Plants in pots can be wrapped in garden fleece on the terrace and thus warmed.

Mint varieties: unlimited variety

Twenty to thirty different species are naturally represented in the mint genus. However, the different species can be reproduced and crossed with one another very well. In this way, various mint hybrids with a wide variety of characteristic properties are created naturally. We briefly introduce both classics and exotic mints:

• Field mint (Menthaarvensis)
  Compared to other types of mint, the field mint has a special feature in terms of the arrangement of its flowers. While these usually form a so-called false ear at the end of the shoot, the inflorescences of the field mint appear in the axils of normal leaves.

• Pineapple mint (Mentharotundifoliavariegata)
  The pineapple mint is one of the fruity types of mint. The fruity aroma comes at the expense of the menthol content. Due to its variegated leaves - which means that they are colored in a white-green pattern - it is not only an aromatic herb, but also an ornamental plant. However, it is therefore a bit more sensitive and cannot withstand frosty temperatures as well as other types of mint.

• Brook mint (Menthaaquatica)
  It is also known as the water mint. This can already be recognized by the "aquatica" in the botanical name. It feels good wherever it is wet, swampy or damp. But the exquisite preferred location does not change the medicinal properties of water mint in comparison to other types of mint.

• Bergamot mint (Mentha x piperitacitrata)
  This mint hybrid is best known from the fine English cuisine. A clear advantage is the particularly pronounced frost hardiness.
• Grapefruit mint (Menthasuaveolens x piperita) Just like pineapple mint, grapefruit mint is a fruit mint. The fruity-fresh aroma of grapefruit should of course not be missing in this range of mints. In comparison, this mint is a very late budding representative. With a grapefruit mint in the garden, you can delay the time until flowering, which significantly reduces the aroma, and harvest the aromatic leaf material longer into summer.
• Green mint (Menthaspicata)
  Spearmint is a very mild, less spicy representative of the mint. It is even more sweet in taste. It is widespread in cultivation and its aroma is used in many products that are intended to bring fresh breath to life.

• Mojito mint (Menthanemerosa)
  Its actual common name in German is Hemmingway-Mint. Due to its popularity in the preparation of the cocktail of the same name, this hybrid is also known as mojito mint. The hardy perennial is ideal for growing in a pot and is therefore always at hand in the kitchen.
• peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
  The famous peppermint is also not a wild species of mint, it also emerged from the crossing of two species. The high content of the essential oil menthol makes peppermint a particularly aromatic and intense mint type. The resulting antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect makes peppermint brewed as a tea a classic for colds.

• Pennyroyal (Menthapulegium)
  The pennyroyal is also vigorous, but unlike most relatives, it does not grow tall, but crawls across the ground.
• Horse mint (Menthalongifolia)
  From the botanical name of this mint species one can already guess that it is also called "long-leaved mint". In this case, the typically hairy leaves of the mint are comparatively long but not particularly broad. Depending on the origin of the long-leaved mint, various subspecies are distinguished within this species.
• Round-leaved mint (Menthasuaveolens)
  Just like the horse mint described above, the round-leaved mint is characterized by the characteristic shape of the leaves. However, in this case they are broad and rounded rather than long.

An overview of the various Mint types as well as others Cocktail herbs can be found in our special articles.

Harvest mint properly

Mint has the most intense aroma if no flowers have yet formed. Early summer is therefore the best time to harvest. Because then the mint plants will have developed sufficient leaf mass again after hibernation. The shoots can simply be cut off close to the ground, as mint can sprout again very easily and quickly.

Of course, you can also harvest individual leaves. One last large harvest can be brought in before the first frosts in autumn. Then it is also particularly useful to store the last harvest and make it keep longer.

More information about the Harvesting and cutting mint leaves You will find here.

Store mint and keep it fresh

If the harvested mint is wrapped in a damp kitchen towel and placed in the refrigerator, the usability can be extended by a few days. Freezing the mint is not recommended, as this will greatly reduce the aroma of the herb. In order to make mint usable for a longer period of time, it is advisable to use the Dry mint leaves.

To do this, the harvested shoots of mint are tied together and hung upside down and air-dried in a dry place. A dark place is also advantageous for drying the mint, as the seclusion from sunlight means that it loses less of its aroma. Well-dried mint can be used as a spice and medicinal herb for several months and can thus lead through the winter until the next spring without a fresh harvest.

Mint: Ingredients and Use

Like the generic name Mantha already confirmed, the mint distinguishes the essential oil "menthol". Mint is known for its intense and diverse aroma. So you can brew the aromatic leaves freshly harvested for tea. It is based on the familiar peppermint used as a beneficial medicinal herb, for example, when you feel unwell in the abdominal region or when you have a cold. In addition, a distillate can be made from the leaves. The concentrated essential oil is suitable, for example, for rubbing in tense muscles and for inhalation. However, the concentrated oil should not be used in its pure form and should be avoided by pregnant women.

Mint is also used for some culinary highlights: mint cream surrounded by dark chocolate is a treat for many. Mint is also popular in the world of alcohol: the aromatic mint can of course also be enjoyed as peppermint schnapps or in the classic cocktail mojito. And even as Cabbage for grilling can be used mint.

One way to grow mint in the garden is as part of one Herb spiral. This not only looks beautiful, but also offers space for a wide variety of herbs.