How to Grow Mint: Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Mint is a plant everyone knows extremely well. Its leaves are emerald green and beautiful, carrying a faint refreshing fragrance that delights the heart and mind, and this fragrance can also repel mosquitoes and insects! Many people like to grow one or two pots of mint at home to repel mosquitoes and insects, so how exactly should mint be cared for and grown? Below, the editor will introduce the cultivation techniques for mint in detail!

How to Grow Mint

1. Watering

Mint loves water. Sufficient moisture makes its new leaves more tender. You can also spray water on the leaves to ensure moisture absorption. Just use a spray bottle to spray directly above it; there is no need to water at the roots. If the leaves are relatively dense, water more; if the leaves are relatively sparse, water less.

2. “Shaving the head”

Giving mint a “head shave” can help side buds grow. When “shaving the head,” do not cut off all the old leaves at once; keep enough nutrients for new leaves to grow. After the new leaves grow out, cut off the old leaves. If the “head shave” is too severe, it will cause slow growth.

3. Repotting

To help it grow better, repot it once every spring. Before repotting, prepare fertile, well-draining soil. The growing medium can be made by mixing leaf mold, garden soil or coarse sand. Each year when repotting, many plants can be separated out. Also ensure the potting soil remains moist.

4. Pruning

Generally, old leaves that no longer have fragrance should be cut off. Proper pinching and topping can help it grow better. Timely pruning can control its growth height and also promote new bud sprouting. After pruning, water moderately and fertilize moderately. Because mint likes ventilation, after pruning place it in a well-ventilated place.

Mint Cultivation Methods and Precautions

1. Soil

Mint has high adaptability to soil. Apart from soil that is too heavy or prone to waterlogging, other soils are all right. However, it is best to choose relatively loose, well-draining, fertile sandy soil.

2. Moisture

Mint is tolerant of moisture and not of dryness. Its growth requires more water. Usually keep the soil moist, but do not water too much, otherwise it will become waterlogged. In winter, reduce the frequency and amount of watering.

3. Light

Mint is a long-day plant and likes sunlight. Usually give it a relatively long period of light. If grown in a pot, in winter move it to a south-facing window to receive sufficient light.

4. Temperature

Mint grows best when cultivated at 20-30°C. However, it has very strong tolerance to low temperatures and can withstand -15°C.

5. Precautions

During the seedling stage, mint is very susceptible to black leg disease. This disease causes the stem of mint to become soft and black, causing the plant to lodge and wither. Once this disease occurs, use 70% chlorothalonil or 40% carbendazim to spray the seedlings for treatment.

What to Do If Mint Grows Too Tall

Actually, if you do not want mint to grow too tall, the best method is prevention, and the preventive measure is pinching. When mint seedlings grow more than 4 leaves, they need to be pinched. When pinching, do not be reluctant, because the more mint is pruned, the more luxuriantly it grows, and the plant will also be dwarfed, so it will not grow too tall with very small leaves.

If the mint you grow is not pruned carefully and becomes leggy, then it needs a “head shave.” A head shave is similar to beheading: cut off the upper half of the mint branches, otherwise mint may grow to more than half a meter.

Giving mint a head shave can promote the growth of side buds, so that nutrients are all used to develop side buds. But note that when head shaving, do not cut off all the old leaves on the mint plant. Leave a portion to provide nutrients for the growth of new leaves. Wait until the new side buds and new leaves have grown, then cut off the old leaves. Otherwise, if the head shave is excessive, mint will grow very slowly.

How to Repot Mint

1. Where to repot

Mint likes sunlight, and its growth requires sufficient light, so when growing it you must place it in a place with sufficient sunlight. If there is insufficient sunlight during cultivation, mint tends to become leggy, and the leaves will not grow large, making the plant especially thin and weak;

Therefore, when repotting, it should also be done in a place with sufficient sunlight for repotting and care.

2. Sufficient moisture

When repotting, be sure to water first before taking out the plant and putting it into another flowerpot. The soil in that flowerpot must also be moist. After repotting, also pay attention to watering to replenish the moisture lost during repotting, then place it in a place with sufficient light.

3. Frequency of repotting

Mint should be repotted every spring or autumn. When repotting, use fertile, loose soil. Also prune regularly to keep the plant growing healthily.

As described above, mint is beautiful and elegant, evergreen throughout the four seasons, and also has a very good mosquito- and insect-repelling effect. If you occasionally have a headache or feel low in spirits, you can steep mint leaves in water and drink it, which has a very noticeable effect! At the same time, you can also make mint sachets to carry with you to repel mosquitoes and insects.