Do mint seeds need to be covered after sowing? A detailed guide to growing them

 Many people want to grow mint in the city, but growing mint in the city starts from seeds, not from wild plants straight out in the countryside. So how exactly do you start growing mint from seed? It really is a bit different:

Materials to prepare: seeds, containers, medium (soil), sowing tools, watering tools.

1. Choose the seeds of a plant you like. Whether it is a flower or a vegetable, liking it will give you motivation, let you enjoy the process, and give you a sense of accomplishment.

2. If you are a beginner who has never worked with plants before, you can try herb seeds, since herbs are relatively easy to grow. Or choose larger seeds, which have a better chance of success. 3. Whether the growing medium (potting soil) is suitable or not has a big effect on plant growth. No matter which medium you choose, its drainage, water retention and aeration must all be good, and it must be free of disease. Here we recommend professional sowing (seedling) peat, such as Canada Fafard sowing peat, Canada Sunshine sowing peat, Norway seedling blocks, and so on.

4. For seeds that need to be covered for seedling raising, you had better also prepare some small-grade vermiculite.

5. Growing containers can come in many forms: they can be pots, trays, or direct sowing in the open ground. But for more valuable seeds, or for hobbyists who want to ensure success, seedling plug trays are recommended. 9-cell and 12-cell seedling trays are the most commonly used sowing containers for home propagation.

6. Small trowel: putting the medium into the seedling box and sowing the seeds are fairly delicate tasks, and a small trowel can solve some of the trouble. In addition, you can also prepare toothpicks, label paper, etc., to mark what seeds you sowed, when you sowed them, and so on.

7. Spray bottle: seeds are very small plant products, so you need to use a spray to add water. Watering directly will wash the seeds away.

How to grow mint seeds:

1. For the seeds you get, first you must clearly understand the characteristics of those seeds.

2. Completely moisten the prepared seedling soil with water. This process requires care and patience. Do not just water it casually a couple of times and walk away, because then the inside of the soil may not absorb water at all. Nor should you water too much and turn the soil into thin mud. To make the soil completely moist, squeeze it firmly in your hand into a ball; it is just right when water barely seeps out between your fingers.

3. Fill the soil. Use a small trowel to carefully fill each cell of the seedling box with soil, then press lightly. Note: do not fill the soil too full. If the roots are exposed above the soil after the seeds sprout, or if the seedlings become a bit leggy, you can add a little more soil.

4. After filling the soil, spray it again with a pressure sprayer (atomizer) to make sure the soil is fully moistened. Note: it must be in a mist state, otherwise it can easily wash away the growing soil.

5. Insert labels. It is recommended to do this before sowing, and then sow according to the labels. Otherwise, once we finish sowing, we will forget which is which. The labels can be made like little flags by sticking label paper to one end of a toothpick. After sowing, insert the toothpick flags into the seedling soil.

6. Sow the seeds. If the seeds are large, first use a toothpick to make a small hole in the middle of the filled cell tray; it does not need to be too deep, just enough to hold the seed. If the seeds are relatively small, this is not needed; simply place the seeds on the surface of the seedling soil. Put one seed in each cell.

7. For seeds that need to be covered with soil, cover them with a thin layer of soil or the vermiculite prepared in advance. Before sowing, you must clearly determine whether the seeds we are sowing "need soil cover" or "do not need soil cover." Then spray water once more so that the covering soil and the seeds are fully moistened.

8. Put on the lid. Cover the seedling box with the sown seeds to maintain air humidity inside the box. Place it in a cool, shaded place; under normal circumstances it no longer needs watering. If you find it lacks water, please use a spray bottle to mist it, and never water it directly.

That is all for how to grow mint seeds. Try it soon. Mint itself has a fresh fragrance, so you really must give it a try. Mint can also be steeped in water and drunk.

In the scorching summer, you should keep these plants at home to repel mosquitoes and insects!

The hot summer has arrived. Do you feel that mosquitoes and insects are appearing at home? Mom has started using all kinds of insecticides again to deal with the nuisance bugs. But frequent use of insecticides is neither environmentally friendly nor good for your health.

However, growing some plants at home normally does have a mosquito-repelling function. These plants rely on their leaves or flowers to give off a special smell to drive away mosquitoes and insects. Let me share a few common mosquito-repelling plants with you!

Mosquito-repelling geranium

I believe the one everyone hears about most is mosquito-repelling geranium.

Mosquito-repelling geranium, scientific name: Pelargonium graveolens (scented geranium), is a perennial herbaceous plant.

Though small, its main stem and leaves can grow to 1 m.

The leaves are green with soft hairs, and its captivating fragrance is the main feature for repelling mosquitoes.

Mosquito-repelling geranium has many kinds of scents,

including rose, citrus, mint, coconut and cardamom, along with various fruit scents.

It has the ability to release gases by itself,

releasing substances such as citronellic acid from inside the plant into the air to achieve a mosquito-repelling effect.

Generally, the higher the temperature,

the richer the fragrance of mosquito-repelling geranium, and the higher its mosquito-repelling index.

In the scorching summer,

you can grow mosquito-repelling geranium in the living room or indoors.

The fragrance it releases can not only make people feel relaxed and happy,

but also achieve the effect of driving away insects.

Growing tips: Pelargonium graveolens is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging.

Therefore, during growth, control water appropriately.

In spring and autumn, when growth and flowering are vigorous, you can water a little more,

but it is still best to keep the potting soil moist.

In winter, when the temperature is low and the plant grows slowly, water as little as possible.

Mosquito-repelling geranium rarely blooms,

but with enough patience, you can still grow it until the day it blooms!

Cuban oregano

Cuban oregano, a plant in the Lamiaceae family, genus Plectranthus,

it is said that after you touch it, your fingers smell fresh and pleasant, hence the name "touch-me fragrance."

Cuban oregano grows as a trailing vine, with small ovate leaves,

with serrated edges, a fleshy feel, and the surface covered with small white hairs.

Cuban oregano has a special fragrance and can be used as an ornamental potted plant outdoors,

or hung indoors or placed on a desk,

or used as an accent plant in the bathroom. The scent it releases can refresh you and also repel insects.

Cuban oregano rarely blooms,

so people generally enjoy its cute fleshy leaves.

Besides ornament and mosquito repellence,

its leaves can also be used to make tea or wine, with a wonderfully enticing fragrance.

It can also be used in cooking: soups, stir-fries, and cold dishes are all fine.

In addition,

crushing the leaves, adding honey and eating them raw can relieve sore throat.

Growing tips:

 It likes a sunny environment.

On cloudy days, reduce or stop watering and fertilizing.

When sunlight is insufficient or the sun is scorching, the potting soil is waterlogged,

or fertilizer is insufficient, the leaves of Cuban oregano will turn yellow.

At this time, remove the yellow leaves,

place it in a well-ventilated spot with a suitable temperature to grow,

and it is recommended to put it indoors near a window.

In addition,

after being grown for a long time, Cuban oregano becomes woody and the lower leaves turn yellow and fall off, which is normal.

Mint

Mint is probably the plant everyone is most familiar with.

Its local name is "silver dan grass," and it is a plant in the Lamiaceae family.

The whole plant gives off a cool fragrance.

Like Cuban oregano, its leaves are serrated,

but the leaves have a papery texture, and the small hairs on the surface are fewer than those of Cuban oregano.

Mint also grows in a creeping manner,

with small purple flowers, and it is generally very hard to see it bloom.

If you can see it bloom, then you must be very lucky!

The cool fragrance it gives off

easily keeps people clear-headed and makes the air fresh,

and at the same time mosquitoes and insects are also very afraid of this pungent smell.

Besides its pleasant fragrance,

mint can be mixed with lemon, honey,

cucumber and so on to make tea, which has a beauty effect.

It can be made into desserts, and can also be used in cocktails,

as a spice, or to extract essential oil!

It has both edible and medicinal value, so you could say every part of it is a treasure!

Growing tips:

 Mint is highly adaptable to environment, temperature,

and humidity, and is easy to grow.

It likes sunlight; long daylight hours can promote mint flowering

and help the accumulation of mint oil and menthol.

Basil

Basil, also known as nine-story pagoda, jinbuhuan,

St. Joseph's wort, sweet basil, and lanxiang,

is an aromatic plant used both as medicine and food, with a taste similar to fennel.

It has a strong, pungent, fragrant odor and also has a bactericidal effect.

The tender leaves can be eaten and can also be steeped in water to drink,

and have the effects of dispelling wind, adding fragrance, strengthening the stomach, and promoting sweating.

It can be used as a seasoning for pizza, pasta sauce,

sausages, soups, tomato juice, dressings, and salads.

Many Italian chefs commonly use basil instead of oregano.

It is also a commonly used seasoning in Thai cooking.

Dried basil can be combined with lavender, mint, marjoram,

and lemon verbena, 3 tablespoons in total, to make a stress-relieving herbal tea.

Basil has special fragrance characteristics

(generally giving off a clove-like aroma,

and some have a slight minty note, a little sweet or a little spicy; the fragrance varies by variety).

Because it has a special smell,

it can therefore block whiteflies and hawkmoth larvae.

Growing tips:

Basil is a deep-rooted plant and dislikes waterlogging.

It likes a warm, humid climate, is not cold-tolerant, is drought-tolerant, and is not waterlogging-tolerant.

It can be grown indoors, where it repels mosquitoes and also serves as an accent.

Pitcher plant

Pitcher plant is the general name for all species in the genus Nepenthes.

It belongs to the tropical insectivorous plants, also known as water-jug plant,

monkey water bottle, monkey pitcher, piglet cage, and thunder god pot.

Its large "pitcher" is an invisible killer of insects,

There is a lid on top of the trap, shaped like a pig cage, which is how it got its name.

The trap we see is actually a modified form of the pitcher plant's leaf.

The main purpose of growing pitcher plants is to admire their bizarre insect-catching organ

--the pitfall trap.

The pitfall trap of the pitcher plant develops from the tip of the tendril.

At the same time,

the same species of pitcher plant will grow two differently shaped types of traps.

Growing tips:

Most pitcher plants live in environments with high humidity and temperature,

and with bright, indirect light,

so pitcher plants are generally grown in sunny spots on balconies,

hung in balcony corners, decorating your beautiful balcony alongside other plants.

Water thoroughly once every two to three days,

keeping the soil moist.

Venus flytrap

The Venus flytrap is a perennial herbaceous plant native to North America,

belonging to the genus Dionaea,

the types commonly grown at home are small in size and very cute!

The Venus flytrap is a very interesting carnivorous plant,

its stem is very short,

and at the tip of the leaf grows a trap that closely resembles a "shell",

which can secrete nectar,

when a small insect wanders in, it can clamp it shut at extremely fast speed,

and digest and absorb it.

It is said that because the leaf edges have regular bristles,

the feeling is just like Venus's eyelashes,

meaning "Venus's flytrap".

Potted plants can be used for viewing on sunny windowsills and balconies,

and can also be grown specially in planting troughs;

the Venus flytrap is hailed as the carnivorous plant of the natural world.

Growing tips:

 The Venus flytrap reproduces by seeds,

it loves sunlight; when grown at home, it can receive full sun in spring, autumn and winter,

in southern summers, add 50% shade or simply place it on an indoor sunny windowsill.

It is native to marshes, so the soil needs to be kept moist.

It is worth noting that

you must not feed them too much meat, they will catch their own food.

Lavender

Lavender, I believe everyone is familiar with it,

it actually refers to the collective name for all species under the genus Lavandula in the mint family Lamiaceae,

also known as perfume plant, spirit fragrant grass, fragrant grass, yellow fragrant grass, lavender.

Leaves are linear, stems are upright, the whole plant is covered with hairs.

Spicate inflorescence, flowers small and purple.

The whole plant has a light fragrance with a slight woody sweetness,

because the flowers,

leaves and stems all have hairs that contain oil glands,

a gentle touch ruptures the oil glands and releases the fragrance.

Lavender essential oil has activity against various bacteria.

Besides its bactericidal effect,

lavender also has sedative and hypnotic,

antispasmodic, neuroprotective, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular insufficiency-treating,

and neurosis-treating functions.

Placed in the bedroom, it can improve sleep quality and relieve nervous stress.

Growing tips:

Lavender is highly adaptable.

Mature plants tolerate both low and high temperatures.

Lavender is a plant that prefers dry conditions and needs little water.

Lavender is a long-day plant,

and needs long hours of light during the flowering period.

So it can be grown near a window in the bedroom for better results,

with a richer fragrance.

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