Mint - Mentha
Growing and Using
How
to Grow Mint
- Herbs
Hardy herbaceous perennial.
45cm tall, 45cm spread can be more.
Sow seed: Jan - May
at 21-24C.
Full sun or semi-shade.
May need some root
restriction.
Easy to propagate from rooted creeping stem
sections.
Herbs: Basil | Bay | Chives | Oregano | Parsley | Rosemary | Sage | Thyme | All
Mint can be grown from seed but it can be slow to germinate, it is best bought as small plants and split to produce more plants which is very easy to do as it produces creeping stems that root as they go.
Mint has a habit of spreading into every nook and cranny once it gets going - IF it likes your conditions, if it doesn't it can be quite sulky. The customary advice is to plant it in a bottomless bucket sunk into the ground. If you do this leave the bucket rim sticking out of the ground by an inch or two as mint spreads on the surface by stems that root where they touch the soil, by this and by shallow roots they will soon creep over a low bucket rim.
While mint produces fresh and inviting new growth it starts to look very ragged once it begins to flower in mid summer with the leaves getting spread out and holes appearing. Just as it starts to do so is the ideal time to harvest it for the freezer. Cut the stems just above ground level then strip and wash the leaves, put the leaves in a food processor with a little olive oil, blitz and freeze flat about 5-10mm thick in plastic bags. In this way they take up little space in the freezer and you can easily snap off as much as you want for use. This method keeps us in mint sauce and raita all through the winter.
If your mint strays where you don't want it just pull it up, it's not difficult, rooted stems can be potted up for easy propagation. Cut stems down to 10cm (4") above ground level in late autumn.
Use it fresh chopped finely added to cooked new potatoes with butter, in tabbouleh or chimichurri, as a fancy addition to posh drinks and in fresh mint sauce. If you like mint grow it and then find new ways you like to eat it, fresh mint is fantastic stuff. There are many types to try, applemint, spearmint, peppermint, pineapple mint, lemon mint, basil mint, eau de cologne mint, curly mint and mountain mint amongst others.
Mint harvested just before
it flowers in mid summer, leaves ready to be stripped
from the stems for preserving
After chopping in a processor
with a little olive oil, the mint is stored in plastic
bags pressed flat before freezing. This technique can
be used with almost any herbs.
Mint seeds and plants to buy
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