Black mint: variety description, planting and care with photo

Black mint is a variety of English mint. This is a special hybrid that does not occur in the wild. It is cultivated for medicinal purposes, in cooking, cosmetology.

Speciality of black mint

Black Peppermint has a red-purple color of the stems, the color of the leaves is intense green. In terms of the content of essential oils, the perennial is in the lead, but in terms of the intensity of the aroma, it is significantly inferior to white mint. The leaves contain less menthol, so the flavor is much weaker. Black mint species are cultivated in our country.

Necessary conditions for growth

This type of perennial is quite hardy, so even a novice gardener can grow and harvest a decent crop in the first year. Black beauty grows well and develops on any soil compositions. For its landing choose sunny glades with light penumbra at noon. At the same time, the perennial does not require additional fertilization.

When to plant mint

Ready-made young growth can be planted during the entire period of active vegetation. In order for a young seedling to better take root and adapt to harsh external conditions, it is planted in cool and moist soil in autumn or winter.

At the end of October, after the final harvest, the selected area is dug up, cleared of weeds and annoying dead wood. High-quality compost is brought to an empty plot, leveled with a rake.

If you need to plant selected seeds for seedlings, then it is better to do this in the third decade of March. Seedlings are planted in May, after the end of the return frosts.

If the selected seeds were sown in spring March, then by the end of the hot summer, young shoots grow to strong bushes.

Preparation of planting material

Planting material is obtained in various ways - they are purchased at a special store or a local nursery, they are collected on their own.

Collecting seeds yourself from a perennial is a rather painstaking task. It is important to understand that artificially bred varieties end up with a completely different variety. That is why all the material must be purchased in a trusted store in order to get good germination.

Also, some gardeners buy ready-made seedlings of life-giving mint at specialized points of sale.As a good material for strong seedlings, an offshoot of the mother perennial, taken from the site of friends, is suitable. The resulting shoot is placed in a glass of water, when its roots develop up to 5 cm in length, then this is a ready-made seedling.

Where to plant the plant

In order for a useful plant to reveal its life-giving qualities as much as possible, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to choosing the optimal place for planting it. In this case, follow the indicated recommendations:

A fragrant flower is a kind of weed that can fill the entire area, so you need to think about a limiter for it. Slate sheets around the entire perimeter of perennial growth are suitable for this role.
Pick up areas where buckwheat, legumes, any root crops were previously cultivated.
When planting young mint, its future neighbors are taken into account: they do not place it near bushes that are constantly subjected to aggressive chemical treatment. Plant it away from such plants.
Perennial feels comfortable in the lighted area. The midday heat is detrimental to its delicate leaves, so they choose a semi-shady place, reliably protected from blowing winds.
The soil for planting perennials is a fertile, loose composition.
The perennial will lose its pleasant aroma if it actively grows and develops in a site with a high lime content.
Unsuccessful neighbors of mint that can spoil its appearance are cucumbers, beets, cabbage.

When planting, you need to remember that mint does not tolerate acidic and waterlogged soil.

How to plant a crop

To plant a life-giving perennial in open ground, make small grooves 5 cm deep. Observe the minimum distance between planted plants of 30-50 cm. Sprinkle the selected seeds with fertile soil. Compact the soil and water abundantly.

Mint Care Rules

Any novice gardener will be able to cope with caring for a perennial, since it is unpretentious to external conditions. To ensure that life-giving mint is comfortable, follow a few valuable recommendations:

Ensure intensive watering at the beginning of the growing season.
Regularly loosen the soil, providing oxygen to the roots.
Feed with quality compost and wood ash in the spring.
If there are severe winters in the planting region, then it is better to protect it with spruce branches or leaves.
Life-giving mint is a perennial that has been pleasing with its aroma for more than one year. But every 4 years it is necessary to renew the plant, as its qualities are weakening.
Dramatic pruning of the bush at the root gives even more growth during the growing season.

Irrigation features

Fragrant perennial is able to withstand dry times, so it is enough for him to provide high-quality watering 2 times a month. During a drought, water more intensively than usual. The perennial does not tolerate overdried soil.

Loosening

Regular loosening of the soil will benefit the perennial. You can loosen the trunk circle once a season or more often.

Weeding

During the procedure, do not forget to remove annoying weeds. They can slow down the growth of perennials, so get rid of them in time.

Diseases

Mint is susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew and destructive rust. With powdery mildew, white spots appear on the leaves, with rust, orange spots appear. The affected leaves are cut off, and the perennial is completely treated with potent agents.

Pests

During the entire growing season, it is necessary to ensure that the perennial is not attacked by pests. Often unprotected mint is attacked by aphids, various mites, mint leaf beetle, dangerous mint flea.

Collection and storage of mint

Harvesting is carried out during the period when the leaves have the highest content of nutrients. Mint is harvested in the midst of lush flowering. The stems are carefully cut, tied in bunches, hung in ventilated rooms. Also laid out on cloth or paper in a thin layer.