Curly mint: variety description, planting and care with photo

Curly mint is most often found in summer cottages. The plant is unpretentious and does not require special attention. Based on the leaves of the culture, herbal teas and fees are prepared.

Features of the variety

Curly mint got its name from the shape of the leaves. They look like curls. Unlike peppermint, the aroma of this variety is not as sharp. The leaves smell pleasant, but the smell is unobtrusive, menthol. In height, the plant reaches from 30 cm to 1 m. The shade of the petals is light green. With the onset of the flowering period, the variety throws out inflorescences. The stems for teas are collected along with the flowers.

Growing conditions for curly mint

Grow variety prefers open sunny areas. It is desirable to choose such places that the plants are in the sun in the first half of the day. Preference should be given to wet soils, but not wetlands.

It is recommended that the soil be fertile, loose, with good aeration. Loamy and sandy soils are suitable. It is undesirable to plant bushes in the shade. They will not grow well. Every 4 years, the beds are transplanted, and large bushes are planted in different areas.

Date of planting

The optimal planting time is mid-spring. This is the second half of April - the first half of May. In cold regions, planting is postponed until the onset of heat. It is not recommended to plant mint in summer. Over the summer, she will not have time to take root in a new place and in winter, most likely, she will die.

Autumn planting is undesirable for the same reason. As a last resort, you need to finish planting mint before August. And with the onset of frost, cover the beds.

Preparing seedlings

Spearmint is grown in several ways.

cutting;
seeds;
seedlings.

The most time-consuming and inefficient way of growing is seed. They often sprout poorly and require increased attention.

You need to give preference to cuttings or seedlings.

To get mint seedlings, buy it in garden shops or grow it yourself:

To grow seedlings from a mint bush, cut off the stem at the base of the root.
Put it in the water. After a few days, thin white roots appear.
When they grow up, the seedlings begin to be planted in the soil in separate cups.

After the seedlings have taken root and got stronger, they are transplanted together with the soil to a permanent place.

Site preparation

Preparing the site for planting curly mint begins in the fall. With the onset of autumn, all weeds are removed, and the soil is dug to a depth of 10-15 cm. This will avoid the appearance of insects in spring. In addition, the soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate or iodine. Such disinfection is the prevention of fungi and other diseases.

In the spring, the soil is dug up again and fertilized. Use mineral and organic top dressing. Manure, bird droppings, mullein, superphosphate and nitrogen-containing fertilizers are suitable.

Planting a plant

To grow mint by seed, the material is first germinated. To do this, it is placed in wet gauze and left for several days. When sprouts appear, they are transplanted into the soil and sprinkled with a little earth. Boxes with seeds are wrapped with cling film, left in this form for 1-2 weeks. Film is removed periodically. This is necessary to check if mold has appeared on the soil. And water the soil. After the appearance of sprouts, the film is removed.

You need to transplant seedlings to a permanent place when the first few pairs of full-fledged leaves appear on the bushes.

Another way is cuttings. Part of the bush is cut off with a shovel and planted together with the soil in a new place. Then they add soil and pour abundantly with warm water. This method is considered the simplest, and bushes take root faster than when planting with other methods.

Before planting bushes with white roots, holes are dug in the soil and fertilizer is poured into the bottom. The stem is placed in the hole and covered with soil. Lightly tamp the soil on top and water.

General rules for crop care

Curly mint, like other plant varieties, is unpretentious. Bushes can grow on any soil. The only condition for care is that when grown in cold regions for the winter, the beds are insulated. Mint is afraid of frost and often freezes in cold winters.

How to water mint

You need to water the bushes several times a week. Mint prefers to grow in moist soil. But it is undesirable to pour the earth so that the plants do not start to hurt. If there is a strong heat, the number of waterings is increased. By the appearance of the bushes, it will be clear whether they need additional moisture.

Weeding and loosening

The plant does not need frequent weeding. It is necessary to loosen the soil only if the beds are heavily overgrown with weeds and prevent mint from growing. You will also have to weed the beds if the plantings are very dense, and some of the bushes need to be transplanted to a new place.

Diseases and pests of mint

Most often, flea, aphids, leaf beetles and mites appear on curly mint. Insects feed on mint juice, from which the plant begins to wither, and the bushes gradually die. Harmful insects should be destroyed immediately after their appearance. As chemicals, "Karbofos" or other insect herbicides are used.

Among the diseases mint is affected by powdery mildew and rust. From powdery mildew, spraying with a soapy or soda solution helps. And if the bushes are affected by rust, then they need to be dug up and destroyed away from the site.The beds are then treated with potassium permanganate. To prevent diseases, it is necessary to prevent waterlogging and thickening of the beds.

Harvest and storage of crops

Harvest of mint begins when the stems of the plant have reached a height of 20-30 cm. Starting from the first half of June, the stems are already cut. The cut is carried out until the fall. The more often you cut the stems, the thicker they will grow.

Dry the mint in a dark, cool room, stirring occasionally. After the stems and leaves are completely dry, they are transferred to glass jars or cloth bags. Store raw materials away from sunlight.