Moroccan mint: variety description, useful properties, planting and care with photo

Attracts with its curly, lush leaves and unique aroma of Moroccan mint, most often called garden mint. It tastes milder than the traditional pepper variety, with a refreshing aroma.

Features of the variety

Moroccan mint - curly mint, its name is associated with French roots when Morocco was a colony of France. This variety, grown in a sultry climate, was distinguished by a high content of essential oils, menthol, and stood out from the rest with its corrugated leaves. It has a mint-fresh aroma, tart peppery taste.

Useful properties of mint

Moroccans have long known the beneficial properties of mint, it is used as a prevention of various diseases. Based on its leaves, a life-giving tea is prepared, which is an excellent tonic and refreshing remedy.

This variety has many beneficial qualities:

Stabilizes blood pressure.
Has a relaxing effect.
Has a positive effect on the functioning vessels and heart.
Designed to improve digestion and gastrointestinal function.
Eliminates headache, stress.
Aimed at muscle relaxation, eliminates muscle spasm.
Relieves PMS.

In the summer, a mint drink is a real salvation, has a refreshing quality. People take life-giving decoctions of natural mint as a sedative that can relieve emotional stress and stimulate the brain.

Seed preparation

Purchase samples for planting in a specialized store for further sowing in the ground. Seeds do not require special preparation before planting; they can be kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Preparing the landing site

Mint prefers a nutritious soil composition. You can use ready-made soil for growing seedlings or make a mixture yourself. For this purpose, they mix in equal proportions: humus, garden soil, sifted sand, peat.To disinfect the mixture, it is calcined in the oven.

For sowing seeds, choose a sunny area with light shade at noon.

Sowing

It is very convenient to sow seeds in prepared plastic containers with a lid. The result is a kind of mini-greenhouse. In order not to constantly open the containers, small holes are made on the lid.

Sown the seeds necessarily in moist soil. For this purpose, small grooves are made, the embedment depth is no more than 5 mm, and the selected seeds are carefully introduced there. Mint seeds are too small to wash, use a spray bottle. Sprinkle with earth on top. A container with sown seeds is placed on a lighted windowsill in a warm room.

Plant care

After the shoots appear, gently open the lid. So that young shoots do not stretch out, they are provided with high-quality lighting. If the natural sun is not enough, then seedlings are illuminated with special lamps.

Beautiful mint loves moisture, so in addition to watering, it is sprayed. The grown seedlings are transplanted into separate containers or planted in open ground in a permanent place. It is advisable to plant young mint in areas where legumes, root crops, and various perennials have already grown.

Mint is a creeping plant that fills all space like a fast growing weed. To avoid such a nuisance, before planting, limiters are dug into the soil; slate sheets and sheet metal are used as such. To prevent such a spread, it is advisable to grow mint in spacious containers.

Irrigation features

This perennial is extremely moisture-loving. Water it moderately, without stagnant moisture, which it does not tolerate. During a strong dry period, the perennial requires daily watering.Bring moisture in the evening hours. In order for the life-giving moisture to be preserved during the drought period, the near-stem circle is mulched with high-quality compost, and the soil is regularly loosened.

Weeding and loosening

Regularly weed the trunk circle from excess weeds. Periodic loosening of the soil is mandatory, dry type of irrigation is necessary.

Diseases

When sowing seeds in open ground, they are sown at a distance from each other to prevent infection with various ailments. If powdery mildew is found on the leaves, then young bushes are saved by treatment with a solution of colloidal sulfur.

Pests

Delicate mint is attacked by weevil, aphids, whiteflies, and slugs also spoil its appearance. Some gardeners collect the destructive insects by hand, but it is still much more effective to do periodic spraying with a strong insecticide.The instructions indicate how long it takes to collect safe raw materials for making tea and decoctions.

Harvest and storage of crops

In the first year of intensive growth and development of the plant, fresh leaves are harvested for drying. This should be done before the flowering of fragrant perennials, since at this time they have already accumulated a sufficient amount of useful substances and natural ether. In order to best preserve the taste, the collected material is dried in the shade. The leaves are dried whole or ground into powder, sometimes dried with twigs. The freshness of green shoots is kept in damp gauze in the refrigerator.