3/15/2023 0 Comments Mint seeds![]() Stem or root cuttings can be used, but stem cuttings are easier and quicker to handle. A single five gallon stock plant will produce dozens of cuttings a week, however the cost of maintaining enough stock plants for sizable production cuts into potential profits.Ĭuttings. Cuttings are harder to find commercially so most growers maintain their own stock plants. Liners are available from specialty herb plug growers. Mint is a quick crop from cuttings or liners, ready for sale in 4-6 weeks or less. They are not suitable for pack sales because they grow rootbound so quickly in cells. Mints are most commonly grown and sold in 4 inch pots for spring sale. The improved form is more disease-resistant than the standard narrow leaf variety, and the nearly round leaved english variety has a milder, more refined aroma and flavour favoured in traditional mint jelly, peas, carrots, potatoes, mint julep, and lamb sauce. The improved spearmint and the english mint are both superior spearmint cultivars among possibly hundreds of forms found in gardens. Ginger mint is not so notable for its mild, faintly reminiscent ginger flavour and aroma, but more for its attractive gold-flecked leaves. As its various names suggest, it has a sweet, fruity or floral scent and flavour that is popular in tea and potpourris. Orange mint is also known as bergamot mint or eau de cologne mint. They include peppermint, spearmint, orange mint ( Mentha aquatica ∜itrata), ginger mint ( Mentha arvensis Variegata), and two forms of spearmint, the improved spearmint (also known as Kentucky Colonel mint), and english mint. There are dozens of varieties available, but only a few are important for commercial horticulture. For commercial pot plant production, cuttings are the favoured method. In all cases, the most desirable varieties of mint must be grown from cuttings or by root division. While commercial spearmint seeds are at least the correct species Mentha spicata plants grown from them have all the wrong combinations of essential oils, with, again, an undesirable rank smell and flavour. What is commonly sold as peppermint seeds is in fact a rank-smelling form of spearmint ( Mentha spicata) which has no value as a kitchen herb. ![]() Artificial crossing of its putative parents is an exercise in futility because any seeds produced by such crosses result in diverse forms, most of which will not possess the characteristic peppermint aroma and flavour. Although peppermint seeds are widely sold by seed companies, the true peppermint, Mentha x piperita, is a sterile hybrid that cannot produce seeds. Like other herbs that have long been misunderstood by the industry, starting with seeds is a recipe for disappointment. If there is a challenge for the commercial pot plant grower it is to find the right propagative material to start with. And the enduring appeal of mints for tea and for flavour in food make them an easy sell for spring pot production. Novice herb gardeners rarely have a problem growing them. The many mint varieties available are among the easiest of herbs to grow. Position Full sun to shaded, it will survive and thrive in most light conditions.Ĭompanion Plants Tomatoes & Cabbage, but best to grow alongside in its own container.If ever there were a cure for brown thumbs, mint would be it. Plant at least two seeds in each hole and keep moist until germinated. How to Plant Sow directly into a container and let it germinate and establish there, as mint can be invasive and a bit of a bully. Make sure to integrate with plenty of compost and look to feed one a month with seaweed extract Soil It will grow in a wide range of soil conditions from free draining to damp. Due to its prolific growth habits the plant is quick to become root bound in small pots - which will strangle its health - and so growing in larger pots is recommended. Botanical mint, which is most closely aligned in flavour to peppermint, is a fast growing aromatic herb belonging to the Mentha family.
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