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Mint is deservedly one of the most beloved plants by gardeners. It is unpretentious, grows well in many regions, and does not freeze in winter. It has a number of useful properties and can also be used in cooking. One of the species of this extensive family is considered to be mountain mint, which is both a medicinal and an ornamental plant.
What does mountain mint look like?
Mountain mint is a perennial herbaceous plant. Contrary to its name, it is not found in the mountains at all, preferring wet lands along rivers and streams, floodplain meadows with sandy or fertile soil, and also sometimes appears in arid regions. In Russia it grows mainly in the southern regions, as well as in the Caucasus. It is found in Mediterranean countries, Asia, and also in America.
Mountain mint has a hard single stem 0.4-0.8 m long. It is tetrahedral and light green. The leaves are green, narrow, lanceolate, with clearly visible veins, drooping, arranged in pairs.The inflorescence is a shield of small white flowers with purple specks.
Use of mountain mint in cooking
The main use of mountain mint is cooking. Both fresh and dried plants are used to prepare various dishes. The leaves of mountain mint are of greatest value in this regard; they contain the largest amount of aromatic compounds that give a specific taste and aroma.
What is the scent of mountain mint?
A distinctive feature of all mint plants is their aroma. It occurs due to essential oils contained in large quantities in the leaves. In addition to the characteristic smell, when consuming mountain mint, a feeling of freshness and cold appears in the mouth. This property is widely used by chefs all over the world.
Where can you add mountain mint?
Mountain mint can be used as one of the components of a spice mixture for cooking meat and fish. The leaves of this plant are used to decorate salads and alcoholic cocktails.
Mountain mint can be used to prepare aromatic tea, tonic and non-alcoholic drinks, mousses, syrups, and compotes.
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What are the benefits of mountain mint?
Mountain mint is not only a food ingredient, but also a medicine. The compounds it contains have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole, relieve tension, help with insomnia, and help relieve chronic fatigue syndrome.
Use of mountain mint in folk medicine
Decoctions of mountain mint are used as a sedative; they calm and relieve anxiety.Aromatic tea with the leaves of this plant is indicated for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Fresh mountain mint has an anesthetic effect and can be used to relieve toothache.
The beneficial properties of mountain mint are widely used in cosmetics. Decoctions and infusions of this plant can be used for the following procedures:
- Cleanses the skin of the face, which prevents various rashes.
- Mouth rinses.
- Rinsing and preparing nourishing masks for the scalp, which accelerates its growth, prevents hair loss, and improves its appearance.
- Rubbing into the scalp improves blood circulation and stimulates metabolism.
Mountain mint has not only beneficial properties, but also contraindications. It is not recommended to use it for people with low blood pressure. Consuming mint can cause heartburn and worsen varicose veins. Another contraindication is individual intolerance.
Landing rules
Mountain mint can be grown in the garden as a perennial. It tolerates cold temperatures down to -28 °C, so it will grow in most regions of Russia.
For planting, you can use one of the following types of propagation:
- Seeds. The most complex and time-consuming method, however, in order to grow mint on the plot for the first time, you will have to use it. Mountain mint seeds can be purchased at gardening stores or ordered online. Planting is allowed both in a pot and in open ground, weather permitting.In regions with an unfavorable climate, it is better to use the seedling method.
Seeds are usually planted for seedlings in March. Before sowing, the seeds are discarded, disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, and then planted in special containers - containers filled with nutrient soil. You can buy it at the store or prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to mix peat, sand and turf soil in equal proportions. The seeds are laid out on the surface at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other, and then slightly recessed. The container is watered and put in a warm place.
After 2-3 weeks, the seeds germinate. After 4-5 permanent leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and grown indoors. When warm weather sets in, when night temperatures no longer drop below + 5 °C, the plants are transplanted into open ground.
Important! The most delicious and tender greens grow from mint grown from seeds. - Dividing the bush. A mountain mint bush dug out of the ground is divided into several parts, divisions, each of which should have roots and growth buds. Then they are planted in individual holes, into which a little humus is added. For better rooting, the above-ground part of the bush is cut off. The success of the transplant is indicated by the appearance of young foliage on the bushes 10-14 days after transplantation.
- Layerings. To obtain cuttings, bend one of the stems of a mountain mint bush and sprinkle it with earth. After the shoot takes root and produces new shoots, it is cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a new place.
- Root cuttings. The root system of mountain mint is tree-like, superficial.There are usually quite a large number of dormant buds on the roots. For propagation, root cuttings 10-15 cm long are used, which are cut off from the main root and planted in a previously prepared place to a depth of 5-7 cm.
- Cuttings. Mountain mint takes good cuttings. To propagate, you need to cut off the upper part of the plant, 10-12 cm long, with leaf ovaries and place the cut part in a container with water. It usually takes 1-1.5 weeks for new roots to form. All this time, the cutting must be constantly in water.
When the length of the roots reaches 2-3 cm, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.
For planting, it is better to choose a sunny, open place. Mountain mint grows worse in the shade. It does not need highly moist soils; too much water is harmful to it. Therefore, it is better to plant it on small hills, avoiding swampy areas.
Features of cultivation and care
Mountain mint does not require special care. In the first half of the season, it is advisable to feed the bushes, especially if the soil on which they are grown is poor. It is preferable to use complex nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, although some gardeners recommend using organic matter, such as slurry. Mountain mint tolerates drought well, so watering should be very moderate. After planting, the soil next to the plants must be loosened and cleared of weeds. Before wintering, the bushes are completely cut off at a height of 8-10 cm, and the root zone is covered with fallen leaves, spruce branches, hay or straw.
Pests and diseases
Despite the high content of aromatic substances and a strong smell that repel many insects, mountain mint does have pests. Here are some of them:
- Mint flea beetle, or jumping beetle. This is a small arthropod insect, slightly less than 2 mm long, light brown in color. Its presence in mint plantings can be detected by characteristic “pitted” damage to the leaves. The beetles eat the soft tissue, leaving the lower skin of the leaf blade intact. For young plants, the mint flea beetle poses a significant danger, especially with large populations.
To combat the pest, plantings are treated with Actellik during the period of intensive growth of green mass. - Mint leaf beetle. This is a small bug measuring a little more than 1 mm. It is easily recognized by its characteristic greenish-bronze color. Leaf beetles eat young plants, inhibiting their growth. To get rid of them, the insecticides Chlorophos or Metaphos are used.
- Common aphid. These are microscopic sucking insects that live in large colonies on stems or on the underside of leaves. In addition to the direct harm from puncturing leaf blades, aphids are carriers of various viral diseases.
Small populations of insects can be washed off with water or folk remedies - infusion of hot pepper, garlic or celandine. - Weevil. A small leaf beetle with a long proboscis. Damages young leaf ovaries, as well as flowers. Weevils are rarely found in large quantities and are usually simply shaken off onto a cloth or newspaper and then burned.
- Wireworm. This is a click beetle larva that looks like a small, tough caterpillar with a segmented yellow-orange body and a brown head.The wireworm lives underground and feeds on the roots of plants, often causing their death.
If this pest is detected, planting mountain mint in this place should be abandoned.
Diseases are quite rare on mountain mint, and they are usually associated with unfavorable weather conditions, cold temperatures and excess humidity. The majority of these diseases are fungal. These include:
- powdery mildew;
- anthractosis;
- septoria;
- Verticillium wilt (wilt);
- phyllosticosis;
- fusarium;
- rust.
All these diseases, to one degree or another, affect the above-ground parts of the mountain plant, causing them to rot and subsequent death. To prevent planting, they are treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
When and how to collect mountain mint
The best time to cut and harvest mountain mint is mid-July. At this time, the plant gains maximum green mass, and its leaves contain a high concentration of aromatic substances. Mountain mint is cut along with the stem, tying bunches of plants.
How to properly dry mountain mint
It is better to dry mint bunches tied up in a dry, well-ventilated area. You can use for this, for example, an attic, a terrace, a balcony. Plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Fully dried mountain mint breaks easily. Store it in a tightly closed glass or ceramic container.
It is allowed to use canvas or linen bags for storage, but in this case, mountain mint must be stored separately from other spices.
Conclusion
Mountain mint is a versatile plant that has both nutritional and medicinal value.It is not difficult to grow; many gardeners do not even care about it; it grows somewhere in the outskirts of the garden. Despite such conditions, mountain mint ripens well, allowing you to stock it up for the winter, so that later, on long winter evenings, the unique aroma of a leaf of this herb added to tea will remind you of summer.
