Content
Chocolate mint is distinguished by its unusual foliage color and original aroma. The ornamental plant is widely used by cosmetologists, cooks, folk healers, and is grown by gardeners in their garden plots. The culture lends itself well to propagation and storage in dried form.
Description of chocolate mint
The variety was bred by Dutch breeders. A distinctive feature of mint is the presence of a purple-brown tint in color and a chocolate aroma, which confirms the name of the culture.
The chocolate variety can be recognized by the purple-brown veins on the leaves.
The plant can be described in more detail as follows:
- The stem of the chocolate mint grows vertically. If you pinch the tops, you will get a branched bush up to 60 cm high. The skin of the stem is rarely covered with small hairs.
- The arrangement of mint leaf blades is opposite to each other. The leaf shape is elongated and round. The surface is wrinkled with veins. There are serrations on the edges of the leaves. The color is dark green mixed with a purple-brown tint.
- The inflorescences consist of small purple flowers collected in long panicles.
- In place of faded inflorescences, small seeds approximately 0.5 mm in size appear. After ripening, mint seeds acquire a black shell.
You can take a closer look at the chocolate mint in the photo, where the distinctive features of the variety are clearly visible.
What is the aroma and taste of chocolate mint?
If we compare the culture with other varieties of mint, its essential oils are soft. The menthol does not create a cold feeling in the mouth. The aroma contains light notes of chocolate.
Chocolate color appears intensely on the tops of mint
How does mint of the Chocolate variety propagate?
Garden crops are quickly and reliably propagated by layering or dividing the bush, that is, by root cuttings. It is more difficult to start mint on your site using green cuttings and seeds.
The long root of mint has many shoots that are convenient for propagating the garden plant.
To propagate the variety by root method, a bush is dug up in the garden in spring, summer or autumn. Mint roots are long and young shoots grow from them at a certain distance. Using scissors, you need to carefully cut such a chain into individual seedlings. Each shoot should remain with a piece of the main root and small branches. Cuttings are planted in pots or directly on the garden bed. With plenty of watering, chocolate mint will quickly take root.In a couple of weeks, the roots of each seedling will begin to grow, and new chocolate-colored sprouts will appear.
If you place the cut tops of a chocolate plant in a jar of water, they will take root.
When it is not possible to dig up a chocolate mint bush, it is worth visiting a vegetable market or supermarket. You need to find the freshest cut greens on the shelves. From the purchased bunch of mint, select strong branches with unwilted leaves. The tops, about 15 cm long, are cut off with scissors. The cuttings are placed in a glass of water so that the tips of the stems are immersed to a depth of approximately 2 cm. A higher water level is not advisable. The cuttings will begin to rot.
After a few days, the mint stems will sprout roots. They continue to be kept in water until the root system grows up to 7 cm long. Ready seedlings are planted in cups with fertile substrate. When the plants get stronger and grow, they are transplanted to the garden bed.
Mint seeds can be grown in an ordinary plastic basin
The most difficult and lengthy process of propagating chocolate mint is growing it from seeds. There can be some pitfalls here, as unscrupulous manufacturers sometimes pack varieties that are not the ones shown on the packaging. It is better to purchase certified seeds from a nursery or company store.
For sowing you need to prepare a container. The soil mixture is purchased or made from humus, sand and earth in a ratio of 1:1:2. You can add 1 part peat to the mixture.The soil is loaded into the planting container, and grooves 5 mm deep are made with a pencil. Chocolate mint seeds can be sown thickly. After germination, weak extra shoots break through. After sowing, the furrows are covered with soil and moistened with a sprayer. The container is covered with film and placed in a warm room for germination. Mint sprouts will appear in about the third week. The film cover is removed, the air temperature in the room is maintained in the range of 20-25 OC. Planting mint in the garden is carried out after picking and hardening the seedlings, when they grow up.
Health benefits of chocolate mint
The main beneficial substances of the chocolate variety, like any other mint, are essential oils, in particular menthol. The plant is used to prepare antibacterial compounds. Essential oils relieve stomach pain due to inflammation of the mucous membrane, and have a preventive effect against gastritis. Mint teas are useful for colds, sore throats, and are a sedative. Menthol improves blood circulation and the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Nutrients are found in plants of any age.
Uses of chocolate mint
Although the aroma of peppermint is reminiscent of chocolate, its beneficial properties are similar to the traditional garden crop. The plant is widely used in medicine, cosmetology, and cooking.
In folk medicine
Folk healers prepare infusions from an aromatic plant with chocolate leaves that help cure nervous diseases and disorders of the digestive system.Menthol relieves attacks of nausea well, reduces blood pressure, promotes vasodilation, and facilitates breathing during nasal congestion during a cold.
Mint tinctures are popular in folk medicine.
Mint decoctions help remove stones formed in the gall bladder. The antiseptic substances of the plant eliminate skin rashes and diseases of the oral cavity: periodontitis, stomatitis. You can simply rinse your mouth with mint decoction after eating to freshen your breath.
In cosmetology
For the cosmetology industry, mint is a godsend. The extract of the spicy plant is widely used as a flavoring agent. Many people prefer shampoos, soaps, body and hair care products with a menthol scent. Since essential oils have antibacterial properties, they are used to produce body care creams, face and hair masks. Women make their own decoctions and infusions from the leaves to help care for their skin.
Mint is in demand in cosmetology for making creams.
In cooking
In cooking, chocolate peppermint is used as a spice. It is often added to meat dishes and sauces. Beautiful chocolate leaves are often used simply as a salad garnish. Mint goes well with desserts. Thanks to its chocolate aroma, the plant is popular among bartenders. Leaves are added to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails, such as Mojito.
A few mint leaves will add an original taste to any dish.
Planting and caring for chocolate mint
The chocolate variety, like regular mint, loves moisture. Select a place that is partially shaded, but not completely covered by the crown of trees. The soil is preferably fertile, sandy loam or loam.
If desired, chocolate spice can be grown in a flower pot on the windowsill
If you already have ready-made seedlings on hand, you can plant the plant at any warm time of the year. However, if early spring is chosen, then return frosts should go away. In autumn, plant at least three weeks before expected frost. During this time, the chocolate culture should have time to take root.
The bushes are planted at a distance of 45-60 cm from each other. Over time they will grow. It is advisable to immediately fence off the bed by digging in a border strip or slate. The fencing will prevent chocolate mint roots from spreading throughout the area.
Features of cultivation
A garden plant with chocolate leaves does not require much care. For good growth, mint needs regular watering. However, you can’t overdo it either. The culture loves moderate moisture, but not stagnant water.
On large plantations with growing mint, it is more convenient to organize automatic watering
While the plants are small, the soil around the bushes is loosened and weeds are removed. When the mint grows and gains strength, it itself will choke out the weeds. It is advisable to pinch the tops. The process promotes the rapid development of side shoots. The plant grows into a bush, which helps increase the yield of chocolate leaves.
It is advisable to avoid fertilizing. Organic and mineral fertilizers can change the aroma of chocolate spice. If the soil in the garden bed is very depleted, you can fertilize it with a mineral complex once in the summer, but this should not be done before harvesting.
Since the plant loves partial shade, it is not placed on the windows of the south side of the building.However, in winter it is necessary to artificially increase the duration of daylight hours using lighting. Room temperature is suitable, within 20-23 OWITH.
Pests and diseases
The main pests of mint are mint flea beetles, green beetles, mint leaf beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, and slobbering pennies. They suck sap from young shoots, eat leaves, and lay larvae.
The fragrant leaves of mint sometimes attract pests, which settle in colonies at the top of the plant.
The problem is the fact that it is undesirable to treat chocolate spice with chemicals. It is better to use agrotechnical control methods and folk methods. If the result is unsuccessful, the plantings are sprayed with an insecticide a month before harvesting the chocolate leaves.
Colloidal sulfur is the best assistant in the fight against fungi and other diseases
Among the diseases, mint is affected by powdery mildew and rust. Often the person himself is to blame for the disease of a culture. Do not allow the plantings to become very thick and excessively damp. If the fungus appears, the mint is sprayed with a solution of colloidal sulfur a month before harvesting.
When and how to collect chocolate mint
Aromatic essential oils are contained in the entire aerial part of mint. The harvest is harvested by cutting off the stems at the time of flowering. With good care, you can get three harvests of chocolate spice in a season. The stems are not cut down to the very roots so that the bush has the opportunity to quickly recover. If you only need chocolate leaves, whole branches are still cut off and then torn off. You cannot leave bare stems on the plant.
The harvested crop is formed into bunches and stored dried.
How to properly dry chocolate mint
The freshly harvested crop can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days by wrapping the branches in a damp cloth. For long-term storage, only drying is suitable. The mint is dried naturally for about 15 days, spread out in a thin layer in the shade. To speed up the process, use an oven or microwave. Here the chocolate branches will dry in 5-6 hours.
The harvest is stored in bunches suspended in a barn on the ceiling or wall. The leaves can be crushed into powder and packaged in hermetically sealed containers.
Conclusion
Chocolate mint on the plot will be an excellent decoration. In addition, the spicy plant will repel pests from garden crops.
