Description of the English mint variety, features of cultivation and care
English mint in the common people is called chill or chill mint. This variety is appreciated for its life-giving properties, a wide range of applications. It was bred by crossing wild subspecies - aquatic and spikelet.
Features of the variety
English mint is a herbaceous perennial, the height of which reaches 1 m, with a chill when biting, a pronounced odor. The rhizome is located close to the soil surface. Its foliage is ovoid, pointed. Gives small flowers, his corolla is naked, with a lilac limb. Flowering lasts from June to September. English mint is represented here by two common types - black and white.
Conditions for the growth of English mint
Mint yields more on nitrogenous soil. But all the best should be in moderation, because excess nitrogen in the soil can lead to the formation of rust on the leaves. Fragrant mint loves moisture and sun, but it does not tolerate dry heat well without additional spraying. A perennial grows comfortably at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° С.
As the temperature rises, the menthol content in the leaves decreases. In a severe winter, the perennial can withstand a drop in the thermometer to -10 ° C. But if this temperature level is observed at the depth of unprotected roots, then they die almost immediately. With a snow cushion up to 20 cm deep, life-giving mint can withstand temperatures down to -25 ° C.
Planting time
If the perennial is grown at home, then you can plant the selected seeds at any time, there are no restrictions. Thanks to its excellent frost-resistant qualities, life-giving mint can be planted in cool soil in autumn.
When sowing the selected samples in garden soil, the planting period without seedlings is observed: the end of April - the beginning of warm May.
Preparation of planting material
Since the selected seeds are too small, the sowing process in open ground must be approached with the utmost seriousness.
Ripe mint seeds are purchased in a special store or harvested on their own. Before sowing, the material is selected at home, only mature specimens are left. Selected mint seeds have a low germination rate, 2-3 seedlings can come out of 1 bag.
Preparing the landing site
Before placing life-giving mint in the ground, it is necessary to prepare the site. To begin with, you need to carefully dig up the selected area by 20 cm. 3 kg of high-quality humus are introduced per 1 sq. m.Do not forget about 2 tbsp. l. wood ash, 15 g of ammonium nitrate. All these actions will help turn any selected site into a comfortable place for the growth and development of a perennial. If the groundwater is too close to the surface, then it is better to make an elevation at the planting site of life-giving mint.
Planting culture
Prepare grooves for fragrant mint, observing a distance of 20-30 cm. To make planting convenient, use a stick with a pointed end or a planting syringe for seeds, since mature specimens are very small. They are deepened by 5 cm, carefully sprinkled with earth, watered to avoid erosion by water.
If the seeds are planted for seedlings, then when the young shoots reach 6 cm in height, they are safely relocated to open ground.
Mint care rules
Gardeners who decided to grow fragrant English mint on their site were lucky, because for its normal growth and development, it is necessary to make a minimum of effort due to its unpretentiousness. In one place, a perennial can develop up to 5 years, after this period it must be transplanted. Bushes must be rejuvenated by emergency pruning.
To prevent the intensive spread of mint throughout the site, special restrictions must be set. In places of depletion of the soil, fertilizers are applied for the development of mint. So that the fragrant plant does not stretch, illuminated areas are chosen.
Watering
English mint loves moisture in reasonable amounts. It does not tolerate waterlogged soil, which causes the roots to rot. Therefore, perennials need high-quality watering.
Loosening and weeding
Periodic loosening of the soil and weeding the tree trunk circle from insidious weeds are mandatory procedures that must be followed by every gardener who has English mint in his area. Loosening the soil provides an additional flow of oxygen to the roots, this should be done once a month.
Diseases and pests
Fragrant mint is a perennial that is attractive not only to humans but also to pests.
From the moment the first leaves grow back, she is annoyed by a mint flea that makes round holes in the leaves. During a dry and warm spring, the risk of an attack by this pest is very high.
Aphids destroy the upper part of the young shoot. Weevils infect the edges of the leaves. A meadow moth can completely destroy a perennial. Wireworm can spoil the root system. What are the main methods of dealing with these pests? In case of severe damage, powerful insecticides are used. Spraying procedures must be carried out 30 days before the start of the harvest.
On the garden plot, it is better to do without the use of potent substances; a perennial transplant every 2 years will be preventive measures. Spraying is also carried out with a ready-made solution of celandine.
Like all perennials, life-giving mint is susceptible to various ailments. Most often, she suffers from powdery mildew, which can be saved from deep autumn digging of the soil, spraying with a solution of colloidal sulfur.
Leaf spot - it is characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the leaves with black dots; spraying with Bordeaux liquid will help save the crop.
The fast-growing rhizome infects mycoplasma. To get rid of these destructive pests will only help the destruction of the infected plant, transplanting healthy samples to another place.
Timely introduction of phosphorus with potassium will help strengthen the protective properties of the perennial.
Collection and storage
There are guidelines to pick young mint correctly. You can not pluck the shoots with your hands, it is better to carefully cut the stem. It is cut to a third of the total length. During the period of active flowering, menthol extract is obtained from the shoots. If you need to dry a crop with stems, then it is better to do this before budding begins.Collecting mint for making fragrant tea begins in early spring, the peak of the harvesting season falls on sultry July. The collection is carried out 1-3 times a month. It is best to cut the shoots in the evening on a dry day.
