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Mint is deservedly one of the most favorite plants for gardeners. It is unpretentious, grows well in many regions, 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 vast family is mountain mint, which is both a medicinal and an ornamental plant.
What does mountain mint look like
Mountain mint is a perennial herb. Contrary to its name, it is not found in the mountains at all, preferring moist lands along rivers and streams, floodplain meadows with sandy or fertile soil, and sometimes also appears in arid regions. In Russia, it grows mainly in the southern regions, as well as in the Caucasus. It is found in the Mediterranean countries, in Asia, as well as in America.
Mountain mint has a hard single stem 0.4-0.8 m long. It is tetrahedral, light green. The leaves are green, narrow, lanceolate, with well-distinguishable veins, lowered, arranged in pairs. The inflorescence is a shield of small white flowers with purple dots.
The use of mountain mint in cooking
The main use of mountain mint is in cooking. For the preparation of various dishes, both fresh and dried plants are used. In this respect, the leaves are of the greatest value in mountain mint, they contain the greatest 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 arises from the essential oils found in large quantities in the leaves. In addition to the characteristic odor, when you eat mountain mint, you get a feeling of freshness and coldness in your mouth. This property is widely used by culinary experts around the world.
Where to add mountain mint
Mountain mint can be used as one of the ingredients in a spice mix for cooking meat and fish. The leaves of this plant are used to decorate salads and alcoholic cocktails.
Mountain mint can be used to make aromatic tea, tonic and non-alcoholic drinks, mousses, syrups, compotes.
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Why mountain mint is good for you
Mountain mint is not only a food ingredient, but also a medicine. The compounds contained in it have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole, relieve stress, help against insomnia, and help relieve chronic fatigue syndrome.
The use of mountain mint in traditional medicine
Broths of mountain mint are used as a sedative, they soothe, relieve anxiety. Fragrant tea with 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 is anesthetic and can be used to relieve toothache.
The beneficial properties of mountain mint are widely used in cosmetics. A decoction and infusions of this plant can be used for the following procedures:
- Cleansing the skin of the face, which prevents various rashes.
- Rinsing the mouth.
- Rinsing and preparing nourishing masks for scalp hair, which accelerates their growth, prevents hair loss, improves appearance.
- Rubbing into the scalp improves blood circulation, stimulates metabolism.
Mountain mint has not only beneficial properties, but also contraindications. It is not recommended for people with low blood pressure. Consuming mint can cause heartburn and exacerbation of varicose veins. Another contraindication is individual intolerance.
Landing rules
Mountain mint can be grown in your garden as a perennial. It tolerates cold temperatures well down to - 28 ° С, therefore it will grow in most regions of Russia.
For planting, you can use one of the following types of reproduction:
- Seeds. The most difficult and time-consuming method, however, in order to grow mint on the site for the first time, you will have to use it. Mountain mint seeds can be purchased at gardening stores or ordered online. Landing is allowed to be carried out both in a pot and in open ground, if the weather permits. In regions with unfavorable climates, it is better to use the seedling method.
Seedlings are usually planted in March. Before sowing, the seeds are rejected, 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 in the store or prepare it yourself. To do this, it is necessary to mix in equal proportions peat, sand and turf soil. The seeds are laid out on the surface at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other, and then they are slightly sunk. The container is poured with water and removed to a warm place.
After 2-3 weeks, the seeds germinate. After the appearance of 4-5 permanent leaves, the seedlings are dived into separate pots and grown indoors. With the onset of warm weather, when night temperatures cease to fall below + 5 ° C, the plants are transplanted into open ground.
Important! The most delicious and delicate greens grow on mint grown from seeds. - Division of the bush. A mountain mint bush dug out of the ground is divided into several parts, a division, each of which should have roots and growth buds. Then they are seated in individual holes, into which a little humus is added. For better rooting, the aerial part of the bush is cut off. The success of the transplant is evidenced by the appearance of young foliage on the bushes 10-14 days after the transplant.
- Layers. To obtain layering, one of the stems of the mountain mint bush is folded back and sprinkled with earth. After the shoot takes root and gives new shoots, it is cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a new place.
- Root layers. The root system of mountain mint is treelike, superficial. The roots usually have a fairly large number of dormant buds. For reproduction, root layers 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 is a good cuttings. For reproduction, you need to cut off the upper part of the plant 10-12 cm long with leaf ovaries and put the cut part in a container with water. Usually 1-1.5 weeks is enough for the formation of new roots. All this time, the stalk must be constantly in the 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. She does not need highly moistened soils, an excess of water is harmful for her. Therefore, it is better to plant it in low elevations, avoiding swampy areas.
Features of growing and care
Mountain mint requires little maintenance.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, for example, slurry. Mountain mint tolerates drought well, so watering should be very moderate. After planting, the soil next to the plants must be loosened and cleaned 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 repels many insects, mountain mint has pests. Here is some of them:
- Mint flea, or jumping beetle. It is a small arthropod insect slightly less than 2 mm long, light brown in color. Its presence in mint plantings can be detected by the characteristic "pit" damage to the leaves. Beetles eat soft tissues, leaving the lower skin of the leaf plate intact. For young plants, the mint flea is a significant danger, especially in large populations.
To combat the pest, plantings are treated with Actellik during the period of intensive green mass gain. - Peppermint leaf beetle. This is a small bug just over 1 mm in size. It is easily recognizable by its characteristic greenish-bronze color. Leaf beetles eat young plants, inhibiting their growth. To get rid of them, insecticides Chlorophos or Metaphos are used.
- Common aphid. They are microscopic sucking insects that live in large colonies on the stems or on the back of leaves. In addition to direct harm from punctured leaf plates, aphids are a carrier of various viral diseases.
Small populations of insects can be washed off with water or using folk remedies - infusion of hot pepper, garlic or celandine. - Weevil. A small leaf beetle with a long proboscis. Damages young leaf ovaries and flowers. Weevils are rarely found in large numbers, they are usually simply brushed off onto a cloth or newspaper and then burned.
- Wireworm. It is the larva of a click beetle, similar to 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 found, 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 excessive humidity. Most of these diseases are fungal. These include:
- powdery mildew;
- anthractosis;
- septoria;
- verticillary wilting (wilt);
- phyllosticosis;
- fusarium;
- rust.
All these diseases, to one degree or another, affect the aerial parts of the mountain plant, causing them to rot and subsequent death. For the prevention of planting, they are treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
When and How to Collect Mountain Mint
The best time to cut and harvest mountain mint is mid-July. At this time, the plant is gaining maximum green mass, and its leaves have a high concentration of aromatic substances. Cut the mountain mint together with the stem, tying bundles from the plants.
How to dry mountain mint properly
It is better to dry bunches of mint in a tied state, 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. When completely 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, however, 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 it, many gardeners do not even care about it, it grows somewhere in the backyard of the garden. Despite such conditions, mountain mint ripens well, allowing you to make a reserve for the winter, so that later, on long winter evenings, the unique aroma of the leaf of this herb added to tea reminds of summer.
