Planting mint outdoors: important features and recommendations

Planting mint in the ground is an easy process, the main thing is to follow simple rules and then it will perfectly take root in the open ground. You will learn how to easily grow mint, properly care in the open field, in which areas mint is used and why, how it gets along with other plants, and also what types of mint are the most famous, you will learn by reading the article.

How to plant mint outdoors?

Before planting mint outdoors, you need to loosen and weed the soil. Planting of mint takes place in April or August. We recommend using fertilizer when working with soil. If the soil is wet, make the beds higher than usual, if dry - lower. Planting holes for mint should be about five centimeters deep, and the space between the mint bushes should be about thirty to fifty centimeters. The distance between the beds is not less than forty centimeters.

Preference should be given to looser and more fertile soils. It is not recommended to choose clay and lime, on the first it will grow slowly, and on the second it will have a weak, barely perceptible aroma. Mint is a light-loving plant, therefore, a site should be chosen with a sufficient amount of sunlight for it. If you consider all these points, you should expect great results!

Known types and properties of mint

Mint leaves contain a variety of oils, including essential oils. Thanks to them, mint is used in various fields, for example, in medicine, cooking, perfumery, and cosmetology.
Mint is famous for its pleasant aroma and refreshing, slightly chilling taste.
At the moment, there are about twenty varieties of mint. The differences between them are not only in appearance, but also in aroma.

The most famous types of mint: "Water", "Curly", "Apple", "Field".

We all know Peppermint, the owner of the most powerful aroma. "Pepper" mint includes a wide variety of varieties, the most famous varieties: "Prilukskaya", "Medicinal", "Ocharovanie".

Peppermint has become widespread in country and suburban areas.

Mint: outdoor care

Mulch the soil after planting the mint outdoors, but don't overdo it. Closer to the cold season, you should compact the soil around the mint with another layer of earth and needles.
If you are comfortable with the huge mint bushes, you can choose not to trim or regulate their growth.

All plants require attention and proper care, and mint is no exception. Use nitrogen-phosphorus supplements to promote growth and sustain life. If you don't want to bother, use manure or compost.

Do not forget about prevention to increase the level of resistance to parasites and diseases.
And they grow mint for their own consumption or for use in other areas!
In folk medicine, mint is used to relieve toothache and bronchitis.

Planting mint and breeding methods

Experienced gardeners and summer residents prefer the rhizome method. Collect twigs seventeen centimeters in size during the warm season and place them in moist soil. There is another method - cuttings. When digging a mint bush out of the ground in the autumn, it is necessary to transfer it to a cool place; in early spring, move it to a warm room.Branches with shoots up to five to ten centimeters are cut into cuttings and planted in containers with soil, it is not worth covering, or placed in water.

These two methods are more commonly used by inexperienced gardeners. Seeds are planted only when other methods do not work. Sow mint seeds in a greenhouse, but in personal containers. The first shoots will hatch in twenty to twenty-five days. Dive them, then plant them in open soil.

Diseases of mint after planting in open ground

Some varieties of mint have the ability to repel most beetles and insects, but, unfortunately, this does not even save them from attacks of parasites and all kinds of diseases. Examine the mint bushes regularly. All parasites leave their individual traces of being on the plant. For example, the "Mint flea" eats holes in the leaves of the mint, the "aphid" twists the leaf and lives there. If you don't want to buy an insect control chemical, garlic or onion tinctures can help. Common: mint mites, common moths, wireworm (appears at the place where the potatoes were grown).

Insects are breeding grounds for disease and infection. "Rust" leaves behind orange stains on the leaves, "powdery mildew" - a light bloom. Diseases quickly spread to other plants. And anyone can be left without a mint crop due to diseases and pests. If you notice a diseased mint bush, you should get rid of it and disinfect the place where it grew.

Carefully check if you have overdid it with feeding, as its excess can badly affect its condition.

Mint and its effect on other plants

It is impossible not to mention the beneficial effects of mint on other plant crops. She herself has nothing against neighbors next to her in the open field. On some vegetable crops, mint promotes better, for example, on beets, tomatoes, cabbage. Mint's favorite neighbor is nettle.
Do not forget about its deterrent properties, for example, from the "whitefly", earthen fleas, "cabbage whites", "cabbage scoops", caterpillars, ants.