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Mint is deservedly one of the most beloved plants by gardeners. It is unpretentious, grows well in many regions, does not freeze out 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 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 wet lands along rivers and streams, floodplain meadows with sandy or fertile soil, and also occasionally appears in arid regions. In Our Country, it grows mainly in the southern regions, as well as in the Caucasus. It is found in the Mediterranean countries, in Asia, and also 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-defined veins, drooping, arranged in pairs. The inflorescence is a shield of small white flowers with purple speckles.
The use of mountain mint in cooking
The main use of mountain mint is cooking. For the preparation of various dishes, both fresh plants and dried ones are used. In this regard, mountain mint leaves are of the greatest value, as they contain the largest amount of aromatic compounds that give a specific taste and aroma.
What is the aroma of mountain mint
A distinctive feature of all mint plants is their aroma. It arises due to the essential oils contained in large quantities in the leaves. In addition to the characteristic smell, the use of mountain mint in the mouth gives a feeling of freshness and coldness. This property is widely used by chefs around the world.
Where can you add mountain mint
Mountain mint can be used as one of the components of a spice mix for cooking meat and fish. Leaves of this plant decorate salads and alcoholic cocktails.
Mountain mint can be used to make aromatic tea, tonic and soft drinks, mousses, syrups, compotes.
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What is useful mountain mint
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 with insomnia, and help relieve chronic fatigue syndrome.
The use of mountain mint in folk medicine
Decoctions of mountain mint are used as a sedative, they calm, relieve anxiety. Fragrant 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.
Useful properties of mountain mint are widely used in cosmetics. A decoction and infusion of this plant can be used for the following procedures:
- Cleansing the skin of the face, which prevents various rashes.
- Mouth rinses.
- Rinsing and preparation of nourishing masks on the hair of the head, which accelerates their growth, prevents hair loss, improves appearance.
- Rubbing into the scalp improves blood circulation, stimulates metabolism.
Mountain mint has not only useful properties, but also contraindications. It is not recommended for people with low blood pressure. The use of mint can cause heartburn and exacerbation of varicose veins. Another contraindication is individual intolerance.
Rules of landing
Mountain mint can be grown in the backyard as a perennial. It tolerates cold well down to -28 ° C, so it will grow in most regions of Our Country.
For planting, you can use one of the following types of reproduction:
- Seeds. The most complex and long 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 both in a pot and in open ground, weather permitting. In regions with an unfavorable climate, it is better to use the seedling method.
Planting seeds for seedlings is usually done 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 make your own. To do this, mix equal proportions of peat, sand and soddy soil. 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 cleaned in a warm place.
After 2-3 weeks, the seeds germinate. After the appearance of 4-5 permanent leaves, the seedlings swoop down in separate pots and grow indoors. When warm weather sets in, when night temperatures stop dropping below + 5 ° C, the plants are transplanted into open ground.
Important! The most delicious and tender greens grow on mint grown from seeds. - Division of the bush. A bush of mountain mint dug out of the ground is divided into several parts, divisions, each of which should have roots and growth buds. Then they are seated in individual holes, in 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.
- Layering. To obtain layering, one of the stems of the mountain mint bush is bent 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 cuttings. The root system of mountain mint is tree-like, superficial. There are usually a fairly large number of dormant buds on the roots. For reproduction, root layers 10-15 cm long are used, which are cut off from the main root and planted in a pre-prepared place to a depth of 5-7 cm.
- Cuttings. Mountain mint is well cut. For propagation, 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. The formation of new roots is usually enough for 1-1,5 weeks. 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. In the shade, mountain mint grows worse. She does not need highly moistened soils, an excess of water is harmful to her. 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 organics, 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 repels many insects, mountain mint has pests. Here is some of them:
- Mint flea, or jumping beetle. This is a small arthropod insect a little less than 2 mm long, light brown in color. Its presence on mint plantings can be detected by the characteristic “pitting” damage to the leaves. Beetles eat soft tissues, leaving the lower skin of the leaf plate intact. For young plants, the mint flea poses a significant danger, especially with large populations.
To combat the pest, plantings are treated with Actellik during the period of intensive green mass gain.
- Mint leaf beetle. This is a small bug a little 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.
- Aphid ordinary. These are microscopic sucking insects that live in large colonies on stems or on the underside of leaves. In addition to direct harm from leaf punctures, aphids are a carrier of various viral diseases.
Small populations of insects can be washed off with water or folk remedies can be used – an infusion of bitter pepper, garlic or celandine.
- Long-nosed. A small leaf beetle with a long proboscis. Damages young ovaries of leaves, as well as flowers. Weevils are rarely found in large numbers, usually they are simply shaken onto a cloth or newspaper and then burned.
- Wireworm. This is a larva of the click beetle, similar to a small, tough caterpillar with a yellow-orange segmented 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 adverse weather conditions, cold temperatures and excessive humidity. Most of these diseases are fungal. These include:
- powdery mildew;
- anthracnose;
- septoria;
- verticillium wilt (wilt);
- phyllosticosis;
- fusariosis;
- rust.
All these diseases, to one degree or another, affect the aerial parts of a mountain plant, causing their rot and subsequent death. For the prevention of planting, they are treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
When and how to harvest mountain mint
The best time for cutting and harvesting 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. Mountain mint is cut along with the stem, tying bundles from plants.
How to dry mountain mint
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, terrace, balcony. Plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight. 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 should 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 stock it up for the winter, so that later, on long winter evenings, the unique aroma of the leaf of this herb added to tea reminds you of summer.