Spearmint Spearmint plant is native to Europe and southern temperate lands of Asia. It has many names including garden mint, common mint...
Spearmint
Spearmint plant is native to Europe and southern temperate lands of Asia. It has many names including garden mint, common mint, mackerel mint, and lamb mint.
Nowadays,
these trees have naturalized in most of the temperate regions on the planet
including American and African continents.
The spearmint
specie and subspecies have many synonyms including Mentha crispate, Mentha
crispa and Mentha viridis.
The spearmint
and its aromatic oils are used for flavoring food, herbal teas, and also as
scenting liquids.
Description
The spearmint plant (Mentha spicata)
is an herbaceous perennial plant. It grows about 30–100 cm tall. Its stems
usually have a square-shape. In fact, it is a defining characteristic of mint
family herbal plants. Sometimes, the stems also have hairs.
The leaves have a serrated margin.
They measure about 5–9 cm in length and 1.5–3 cm in breadth. These dimensions
vary depending on the environmental condition even from plant to plant. The
plant derives its name from the pointed leaf tips.
These plants bloom in summer. The
flowers usually grow in slender spikes. They measure about 2.5–3 mm in length
and breadth. The seeds of this plant usually measure 0.62–0.90 mm.
History
The mentions
of spearmint plant dated back to the early 1st century AD. The Bible and the
notes of Pliny (naturalist) refer to this herb in various chapters. The ancient
mythology scripts also confirm the usage of these herbs. As confirmed by modern
studies, the use of these herbs became widespread domesticated by 14th
century.
During 5th
century, the roman introduced these plants in England. Various botanists and
herbalists of England including John Gerard have recommended spearmint for
various medical ailments.
These herbs
were introduced by the English colonists in North America. This plant
functioned as an important cash crop during the American Revolution in Connecticut.
Since mint tea was not taxed, it became popular among the general public.
Even today
this herb serves as a valuable crop (commercially) in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.
spearmint plants have naturalized themselves almost everywhere in the USA.
Propagation
Although spearmint plants can
tolerate partial shades, they thrive well under full sun. You can also grow
them on bright window sills or under grow lights indoors.
Make sure to plant them in
well-draining, moist and rich soil with a pH of about 6.0 – 7.5. If you opt to
grow mint in pots, use a rich, organic soilless mixture. USDA recommends zones 4a
– 11 to grow these plants as they cannot thrive in cold climates.
The spearmint is grown from stem
cuttings, seeds, division, or layering methods.
Seed Propagation
You can grow
spearmint plants easily from seeds. Start the sowing process after the risk of
frost is passed or about eight weeks before the last frost date.
Sow the
seeds about 1/4 inch deep in garden soil or starting mix and water thoroughly.
Normally, mint seeds grow well in constantly warm (about 70 f) and moist soils.
So, cover the sowed spot with a plastic bag or glass cloche.
You can
expect germination in about a couple of weeks.
For indoor
plants, harden them off gradually when they grow about 4-5 inches, before
transplanting them in gardens.
Stem cuttings
In spring,
Cut off the top stem portion, just below a set of leaf nodes from a matured
plant. Then remove all leaves and other matters from the cutting’s bottom half.
Plant the
cutting in a good quality seed starting mixture after dipping its bottom end in
rooting hormone. The roots would form in about 2 -3 weeks. Then plant the
cutting outdoors after hardening off.
Layering
This is one
of the easiest methods of propagating spearmint. As long as you have frost-free
weather (at least for two months ahead), you can layer all-around the year.
Select at
least six inches long branch from a matured plant. Remove the leaves from the portion that is
about to be layered underground. Then bury the trimmed portion keeping the
branch attached to the parent.
You can also
arrest the layered portion to prevent it from coming out of the soil by placing
a rock on it or other similar arrangements.
Within a few
weeks, the roots develop and new shoots emerge out of the soil. After that, you can
dethatch the branch from the parent plant and dig out the newly formed shoots.
Transplant
the new shoots in your garden and water them well.
Rooting
Spring and
Autumn are considered as best seasons for rooting plants. However, you can root
mint all year round
Just dig out
a mint clump with a sharp spade and split it into six-inch-wide sections with
garden knives. Trimming off the stem tops encourages fresh growth. Then replant
the parent and rooted sections in individual holes.
Spearmint is
a resilient plant. So, it just needs a small rooted portion with one or two
stems attached to grow.
Growing
Spearmint
demands plenty of water. Maintain the soil moist by watering at least 2-3 times
a week. Avoid overwatering. You can also use natural mulches like compost or
grass to retain the moisture level.
Generally,
spearmint does not require fertilizer. However, amending the soil with
well-rotten moisture every annum rejuvenates the growth.
Spearmint
tends to spread faster. You can just pull the spreading plants up or install
deep barriers to contain them effectively.
Pests and Diseases
SpiderMites, Loopers, FleaBeetles, Aphids, Cutworms, Thrips Etc., are some of the common pests that bother spearmint Plants
Anthracnose,
Black Stem Rot, Mint rust, Powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium
wilt, Stem, and stolon canker Etc., are some of the diseases that commonly
affect spearmint
Harvesting
If you want
to produce mint oil, start harvesting in summer, just before the plant blooms.
These herbs produce more oils in summer due to the heat stress.
If you
determine to save seeds, allow the plants to bloom. From the blooms, you can
gather seeds and store them.
Just pluck
out the leaves and stems for domestic use, whenever needed.
Preservation
Just pack the
mint leaves in normal plastic bags and store them in the refrigerator. This helps to extend the shelf life of spearmint to about 4 days.
Another way
is to freeze the herb. Just wash it off thoroughly in running water and chop
the leaves using sharp knives. Then place the ice cube trays and freeze
them.
Drying is
also a better way of preserving spearmint. Hang the bunches upside down or
spread them across screens and place them in dark, cool areas. The mint leaves
dry in a few days
Heating them
in oven or food dehydrator at low-temperature settings can dry them in a few
minutes.
Medical uses
Spearmint is
used to treat various diseases in the medical field. They include digestive
disorders, sore throat, colds, cramps, cancer, inflammation of the respiratory tract
headaches and toothaches.
Some people
around the world also use it as a stimulant, pain-killer, and germ-killer.
However,
some studies indicate excessive consumption of mint tea can cause uterus
disorders in women. It can also increase liver and kidney disorders. So, it
is advisable to consult a certified medical practitioner before consumption.
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