How to grow mint on a windowsill: 3 ways

In cold winter, drink a tea with mint leaves ... Who does not like? Yes, even with fresh! And where to get them in January? It’s unprofitable to buy in the store, and such a weed doesn’t smell particularly good. So, we will breed ourselves.

How to grow mint on a windowsill? It’s not difficult at all. We follow the recommendations and wait for the result.

Mint on the windowsill can be grown in three ways:

• adult plant
• cuttings
• seed sowing

Consider each method. The first two give a rough leaflet with a strong taste, and the third - a young fragrant greens.

Grow mint with an adult bush

To do this, in the fall we choose a nice neat bush in the garden. Together with a small lump of earth we transfer it into a pot. The capacity should be large enough, because the root system of mint is a decent amount.

Add a little humus so that the bush does not stagger in the pot. At the same time it will be the plant’s nutrition for the first time. Now you need to periodically water the mint and be sure to arrange an additional highlight. For normal development, at least 12 hours of daylight are needed. Otherwise, the leaves will be pale, stunted and almost odorless.

By the way, you need to water the mint only after the topsoil has dried. She does not like to float in a swamp, so after watering, we must drain the excess liquid from the sump.

The temperature of the mint on the windowsill should not exceed + 25 ° C. Otherwise, the plant will simply begin to dry out and turn yellow. And all your attempts to cast it with water will end in rotting of the roots.

Tip. Tear off young leaves more often. This stimulates the growth of new shoots.

Growing mint from cuttings

If you do not have a plant in the garden that can be transplanted into a pot, then go to the market or to the store. Choose the freshest and smoothest sprigs of mint there. Further actions are as follows:

1. We bring the mint home, cut off the lower leaves. They can be used for their intended purpose.
2. We take a plastic or glass cup, pour clean, defended water.
3. Throw a grain of any root stimulant or drip a little of any biological adaptogen. For example, epin, zircon, aloe juice.
4. We put the prepared sprigs of mint in the container without the lower leaves, and wait for the roots to appear.
5. Lighting and temperature are maintained as described in the first method.

In a pot with soil, you can plant branches after the formation of at least 5 roots. Care in the future does not differ from the usual. The same regular watering, periodic loosening and picking fresh leaves.

By the way, the soil for planting mint on the windowsill is not necessary to buy in the store. It is very easy to mix it yourself. To do this, you need to take in equal parts a good fat humus, sand and earth from under the birch. For looseness, you can add a little peat. About a handful of 3 liters of land.

A layer of drainage is necessarily placed at the bottom of the pot under mint. Just not moss or eggshell. It is compressed and there will be no effect. It is better to take fine gravel, marble chips. Expanded clay small fraction or medium-sized pebbles are also suitable.

Instead of water, you can root branches in wet sand. In this case, the cut of the cut should be dipped in the root formation stimulator, stick it in the sand and cover the structure with a mini-greenhouse for a while. After about 10 days, the shelter is removed, and after another 7 days you can transplant a new plantlet to a permanent place.

Tip. Do not let mint blossom. Otherwise, it will lose all its taste and aromatic properties.

Growing mint from seeds

The first two methods give the required amount of fragrant leaves. But they turn out rude. If you need the most tender greens without fibers, then try to grow mint from seeds on a windowsill. Moreover, this business is not troublesome at all.

First, prepare the container. It can be a wide tray made of plastic or a small wooden drawer. A small clay pot is also suitable.

Fill the soil. It should consist of humus, garden soil, peat and clean sand in equal parts. Now you need to make shallow grooves on the surface. 0.5 cm, not more. Gently spread the seeds. Sprinkle gently on top with a thin layer of earth. 0.8 cm will be enough.

Now we need to moisten this whole thing. You can’t water it, it is likely to blur the plantings. Therefore, we use a spray gun. We have water at room temperature. Spray the soil until slightly moistened. In a transparent container it's hard to overdo it.

Next, close the entire structure with a lid. You can just a piece of transparent plastic, glass. Even thick polyethylene will do. Then place the planting in a dark, warm place. Periodically ventilate and remove condensate. To do this, just turn the shelter to the other side.

After about 9-12 days, the first shoots will appear. Now the shelter can be removed completely, and the container can be taken out into a bright place. Just not in direct sunlight. They are able to burn foliage even in an adult mint plant. What to say about young landings?

The first days we do nothing with seedlings. We only moisturize when the soil dries. When a second true leaf appears, mint can be peeled in separate cups. In order not to damage the delicate delicate roots with your fingers, use a teaspoon. It is very convenient for her to transfer the sprout to another container along with a lump of earth.

After the appearance of 5 of this leaflet, you need to pinch the crown of the mint. This contributes to the appearance of lateral shoots. If you do not pinch, then a lone branch will stick out in the pot. But mint grows up to 90 cm in height. Why do you need sails on the windowsill?

And each new shoot after 5 sheets pinch again. Then the bush will be dense, lush and neat.

Useful Tips

1. Mint on the windowsill needs to be fed. She responds well to organic fertilizers, but she will not refuse from mineral fertilizers. Just do not overdo it with nitrogen. Urea is also better not to use. No doubt, the green mass quickly grows after such a treat. But you are unlikely to like the taste of such leaves.
2. Of the pests, peppermint is most loved by aphids. On the windowsill from the seeds of the plant are completely protected from it. But adults transferred from the garden may well be a surprise. Washing the leaves and shoots with household soap will help little. Better use a short-acting insecticide. This is necessary so that mint can then be used for food purposes.
3. Do not grow peppermint on the southern windowsills. Direct sunlight can burn foliage in one day. If there are no other options, be sure to use the shading in the form of white paper or thick tulle.
4. In winter, it is recommended to spray the air around the plantings more often. This will increase the humidity of the microclimate and mint will be much easier to live. Instead of spraying, you can place additional containers with water next to them. Even a saucer with wet expanded clay or peat saturates the air with the necessary amount of moisture.

How to grow mint on a windowsill? As you can see, this is very simple. Mint does not need special care. She needs a little of your attention and a little care. But she will thank you in full. And you can enjoy fresh leaves with a captivating aroma all winter.

Video: how to grow peppermint at home in a few days