Many people choose to grow mint on their property because of its amazing aroma. It also has leaves that can be used for culinary purposes. There are other benefits as well. If you’re thinking about planning mint flowers around your home, there is some degree of research that you should do. This will ensure that you can successfully grow mint plant flowers with ease. Let’s talk a bit more about the different type of mint as well as the uses for it.
Caring for Mint Flowers
This is a great plant to take on if you struggle with having a green thumb. There’s not a lot of effort that’s needed to get mint to spread and thrive. They’re incredibly resilient to many different environmental factors. Mint is likely the perfect addition to your garden.
The Soil That’s Needed
Mint tends to do really well in soil that is slightly acidic with a balanced combination of sand, silt and clay. If you’re an experienced gardener, you may have a pH meter that you can use to check the pH of your soil. For optimal growing conditions, your soil should be somewhere between 5.5 and 7.0. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t think you have proper soil conditions. Mint can still grow well in soil with more clay in it. You just have to make sure that you have enough drainage in that area.
Controlling Growth
Once you get your mint established, you need to pay some attention to keeping it controlled. It can take off pretty quickly if you’re not careful. It has the potential to invade other plants in the area, so trim it regularly. If you see the mint flowers starting to droop and hit the ground, this will cause more to grow in that area. That’s the time to prune.
How Much Light is Needed?
If you’re trying to determine where your mint should be planted, aim for the sections that get the most sunlight. Mint plant flowers should get a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day, if not more. The type of mint that you’re planting may also dictate location. Certain varieties require more sunlight than others. You can ask the professional that you’re buying the mint from where they think it should be planted.
Can You Use Mint After it Flowers?
There isn’t any rule that states when you can or can’t consume mint. If flowers are on the plant, the flavor of the mint may be a little less strong, so think about picking early.
Should You Water Mint?
Mint needs to be kept in well drained, moist soil. It’s your job to make sure that you’re watering your mint as needed, but pay it some extra attention during the heat of the summer when things tend to get quite dry. Be careful, because mint can become damaged from being over watered. If it’s planted in the ground, your soil will most likely be able to manage the amount of water that it’s getting. If you have your mint flowers in pots, make sure you’re not adding water too often. Keep an eye out for yellow leaves that are super soft. This is a sign that you’ve added to much water.
Temperature Requirements
Mint green flowers should be kept in an area where temperatures remain between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a perennial, and the top of the plant is going to die if it’s exposed to any amount of frost. Luckily, it will survive beneath the ground, so you can expect it to come back next year. If it’s in the ground, you don’t have to do anything prior to winter. Let it runs its course. Even if your mint is in pots, you can usually leave it outside as well.
Should I Remove Mint Flowers?
Removing the flowers from your mint as it grows will help to stimulate its growth. You’ll find that you develop a much fuller cluster of mint when you do this.
Different Varieties of Mint
There are currently about 20 different varieties of mint, but hybridization can take place between different plants. You can get some pretty unique flavors from this process. The most commonly found varieties include:
-Spearmint, which has pink or mint with purple flowers. It is commonly used for teas, drinks, gum and candy.
-Peppermint, which has white or purple flowers. It has a very strong taste that is used for food products and medicinal purposes.
-Apple Mint, that has pink blooms on it. It has a much fruitier taste to it than the other stronger mints.
-Lemon Mint has purple flowers that present themselves all through the summer months. The leaves have a flavor that resembles lemon or citrus.
-Water Mint has pink or light purple flowers that are very strong in scent. This plant requires a lot of watering.
-Catnip has white and purple flowers, and most people don’t realize that it is a variety of mint. This is a great variety to plant if you have cats in your home.
There are many uses for mint that you can take into consideration if you have a lot of it that you want to use. It’s great for cooking, landscaping, turning into a décor item and it even helps to attract wildlife. Feel free to try out a new recipe that uses mint. It’s not just for iced tea! There are plenty of Middle Eastern dishes that use mint as an accent flavor. Such an affordable and easy to care for plant, you’ll be harvesting your mint in no time!