Content
Mint on the windowsill is a good option for those who want to enjoy fragrant healing tea all year round or always have an exquisite seasoning on hand for preparing various dishes. With proper care, even in the dark winter months, the windowsill will be adorned with delicate bright green plants.
Is it possible to grow mint on a windowsill
Despite the fact that mint is an unpretentious crop, getting a good harvest on the windowsill requires some effort. If you create all the necessary conditions for the plant, and then carry out only basic care, the result will not be long in coming.
Mint varieties for growing on the windowsill
There are many varieties of mint, most of which can be successfully planted at home on a windowsill all year round. For example, the varieties Zabava, Ceremony, Moskvichka, Menthol, Pearls, etc. are suitable. It is advisable to choose undersized crops, although you can root cuttings obtained from a plant purchased in a store or on the market.
A widespread indoor flower, some varieties of which are very similar in appearance to ordinary garden mint and have a similar aroma. This is a plectrantus, also known as indoor mint, but unlike the garden variety, it is not eaten.
Indoor mint finds use in traditional medicine
How to plant mint in a pot on a windowsill
In order for mint to grow well on the windowsill, it is important to properly prepare the soil and planting material, choose a suitable container and create conditions for seed germination or rooting of cuttings. The planting process itself is quite simple.
Preparation of soil and planting capacity
You can prepare a substrate for growing mint on a windowsill yourself by mixing garden soil, peat, humus and river sand in equal proportions. For disinfection, the mixture is poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and heated well. Ready-made soil purchased in a store does not need to be disinfected.
Since mint grows strongly on the surface of the soil, it is best to sow it in spacious, wide containers: ceramic or plastic pots, boxes. If you plan to grow mint on a windowsill in winter, it is better to use plastic containers. In them, the soil remains moist longer, which is very important during the heating season. It is also important to provide drainage, so you need to either take pots with a hole or pour a layer of drainage material for houseplants on the bottom.
Preparation of planting material
You can grow mint on a windowsill from seeds or cuttings, as well as dividing an adult bush.
The stems of an adult plant are cut into cuttings about 10 cm long so that each has several axillary buds. The lower leaves must be removed, and the tops are pinched.
To speed up root formation and stimulate the growth of new shoots, the leaf plates are cut in half.
Next, the cuttings are placed in water to form roots. Growth stimulants can be added to the container. As soon as the first roots appear on the cuttings, the plants are planted in a pot.
It is more difficult to get seedlings from seeds, since they are very small and sprout slowly. Before sowing, seeds are soaked for 1-2 days in a damp cloth.
Rules for planting mint at home on the windowsill
In order for a culture to take root and grow well, some rules must be followed:
- prepared containers are filled with a substrate;
- make furrows about 5 mm deep;
- the soil is moistened with a spray bottle;
- seeds are mixed with sand;
- seeds are placed in the furrow and sprinkled with earth;
- the ground is slightly moistened again;
- the container is covered with glass or light-transmitting polyethylene with several small holes and placed in a warm place.
After 12-14 days, seedlings will appear, after which the containers are freed from film or glass and placed on the windowsill
Cuttings are also planted in slightly damp soil and covered with plastic.
The mint plots are immediately planted in pots or boxes with a pre-prepared soil mixture and placed on the windowsill.
Care
After the seedlings have 2-3 leaves, they are dived or thinned out, leaving the strongest shoots. The tops of plants, especially tall varieties, are pinched to increase the amount of green mass.
Further care comes down to the following actions:
- maintaining optimal temperature, providing light conditions;
- watering;
- top dressing.
Mint can grow on a windowsill without replanting for several years.
Optimal conditions for growing mint on a windowsill
When cultivating garden crops at home, originally intended for open ground, it is very important to create conditions for them that are as close to natural as possible. This is especially true when growing mint on a windowsill in winter.
Peppermint is a moisture-loving crop, but care must be taken so that the water does not stagnate at the roots.
It is especially important to ensure high humidity when sowing seeds and rooting cuttings.
For mature plants, it is necessary to maintain air humidity at 70–75%.
When grown on a windowsill, the optimal room temperature is between 21-24 ° C. This temperature regime is only suitable for plants that receive a sufficient amount of light, which is not always possible even on a sunny windowsill on the south side. In this case, the seedlings will need additional lighting using an LED or phytolamp. Daylight hours should be at least 16-18 hours. In conditions of insufficient light, the sprouts are stretched. If it is not possible to create optimal lighting conditions, mint provide a lower temperature in the range of 15-18 ° C. A good place in this case would be a glazed insulated balcony without drafts.
To avoid burns, plants should be protected from direct sunlight on the leaves. In the summer, you can close the window glass with a matte film. This way the plants will receive enough light without suffering from the bright sun.
Watering
As with growing most other plants at home on a windowsill, mint is watered abundantly in summer and moderately in winter. Young bushes require more moisture, the substrate should always be wet. Adult plants are watered as the soil dries up. It should be borne in mind that in the cold season, the air in the apartment becomes drier due to the heating operation, therefore, in addition to watering, it is useful to spray the plants every day from a spray bottle with settled water at room temperature.
After moistening, the soil is shallowly loosened to provide air access to the roots.
Top dressing
It is advisable to feed the mint growing on the windowsill with complex fertilizers. Top dressing should be carried out during the period of active growth, that is, in spring and early summer. It is combined with the next watering. When growing mint in a pot, in no case should the recommended dosage of fertilizers be exceeded.
Diseases and pests
With good care, mint growing on the windowsill rarely gets sick, but high humidity can provoke rust. A symptom of the disease is the appearance of brownish-red spots on the leaves. Other fungal diseases of mint are mealy growth and verticillium wilting. Fungicides will help to cure plantings.
Pests, as a rule, do not infect mint growing on the windowsill, but if the soil has not been disinfected before planting or the pots with the plant are taken out onto the balcony, they can be parasitized by the mint flea, leaf beetle, aphids and other insects. Insecticides or folk remedies will help from them, for example, treating leaves and stems with soapy water, infusion of tobacco or ash.
When treating mint with fungicides or insecticides, especially if it is grown at home for consumption, it is especially important to follow the instructions for the preparations.
Useful Tips
Gardeners who have long been involved in growing mint on the windowsill use some tricks:
- a small amount of hydrogel can be added to the soil, then the planting will have to be watered less often;
- mint is afraid of drafts, therefore, when airing the room, it is advisable to rearrange the containers with the plant in a warm, protected place;
- it is better to collect mint during the period of peduncle formation - at this time they contain the most useful essential oils;
- when collecting leaves on the stem, it is better to leave a small part of the leaf plate, so the plant will sooner recover;
- do not collect many leaves at once. Removing more than 1/3 of the leaf mass is very painful for the culture;
- several mint bushes can be planted in one medium-sized pot;
- to keep the mint leaves soft, you need to remove the peduncles;
- leaves can be prepared for future use by drying or freezing.
Mint leaves frozen in water can be added to tea or used to make soft drinks
Conclusion
Mint on the windowsill can be a good alternative to the usual houseplants. If you properly prepare the soil, provide the plant with enough light and maintain optimal moisture, you can get fresh fragrant greens throughout the year.
