Information About The Mint Plant

Mint plant

The mint plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family, and the eastern Mediterranean region is its main home. The mint plant is characterized by its refreshing aroma, in addition to its ability to grow easily. It is also free of gluten, and contains a large percentage of vitamin A, which contributes to improving health. eye, improving brain health, in addition to its role in strengthening the immune system, and many other benefits.

Peppermint specification

The following is a set of specifications that characterize the mint plant:

Mint roots

The mint plant contains a special type of roots called rhizomes, which are long and thick roots, as these roots are distinguished by their non-stop growth, which means that the mint plant may extend over great distances in the garden, so some farmers resort to confining it in containers to prevent its extension to uncontrolled areas. desirable.

Mint stems

The stems of the mint plant take the form of a square, and they become woody and more solid with the passage of time, so it is recommended to mow the mint plants continuously to obtain new and smoother stems.

Mint leaves

The leaves of the mint plant are distinguished by their symmetrical shape, as they are serrated on opposite sides at the same height of the stem, and there is more than one color for the mint leaves, as they may take on dark green, blue, or greenish-gray color, and the tips of some mint leaves may take a yellow color.

Mint flowers

The flowers of the mint plant are in the form of clustered round arrows around a long stem, and are white-purple in color, as the individual flowers below the cluster open at first, then 4 petals of different sizes emerge from each flower.

Mint cultivation

Mint can be grown from seeds, but growing it from cuttings is better and faster, and you can do so by following these steps:

• Choose a healthy stem from the mother plant, cut it just below the node, to a length of 10-15 cm, then cut the tip of the branch at a 45-degree angle.
• Remove the leaves from the lower half of the stem, so that they are bare of leaves about 5 cm from the bottom.
• Place the stalk in rooting hormone or a cup of water, and keep it in a warm, sunny location.
• Plant the stalk in a well-draining soil mix. Since these stalks are small at this point, planting them in a small package or pot is best.

Types of mint

Here are some types of mint:

• peppermint
• Chocolate mint.
• Pointed mint.
• European mint.
• Corsican mint.
• Water mint.
• Sweet mint scent.
• Canadian mint.

Peppermint uses

Here are some uses of the mint plant:

The use of mint plant in food

The mint plant can be added to food, as it can be cut and added to salad dishes, or sprinkled on fruit dishes, and it can also be added to basil and coriander to obtain a mint pesto sauce, in addition to the possibility of adding it to some vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, and others.

Use the mint plant in drinks

Cubes of strong mint can be frozen for use in some summer drinks such as iced tea, mojitos, and fresh lemonade. Mint leaves can also be added.

Use mint plant to relieve sunburn

A concentrated mixture of mint tea can be made and then cooled well for several hours, after which it can be used by placing it on the burned area using cotton pads.

Using the mint plant to freshen the breath

The method of chewing some mint leaves has been adopted since ancient times to get fresh breath and a pleasant smell for the mouth.

Using mint plant to get rid of insects

Mint stems can be used to get rid of annoying insects in the summer, by placing them in places where insects enter, with the need to replace mint stems with fresh ones on an ongoing basis.