Peppermint Plant

A whiff of minty fragrance, while walking down your garden on a cool evening, refreshes your senses. This minty fragrance comes from the deep purplish leaves of the peppermint plant. Uses include a number of recipes that add a delicious flavor to many cuisines. Beginners as well as proficient gardeners can attempt to grow the plant in their garden. However, most opt for container gardening as these plants are a bit aggressive growers and will soon take over the entire garden.

Information
It is not an individual mint species, but a hybrid mint. It is a mix between spearmint (Mentha spicata) and watermint (Mentha aquatic). This herb is a perennial plant with rhizomes. It grows about 12 to 35 inches in height and has smooth sections. The leaves are the distinguishing features of the plant. They are about 1.5 to 3.7 inches in length. These broad leaves are dark green in color and have red veins. The flowers are purple in color and blossom mid to late summer.

Care
It is easy to grow these plants. You need to plant peppermints in a rich, moist soil. The soil should be well draining and be able to retain moisture in soil. Do not grow the plant in an area with other plants. They tend to take over other plants. You need to plant them in an isolated corner or in a container. If you want, you can grow them in containers for indoor gardening, especially for winter.

You need to plant each individual plant about 2 feet apart. As these plants are very tall, they need constant pruning. Propagation can be carried out using stem cuttings. As they are hybrid in nature you won't find seeds. There are no seeds produced as these hybrids are generally sterile. They spread using rhizomes, that is vegetative reproduction. You need to water the plant till the soil is moist. Do not soak the plant in water as it will cause it to wither and die. Plant the peppermints in full sunlight or partial shade. Mulching will protect the plants in cold winters and keep the soil moist.

During the growing season, you can cut the peppermint sprigs as and when needed. You can add about 1 inch of compost to the soil around the plant.

Cultivars
There are many cultivars that are used for gardening purposes. These include:

• Candymint peppermint plant
• Citrata peppermint plant
• Crispa peppermint plant
• Lime mint plant
• Chocolate peppermint plant

Diseases
Caring for the plant is rather easy, but if you become a bit careless, it may lead to development of diseases. These diseases can cause a lot of damage. Some of the diseases include the following:

Mint Rust
Mint rust is a fungal disease that causes brown, orange or black spots on the back of the leaves. This infection occurs due to overwatering. You need to prune away all the affected parts and destroy them. You can even spray a sulfur fungicide to get rid of the mint rust infection.

Powdery Mildew
This is another fungal infection that causes powdery dust on the plant leaves. This fungal infection can be gray, black or white in color. This infection can be treated by spraying sulfur fungicide and placing the plant under bright sunlight.

Verticillium Wilt
This is a very serious fungal infectiont. This fungal infection affects the roots, then the stems and leaves. It causes the stems and leaves to die. This is an incurable infection and you need to get rid of the entire infected plant as well as the soil surrounding it.

Uses
You can find a number of things to which you can add peppermint. Peppermint contains high menthol content. Thus, it is added to many shampoos, mouthwashes and toothpastes. Its minty flavor makes it a favorite flavoring for ice creams, candies, chewing gums, etc. There are many uses in the pharmaceutical industry. It is used in medicines to cure headaches, colds, sore throat, cramps, etc. It also helps in prevention of vomiting and reducing nausea.

A little bit of gardening care will help your peppermint plant to flourish. You can grow the plant in your garden and find butterflies and bees humming around your garden.