Mint is one of the easiest herbs to plant and nurture. It can be used for many purposes including cooking, medicinal purposes, and its aromatic scent.
As an ingredient, it is essential in many recipes and enhances the taste of food when added to meals. Its medicinal value cannot be overemphasized as it may be used to aid digestion.
Mint may be used by florists to add fragrance to flower bouquets.
Can You Grow Mint In A Greenhouse?
You can grow mint in a greenhouse well as a greenhouse is used to create a controlled environment with consistent temperature for the crop, regardless of the season. The advantage of planting in a greenhouse is the ability to keep crops coming all through the year.
Mint is a perennial crop with widespread underground and overground stolons. The color of the leaves ranges from dark green to purple, blue, and an occasional yellow.
Because mint is a perennial crop, the question of if it can be grown in a greenhouse can arise as a way of protecting it from the winter weather.
A Greenhouse is a structure with walls and a roof made primarily of transparent material like glass, in which plants that require regulated climatic conditions are tended.
The structures range in size from small sheds to industrial-sized buildings.
Does Mint Grow Better Outdoors Or Indoors?
Mint grows better outside than inside. It can grow well indoors if it is given the right conditions. However, as a rule, plants thrive better outdoors since that’s their natural habitat.
Requirements To Grow Mint In A Greenhouse
The best conditions for growing mint in a greenhouse are as follows:
Sunlight
When planted outdoors, mint may need a little bit of shade even though it requires a lot of sunlight.
However, when planted in a greenhouse, care should be taken to ensure that it is exposed to the maximum amount of sunlight.
The sunlight must be indirect as well. Hence, the greenhouse should be situated in such a way that the light won’t fall on it directly. If the light is not adequate, the mint plant may begin to stretch for the light. This may make the appearance pale and lengthy.
Water
When it comes to water, mint is not an over-demanding plant. It requires moderate quantities of water. They can tolerate both dry soils and wet soils.
However, there should be a balance to produce a healthy plant. You may only water the plant whenever the soil feels dry to the touch.
Temperature
The mint plant thrives in locations that are not too temperate and not too cold. Average required temperatures for mint plant range from 18°C to 21°C during the day and 13°C to 15°C at the night. =
Plants should be protected from cold drafts of air to prevent negative responses as a result of environmental stress.
Humidity
Mints are not a fan of dry air. A humid environment with adequate airflow is required. To increase humidity, you may group the plants.
However, care should be taken to make sure that there are spaces for airflow. For people who live in arid regions, diligent watering is advised to compensate for the climatic conditions.
How to Grow Mint In A Greenhouse.
Mint can be propagated in three ways; seed, root cutting, or stem cutting. Hence, the three methods have different steps for planting and they will be examined extensively below.
Propagation by seeds
Mint seeds are tiny and numerous. There are about 14000 seeds per gram and hence, seed planting can be very hard.
However, unintentional propagation by seed ends up in proliferating mint plants in portions of land they were not planted on.
Tips for planting the seeds:
Begin with a four to six inches pot with holes in the bottom for drainage.
Fill it with potting soil to about three-quarters of one inch below the rim. Soak the soil well before planting and allow excess moisture to drain out. Backfill any lost depth noticed as soon as it settles.
Using a pinch of two to three seeds, scatter them within about two to three inches apart. Place the pot in a sunny location or below a grow light for at least six hours every day.
Water using a spray bottle when the planting medium feels slightly dry to the touch.
Once the seedlings grow out of the soil, prune out the weaker ones until only one or two remain.
Within about six to eight months, you’ll probably need to repot to a larger container since mint grows very fast. When you notice the stems are appearing near the edge of the pot, you need to change the pot to a larger container.
Root Cuttings
The best time to do this is in the autumn. The root should be cut into pieces using a garden shear.
Fill small 2 to 4 inches pots with a soil mix of 1/3 aged compost, 1/3 vermiculite or peat moss, and 1/3 landscape sand. Water well until the soil is moist uniformly.
Repot 2 or 3 of the pieces in fresh soil and divide the remaining piece to create several smaller root cuttings.
Set the cuttings in position and top up with soil firmly.
Water, then place it in a protected site with access to bright indirect light and a humid atmosphere.
By Stem Cutting
Strong stems with fresh, healthy green leaves should be chosen.
Cut off 4 to 6 inches pieces of stem. Make sure you remove the lower 3 or 4 sets of leaves.
Place the stems in a small container of water, and keep on a light, airy windowsill until healthy roots have been formed. This may take 3 weeks.
Once a strong root system has been formed, the stems should be put in 6 to 8 inches deep pots.
Firmly lay soil around the stems and water gently.
Pots should be kept in the greenhouse and the soil should be kept moist. This can be done for 4 to 6 weeks before repotting.
When And How Do You Harvest Mint?
Frequent harvesting is required for mint plants to remain at their best. Young leaves have more flavor than old leaves. They can be harvested as soon as they come up in the spring.
A mint plant may be harvested two or three times in one planting season. Mint plants are harvested by cutting their leaves and letting others grow in their place.
