Herb Takeover

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Hello and welcome to this weeks

#Takeover about Herbs and their

uses!

Make sure to check out all the

other amazing posts by the team

as well!

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Bay Leaf by Ghost

Rosemary by Oblivion

Sage by Vivian

Cilantro by Melody

Parsley by Claire

Dill by Mateo

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In this post, I'll be talking about

Mint.

Mint is a very easy herb to grow

and has many uses!

Not only can it be used for adding

flavour to meals, but it also has

some remediating qualities and

can help with digestion and

headaches.

Scroll down to find out more!

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Mint is a perennial herb. That

means it comes back for many

years, instead of only living one

year, like Annuals. This makes it

a great investment.

Mint leaves are toothed and

fragrant. They also grow purple,

pink or white flowers.

There's different types of mint.

Here's a few of them:

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Peppermint

Mentha x piperita

Peppermint has pink flowers

and rounded leaves.

It's commonly used for tea

or to ease stomach aches.

Spearmint

Mentha spicata

Spearmint has pink to pale

violet flowers.

It's known to be used for

flavouring chewing gum or

in salads or teas.

Chocolate Mint

Mentha × piperita f. citrata

‘Chocolate’

It's name originates from the

orangey smell and it can be

used for drinks, as well as

desserts.

Apple Mint

Mentha suaveolens

Has lighter leaves than other

mints and white or light pink

flowers. It has a fruity and

minty taste/smell to it.

Apple Mint can be used as a

culinary herb.

Pineapple Mint

Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’

Known for having beautiful,

variagated leaves.

It can be used in fruit salads

or teas.

Cuban (Mojito) Mint

Mentha x villosa

As it's name suggests, this type

of mint is used when making

the rum cocktail known as

"Mojito".

It has a strong flavour and

aroma.

Margarita Mint

Mentha 'Margarita'

Another herb used for a

cocktail.

Margarita Mint has lime-

scented leaves, which make

them perfect for the Mexican

drink "Margarita".

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You can always tell a member

of the mint family by its square

stem. When you roll it between

your fingers, you'll notice a

pungent smell, like candy or

sweet tea.

Mint is known to often be used

in the kitchen, but it can also be

a great accent to any garden.

Especially since they are so

easy to grow. The only thing to

watch out for is its tendency to

spread.

Planting

Mints thrive in light soil with

good drainage. Their native

habitat are along stream banks,

so the soil should be moist, but

well drained.

It usually grows in sun or partial

shade, with the exception of the

variagated types, which might

need some protection from

direct sun.

If you grow them outdoor, plant

one or two about half a meter

(2 feet) apart in moist soil.

As mentioned before, mint will

spread quickly, so it's best to

contain it. It's recommended to

plant them in a pot of 25 cm

(10 inches) height with drainage

holes.

You could also plant it near

cabbage and tomatoes, to

prevent it from spreading.

After Planting

Once planted, you don't need

to do much to care for Mint.

For outdoor plants, use a light

mulch, to help keep the soil

moist and the leaves clean.

For indoor plants, use water

regularly to keep the soil

evenly moist.

Mint also benefits from

picking and pruning.

Pests and Diseases

Here are some pests and

diseases you should look out

for:

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Powdery Mildew

A fungal disease which reduces

the quality and quantity of

plants.

Rust

A fungal disease which reduces

a plant's health, vigor and

flower production.

Leaf Spot

Diseases caused by mostly fungi

but sometimes also by bacteria.

It weakens the plant but doesn't

cause serious harm.

Anthracnose

A fungal disease which causes

dark, sunken lesions on leaves,

stems, flowers, and fruit.

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To ensure mint is kept healthy,

it should be harvested frequently.

Young leaves have more flavour

than old ones, and they can be

harvested as soon as they come

up in spring.

You can use the mint leaves

fresh, or you can freeze or air

dry them. Dried leaves should

be stored in an airtight container

To harvest, pick the leaves as

you need them or cut the stems,

right before they flower, 2-3 cm

(1 inch) from the ground.

In one growing season, you can

harvest one mint plant two or

three times.

If you want fresh leaves during

the winter, you can grow mint

indoors.

Cooking

For cooking, mint is usuall cut

in ribbons (chiffonade) and then

added to the recipe.

To release more flavour, you

can place a stalk with a few

leaves in hot or cold beverage

and crush it.

Dried mint leaves can be added

to a sauce or stew as it simmers.

Mint extract can be used for

flavouring baked goods or to

flavour hot chocolate.

Health Benefits

Mint can be used to treat a

variety of different ailments.

Here's a few examples:

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Brain Health

Mint can promote brain health.

A study found, it has potential

to treat Alzheimer's symptoms,

but there hasn't been much

research about it.

There's also a study about

whether Peppermint could

enhance memory and increase

alertness.

Digestive Health

Mint is a quite popular remedy

for digestive problems.

Peppermint oil can reduce

abdominal pain and help treat

irritable bowel syndrome.

Nutrients

Mint contains a fair amount of

nutrients.

It is also a good source of

vitamin A and antioxidants.

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Studies have also found, that

mint can kill bacteria, reduce

stress, and even fight cancerous

tumor cells.

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{ Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4 }