Common name: mint

Botanical names: Mentha piperita (peppermint); Mentha spicata (spearmint).

Origin: Europe

Varieties

There are many varieties of mint, of which the best known are spearmint and peppermint. Other varieties have different flavors, like golden apple mint or orange mint. Grow the variety available in your area or the scent and flavor you like best.

Description

A number of different varieties go by the collective name of mint; peppermint and spearmint are probably the two most popular. Both are hardy perennials, and both are very prolific-once you set them in a corner of the garden they'll quietly take over. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a tall, shallow-rooted, fast spreading perennial with square stems and leaves that usually have a purple tinge. The light lavender flowers appear in terminal spikes and bloom through most of the growing

season. The plant grows to about three feet tall. Spearmint (M. spicata) is a perennial that grows two to 2y2 feet tall, with square stems and leaves that are slightly curled and deeply veined. The flowers are light purple to white and grow in spikes two to four inches long that start blooming in early summer and continue well into fall. You may also come across varieties like golden apple mint, which has a more delicate flavor than spearmint. This plant also has pale purple flowers, but

the leaves are dark green streaked with gold. Orange mint, sometimes known as bergamot mint, gets its name from its delicate scent of oranges. Orange mint has reddish-green leaves edged with purple; the flowers are lavender.

Where and when to grow

Both peppermint and spearmint are very hardy and can be grown almost anywhere in the United

States. Plant them from root divisions any time during the growing season.

How to plant

Mint varieties from seed will not grow ''true.'' So it's generally more satisfactory to use root divisions. An innocuous little plant of mint will wander all over the garden if it gets half a chance, so plant each one in a container that will keep the roots in one place - a two pound coffee can with both ends removed is good. Peppermint and spearmint grow well in any soil; they prefer sun but will tolerate partial shade. For spearmint, work a complete, well balanced fertilizer into the soil

before planting at the rate of a pound per 100 square feet. Don't fertilize before planting peppermint-you'll get all the peppermint you can use without it. Although you can plant mints anytime during the growing season, root divisions will be established faster if planted on a cool, moist day in spring or fall. Space plants two or three inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.

Fertilizing and watering

Don't fertilize mints in midseason; they'll never miss it. Both peppermint and spearmint prefer moist soil, so they'll require more watering than the rest of the garden. Keep them evenly moist until root divisions are established.

Pests

Mints have no serious pest problems.

Diseases

Mints are susceptible to verticillium wilt and mint rust. Prevent these diseases by removing all the dead stems and leaves from the bed before winter.

When and how to harvest

The more mint you pick, the better the plants will grow, and you can pick sprigs throughout the growing season. Harvest more fully as the plants begin to bloom, just as the lower leaves start to yellow. Cut the entire plant down two or three inches above the soil. You'll get a second smaller harvest the same season.

Storing and preserving

Strip the mint leaves from the stem and let them dry in a warm shady area. The dried leaves can be stored in a sealed jar.

Serving suggestions