Peppermint is one of the most grateful aromatic plants that exist. It is pretty, it fills our home with color and a pleasant aroma, it is easy to care for and it spreads easily. However, to keep it looking its best, we must know how to prune it. Therefore, we are going to see how cut mint so that it continues to grow.
This is a plant that we can use in the kitchen, since its leaves add a pleasant flavour to soups, stews, salads and cocktails. However, when harvesting them, we can damage the plant and, precisely for this reason, it is important to know how to make the cuts.
Why is it good to cut mint?
If you have this plant at home, you will have already noticed that it grows quickly, so a good cut never hurts it. In fact, pruning has several advantages for this plant:
- Promotes its growth. When we remove leaves, we stimulate the growth of new shoots, and this makes the plant more leafy and vigorous.
- Improve your health. Pruning is a good remedy to prevent uncontrolled growth. It also promotes air circulation between the leaves, which reduces the risk of fungal infections.
- Keeps the shape. By cutting mint we can give our plant a more compact and manageable shape, avoiding the disorderly growth that is common in this variety.
- Provides strawberry leaves. Pruning gives us access to fresh, aromatic leaves that are perfect for adding to different recipes, and even for drinking as an infusion.
- Prevents early flowering. Cutting back the shoots before the flowers appear encourages more leaves to develop. You can also let some branches flower and then collect the seeds to grow new mint plants.
When should you prune mint?
One of the peculiarities when we talk about the peppermint care is that its pruning can be carried out several times throughout the year, depending on the objective we seek with it.
Spring
Spring is the perfect time to prune the plant deeply, because this encourages dense, healthy growth during the spring and summer months.
Summer
At this time of year you can do light pruning or regular trimming to harvest fresh leaves and help keep the plant at a compact size. As we noted earlier, if you want to encourage more leaf production, cut the shoots before they flower.
Fall
At the beginning of autumn it is advisable to carry out a maintenance pruning to prepare the plant for winter, especially if you live in a region with cold climates. This will help you It will make things easier if you protect it later so that the cold does not freeze it.
Winter
During the winter the plant is completely dormant, and it is not advisable to do any pruning. Let it rest until spring arrives.
Tips for cutting mint
To trim this plant and encourage greater growth, you should apply the following tips:
Use proper tools
Always use specific gardening scissors for pruning, which are clean and sharp, as this will prevent unnecessary damage to the stems. This will help you achieve clean cuts that heal more quickly and reduce the chance of the plant becoming diseased.
If you're going to use your hands to pick some leaves, make sure you wash them first. Clean hands are the easiest way to avoid transmitting pathogens to the plant.
Choose the right time to cut
To get the best possible results, it is best to cut mint during the early morning or late afternoon hours, when temperatures are cooler. Why? Because this reduces the stress that the plant suffers and helps the leaves that we remove retain their aroma. and its flavor to a greater extent.
On the other hand, try to avoid cutting on extremely hot days or right after rain, since at this time the mint is more susceptible to damage or disease.
Make the cut properly
In order not to damage the plant and to keep it growing, you should make the cut just above the node (the point where the leaves join the stem). This will promote branching and the emergence of new shoots from that node.
Start by removing the older or woodier stems to make way for the new ones. It is precisely the younger stems that are more tender and have the best flavour, so these are the ones we want to use for cooking.
If you carry out a thorough pruning, avoid cutting back more than 30% of the plant in a single session, otherwise you will be weakening it too much. It is important that the mint have enough foliage to be able to continue photosynthesizing and growing.
To encourage further growth, remove the flowers as soon as you see them. This allows the plant to put all its energy into producing leaves.
Cutoff frequency
If the goal of cutting mint is to obtain leaves for culinary use, you can prune every one to two weeks during the active growing season to encourage even more growth.
For maintenance pruning, wait six to eight weeks between pruning. That is, you have to prune two to three times during the active growth period (spring and summer) to maintain its shape and prevent stems from becoming too woody.
Post-cut care
The plant is especially sensitive after pruning, so you should treat it carefully. Water lightly and apply a balanced fertilizer so that it has enough nutrients to grow. the nutrients needed to regenerate the foliage.
Take this time to thoroughly examine the plant for possible signs of pests or diseases. If you see anything suspicious, cut off the affected parts if you feel it is necessary.
If you want to have more mint at home, use the stems you have cut to propagate it. You can do this by submerging them in water until they develop roots or by planting them directly in the ground, but they must be stems that have between two and three nodes.
Cutting mint is easy, and with proper pruning you can make your plant even healthier and more beautiful. Do you dare to try our tips?