Why does peppermint dry out?

Peppermint is one of those aromatic plants that doesn't really require very complicated care. In fact, it's highly recommended for those who are just starting out with plant care, as it grows quickly and also smells wonderful. But sometimes, even if we have everything under control, problems can arise.

If you have a specimen, you may have noticed that it tends to lose leaves from time to time, which is normal. But, if you see that it loses them quickly, then you have reason to worry. So, so that you know what to do in these cases, Let's see why peppermint dries out.

Is there a problem with the irrigation?

Peppermint is a plant that, If grown in the garden, it can withstand more or less long periods of drought, especially from the second year onwards. This is when its roots have already taken root well in the soil. In fact, in regions where the climate is Mediterranean, that is, very hot and dry in summer, and more or less mild in winter, it is only given a little care during the first few months, since then it is understood that it does not need it, unless the dry season lasts more than two or three months, in which case it is advisable to water it a little.

But in a pot, things change completely. Potted plants, and mint is no exception, become very dependent on those who care for them. Consider that the container has limited space, and the soil you put in it when you transplanted it is also limited. In summer this soil dries very quickly, especially if the pot is made of plastic and is in full sun.. Therefore, watering is something that must be done no matter what, at any time of the year. In summer we will water a couple of times a week, and the rest of the year we will space out the waterings.

In addition, and This is also essential so that the mint does not end up drying out, it is that the pot has holes in its baseAnd if you have placed a plate underneath, don't forget to empty it after watering.

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What does peppermint need to grow?

As you can see, watering is super important if your mint is in a container. But how can you tell if you're watering it too little or too much? Very easy:

• Symptoms of lack of water: The plant will start to dry out from the top (i.e. the newest leaves will dry out first) and work its way down. The soil will also be very, very dry, and it may even have some pests, such as mealybugs. In this case, what we will do is water it thoroughly, or put the pot in a basin of water for half an hour. The pests can be removed with a little cotton.
• Symptoms of excess water: The plant will dry out from the bottom up; the soil will be very wet and feel heavy. In severe cases, the plant may become infected with fungus. If you suspect that you have watered too much, I recommend that you remove the plant from the pot and replace the soil with new soil. You will also need to treat it with a fungicide.

In addition to treating it, You can cut the dry leaves so that it can continue to grow when it recovers.

Is your mint getting enough light?

Another possible answer to the question of why mint dries up is that it may not be receiving enough light. It is important to keep in mind that our main character It is a plant that should be in a sunny place.Otherwise, it will end up drying out. But of course, it may happen that it has been in partial shade and when we put it in the sun, it burns. This is completely normal, since it has not been able to get used to it, and the leaves that are most exposed burn.

In principle, we shouldn't worry too much, because it is a very fast-growing and resistant herb, and since it needs direct sunlight to be healthy, it will most likely recover quickly. If it were another plant, I would tell you to put it in a place where it would receive sun for a few hours early in the morning and then shade, but mint is quite tough in that sense. Now, If for whatever reason you see that it is losing leaves more and more quickly, in addition to putting it in the shade, check to see if the watering you are giving it is correct..

Do you have any pests or diseases?

As I was telling you before when I talked about irrigation, Peppermint can have some pests or illness throughout their life, but normally these appear when there is some other problem, such as lack of irrigation for example. I have mentioned to you the cottony mealybug that you can easily identify on the stems, very close to the leaves, but it can also have aphids o White flyIf we talk about pests, these three are undoubtedly the most common, but you can combat them by applying diatomaceous earth or even washing the plant with beer.

In the case of diseases, you may have fungi such as roya, which affects the leaves, or others that affect the roots, such as phytophthoraThese microorganisms appear when watering is excessive, as they thrive in substrates that are always moist. Therefore, they must be treated with systemic fungicides, and sometimes it will even be necessary to change the soil for new soil if we have watered too much.

Still, I hope you can have some lovely mint again very soon.