How to grow Mentha smithiana

Mentha smithiana grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Mentha also known as Red Raripila Mint, Mentha smithiana perennial evergreen plant, grow for the edible leaves, the leaves fragrant and the plant can be used as ornamental plant as groundcover and it’s attract pollinators, can grow in mediterranean, subtropical or temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 5-10a and with the right care in hardiness zone 10b.

Mentha smithiana edible leaves

Leaves color green oval with secreted edges with strong odor.

Flower color purple, the flowers grow on the stem in inflorescence.

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How to grow Mentha smithiana growing and care:

Rich soil, moist soil, well-drained soil,

How to care:
Add fertilize at least once a year with high content of nitrogen, (nitrogen for the plant more for growth and less for blooming)

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed / Vegetative Reproduction

How to propagate:
Propagating by bending a branch over and covering it with soil, stolons after grow few leaves possible to separate from the mother plant and increase the amount of water in the first days.

Start by cutting possible in water, put the stem in water and switch the water every few days or put the stem in soil, keep the soil moist in both cutting methods better to do it spring season, keep high humidity and spray the plant with water.

Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction?
No, easier to start from cutting or bending a branch over and covering it with soil than to start by seeds

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive

Planting season:
Spring in hardiness zone 5-7, spring to summer in hardiness zone 8-9, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10b

How to plant:
Dig hole bigger than the plant put some organic matter and mix it with the soil, cover the soil lightly

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, spider mites, thrips

Pruning season:
Possible all the year, better in the autumn to winter, and blooming stems all season

How to prune:
Pruning need to be aggressive, cut the stem ~5cm (2 inches) and every stems that start to bloom better to prune before it blooms, old branch and dead parts, also to pull out dead plants and reduce the amount of plant, because the growing area is limit after few years the plant growth too much crowded it’s reduce the size of the leaves

Size of the plant:
20-60 cm, 8-24 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / Half Shade, almost full sun to 0.75 full sun, because when the plant expose to a lot of sun the plant bloom it’s good for attract pollination but it’s harder for harvesting the leaves and use them, the leaves smaller and less leaves on stem

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No, possible to grow it on the windows with direct sun

Growing is also possible in a pots, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when grow in container, size 8-18 liter (2-5 gallon) bigger is better and need to be shallow and wide, every year better to cut all the roots and part of the plant also to reduce the amount of plants, the plants grow fast and without reduction of the roots and the amount of plant the plant might die, every two years to switch soil in the pot don’t let the soil be rotten possible to switch just part of the soil, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, rich with organic matter, can us in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite, average amount of water and better to keep the soil lightly moist

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Summer (and in warmer climate in late spring to early autumn)

General information about the flower:
Purple flowers grow on the stem in inflorescence

Pollination is done by:
Bees and attract pollinators

Thinning the bloom:
Recommend to thinning the blossom

Edible leaves

Leaves harvesting season:
Spring to summer in hardiness zone 5-9, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10a

How to harvest the leaves?
Cut with the stem few centimeter from the ground or the divided of the stem

Information about leaves:
Green oval leaves with serrated edges with strong odor

Uses of Mentha smithiana leaves:
Beverage, salad

How to grow Mentha smithiana from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Full sun, moist soil and humidity

Saving seeds and care until sowing:
Cool and dry location

Sowing season:
Spring to summer and it’s better to sow in temperatures 20-26C (68-79F)

Planting spacing:
4*5 cm, (1.4*2 inches) when transplant it to bigger pots in the 5-7 leaves

Depth of Sowing:
2-3mm

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, full sun

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water and keep the soil moist

Germination time:
2-8 weeks

Condition of seedling:
Lightly moist soil with medium humidity, full sun (the seedling attract a lot of pets)

Scientific name:

Mentha smithiana

Alternative names: Red Raripila Mint

How to grow Mentha smithiana

Mentha smithiana

Categories

Blooming Seasons
  • Summer flowers
Edible Parts
  • Edible leaves
Culinary uses
  • Beverage
  • Eaten raw
  • Salad
Climate
  • Mediterranean Climate
  • Subtropics Climate
  • Temperate Climate
Harvest Season
  • Autumn Harvest
  • Spring Harvest
  • Summer Harvest
  • Winter harvest
Ornamental parts
  • Ornamental flower
  • Ornamental leaves
  • Ornamental plant
Plant growing speed
  • Average growing plants
  • Fast growing plants
Plant life-form
  • Evergreen
  • Perennial plant
  • Shrub
Plant Uses
  • Attract pollinators
  • Fragrance
  • Ground cover plants
  • Ornamental plants
Planting Season
  • Autumn Planting
  • Spring Planting
  • Summer planting
Plants sun exposure
  • Full sun Plants
  • Part shade Plants
Watering plants
  • Big amount of water
  • Regularly water
Hardiness zone
  • Hardiness zone 10
  • Hardiness zone 11
  • Hardiness zone 9

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