Mint – Spearmint

Heirloom.
Perennial.
Spearmint is a favorite, popular, and versatile mint. It has bright green, knobby pointed, toothed leaves. Lilac, pink, or white flowers appear on spikes. It is sweet and mild tasting- very pleasant. It is milder than Peppermint. It enhanes many dishes like veggie dishes, eggplant, white beans, black beans, lentils, tabouli, and fruit salad. It is used for flavoring tea, ice cream, candy, chewing gum, and toothpaste. It’s leaves are delicious and can be used fresh or dried in a variety of ways. May be added to salads, sauces, vegetables, potato dishes, jelly, tea, ice cream, potpourris. It can be grown indoors. Very easy to grow hardy perennial. It’s small pink, white, or purple flowers are large nectar producers, a favorite for bees and butterflies. Very fragrant. A very nice selection.
Sowing: Plant 1/8 of an inch deep as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant in part sun to shade areas. It needs good water supply. Blooms July- September. Can also be grown indoors.
Germination: 12-16 days Spacing: 18 inches Height: 2 feet
Soil: Moderately rich; well drained soil Moisture: Medium to high; well drained Light: Part sun to shade
Care information: It usually thrives in shade and expands quickly by underground rhizomes. Take care when introducing into your garden to keep control over it, as it spreads rapidly. Best to plant in an isolated area and let it spread, or set up a physical barrier to contain the roots. Don’t till mint. During growing season keep cutting mint to use fresh or dry. Freezes well. The leaves and flowering tops are the usable portion of the plant and are harvested as soon as flowers begin to open and then used or dried. When drying, cut stems 1″ above base and hang upside down in warm dark and well ventilated place. Pick leaves when dry and store in airtight container. In fall cut back to the ground. Hardy to zone 4.
Menta spicata
Perennial
Heirloom