Mentha canadensis grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Mentha also known as American wild mint, Corn mint or Wild mint, Mentha canadensis 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 6-9 and with the right care in hardiness zone 10a.
Mentha canadensis edible leaves
Leaves color green and can be red in the top in young leaves, leaves oval with secreted edges with strong odor.
Flower color purple, the flowers grow on the stem in inflorescence.
Mentha canadensis for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy
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 6-8, spring to summer in hardiness zone 9, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10a
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: 10-50 cm, 4-20 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
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
Leaves harvesting season: Spring to summer in hardiness zone 6-8, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 9-10a
How to harvest the leaves? Cut with the stem few centimeter from the ground or the divided of the stem
Information about leaves: Green with top red, oval leaves with serrated edges with strong odor
Uses of Mentha canadensis leaves: Beverage, salad, paste