Peppermint Winter 2021
Mentha × piperita
Peppermint
Peppermint, laso known as Mentha balsamea Wild, is a hybrid mint between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and Middle East. Occasionally found wild with its parent species.
Life
Many batches of no growth
Journal
- 3 Mar: Seeds planted. Finally garden stores restock their seeds with the new 2022 batch. Bought McKenzie one from Home Depot. Checked other brands, they only have spearmint, no peppermint.
- 13 Mar: 1 single grass grown from the soil. about 1 cm high. Removed.
- 16 Mar: First 2 sprouts appear. Still tiny, about 1-2 mm.
- 24 Mar: Still tiny and few.
- 25 Mar: Watered thoroughly in preparation of 10 days holiday.
- 3 Apr: Back from holiday, seedlings look fine but still small and there's no more.
- 4 Apr: Sowing.
- May: not growing. discarded
- 15 May 2022: Sow. McKenzie seeds. 5 small jiffies with starting mix.
- 21 May: emerges
- 1 June: terminated. Only 1 plant emerged back then and that one is dead now.
Previous failed batches
- 30 Dec 2021: Seeds (McKenzie) planted in new soil (MiracleGro potting mix), with rocks at the bottom of the pot. Covered in paper towel to avoid fungus gnat investation.
- 7 Feb 2022: Seeds are expected to grow between 7-14 days, but after about 1 month and 1 week, nothing has appeared. It doesn't even seem to have fungus gnat investation because since it was planted, all containers have been under vigorous protection and watch. Project is considered failed, and container will be refunctioned.
Care
- Light: 6 hours of sunlight daily. Shade from strong afternoon sun.
- Water: Keep consistently moist. Water when the top inch feels dry to touch.
- Pruning: Pinch regularly to prmote bushy growth. If it gets too scraggly, cut back 1 inch aboe soil line to regenerate with fuller growth. Remove flower stalk because it degrades flavor.
- Fertilizer: Avoid. Or if must: Feed once with 10-10-10 when new growth emerges. Then one more mid way growing season if nedeed.