Fertilizing and growing mint plants is one of the easiest gardening jobs. The only thing you need to do is to provide rich soil and adequate moisture. You should keep in mind that mint is vigorously growing plants that don't require a high amount of nutrients. Also, the excessive presence of nutrients can reduce flavor oil production in mint, resulting in taste and flavor loss. Therefore it is critical to fertilize the mint plant in a calculated manner.
Contents
- How & When To Fertilize Mint Plant?
- What is the Best Time To Fertilize a Mint Plant?
- Best Fertilizer For Mint
- Compost or Composted Manure
- NPK 16-16-16 Slow Release Mix
- FAQs
- How do you keep mint plants healthy?
- Should you Fertilize mint?
- Are coffee grounds good for mint?
- What do you feed mint plants?
- Wrapping Up
How & When To Fertilize Mint Plant?
Here is a complete guide answering your questions regarding fertilizing mint plants.
What is the Best Time To Fertilize a Mint Plant?
The best time to fertilize mint plants is the spring season. Spring is an ideal season to plant and grow all mint species. Also, it is the best time to fertilize the growing mint plants.
Best Fertilizer For Mint
Mint plant planted in an organic moist soil does not require a high amount of fertilizer. Excessive amounts of fertilizer can harm the mint plants and reduce the production of flavorful mint oils in the leaves. Since the mint plant is known for its flavor, it is important to maintain the flavorful oils in the mint.
These are the two best fertilizers to fertilize the mint plant.
Compost or Composted Manure
Compost is an organic fertilizer that you can also prepare at home. Since mint plants have very minimum fertilization requirements, it is one of the best fertilizers for mint plants. Compost or composted manure is added to the soil before planting mint plants. The compost adds a sufficient amount of nutrients to the soil and improves the soil's water-retaining ability.
Also, compost has a relatively lower concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than commercial fertilizer, which is ideal for vigorously growing plants like mint. The best way to add compost is to add a 3-inch layer above the soil before panting the new pants. If you are growing a mint plant in a pot, a 2-inch layer is sufficient.
NPK 16-16-16 Slow Release Mix
NPK 16-16-16 is the best commercial fertilizer you can use to fertilize the mint. This ratio formula is found to be very effective in mint plant growth. This fertilizer is good for all mint species and does not reduce mint oil production.
You should use this plant once a year in the spring season. Excessive application of fertilizer will result in aggressive growth and loss of flavor. Wait for frost season to pass and fertilize the mint plant with this slow-release mix in the spring season.
On average, you should use 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per plant. Avoid sprinkling the fertilizer on the stems and leaves. It is critical to examine the soil condition before fertilizing the plants. If the mint plants have vigorous growth and soil condition is healthy, you should reduce the fertilizer quantity to ½ tablespoon.
FAQs
How do you keep mint plants healthy?
Should you Fertilize mint?
Are coffee grounds good for mint?
What do you feed mint plants?
Wrapping Up
We are hopeful that this guide will help you grow healthy and flavorful mint plants in your home. If the nutrient content in the soil is very low, you can also add a small amount of slow-release mix NPK (16-16-8) and compost to improve the soil structure and water drainage.
