FIELD MINT

Field mint is a spice vegetable used raw with other vegetables like lettuce, coriander, perilla, balm mint, etc... or served with grilled meat and rolls.

Field mint has a strong, pungent aroma, less attractive than Lang basil (real).

Some countries use field mint to extract essential oil. Its oil can treat headaches.

• Stem & Leaves: Field mint is an annual herb, soft stem can spread around. Smooth stem, dark purple. Leaves are ovate, surface slightly smooth, petiole purple, leaf margin smooth or shallowly serrated.
• Flowers & Seeds: Small flowers, pale purple or white, 5-6 flowers grow in whorls. Black shiny seeds.

• Climate: Prefers warm, mild climate, suitable temperature for growth is 22 - 23°C, capable of withstanding heat, drought, but prefers moisture, does not tolerate waterlogging. Grows poorly at low temperatures.
• Soil: Prefers loose soil, neutral pH.

1. Season

Can be grown year-round, warm season usually gives high yield, plant in August - September.

2. Soil and Fertilizer

Soil: Plow carefully, clean weeds, dry soil before planting if possible. Sandy loam and light loam are suitable. After plowing, soil should be fine, loose, raise beds. Bed width 1.1 - 1.2m, 0.15 - 0.20m, furrow 0.25 - 0.30m.

• check_circleRotten manure: 1.0 - 1.5 tons
• check_circleSuperphosphate: 20 - 30kg
• check_circlePotassium chloride: 15kg
• check_circleNPK: 50 - 60kg (or 100kg kitchen ash)

* Do not overuse inorganic nitrogen fertilizer.

* Method: Basal application of all organic fertilizer, superphosphate and 1/3 potassium into furrows or on bed surface before planting. Must mix fertilizer well with soil.

3. Propagation

• Usually propagated vegetatively (by stem cuttings). Cut stems into short pieces 4 - 5cm.
• Plant stem pieces with row spacing 15 - 20cm, plant spacing 7 - 10cm. Press gently around the base.

4. Care

• Watering: Water twice a day (morning and afternoon) after planting. When plants root and turn green (2-3 days), once to keep moist. If hot and dry, daily. Generally do not flood irrigation. Use clean water.
• Weeding: After plants root and grow new leaves, cultivate soil to loosen, combined with weeding.
• Fertilizing: Top dress with NPK when plants root. Dissolve in (1-2%) or sprinkle at base and cover with soil. Water with clean after fertilizing to wash leaves. Top dress after each harvest (20-30kg NPK) depending on growth. Never use fresh manure.

Field mint planted once can be harvested year-round. However, summer-autumn yield is usually low.

• First harvest one month after planting.
• Subsequent harvests every 15 - 20 days.
• Harvesting technique similar to other basil types.
• After 7 - 8 harvests, pull up, plow soil, let dry then replant.
• Seed preservation: Leave plants in beds, overwinter to next year.