Plectranthus is a room type of mint that is naturally endowed with an amazingly pronounced aroma. Depending on the variety, an evergreen plant can grow upward or spread along the surface of the soil. Decorative culture is common in New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. In our country, indoor mint is often grown indoors. Properly caring for a fragrant plant, you can grow healthy bushes that will please you with an attractive appearance for a long time.
What does Plectrantus look like, to which family
Plectranthus (indoor mint) belongs to the category of herbaceous plants or evergreen shrubs, the height of which does not exceed 65-80 cm. Branched culture shoots. They can not only grow up, but also spread along the surface of the soil. The fibrous type of root system is not deep enough. Ribbed shrub stems can be bare or pubescent, depending on the variety.
Flowering mint
On a note! The peel of the stem part is painted in green or brown-red tones.
Leaf blades are located on short petioles crosswise, in pairs. The ovoid foliage is fleshy. Its extreme parts are covered with small cloves. On the surface of the green mass, veins or a colorful pattern can be considered. In the green mass there are aromatic glands, thanks to which the variegated plectrantus emits an amazing smell that may contain spicy or mint notes.
You can admire the flowering in the summer months. Paniculate inflorescences are quite dense. They are located at the tips of the branches. Flowers of both sexes consist of 5 petals, fused at the base into a tube. Two-lipped corollas are painted in a different palette:
- white;
- lilac;
- blue;
- lavender;
- purple.
Miniature size stamens and ovary are located in the central part. After the plectrantus is pollinated, the ripening process of the fleshy fruits begins. There are 4 nuts in the inner part of the fruit. After ripening, the fruits unfold on their own. To grow and care for mint is quite simple, the main thing is to adhere to the recommendations of specialists in the field of floriculture.
The variety is koleusovidny
Popular varieties
There are over 250 varieties of room mint. Some of them do not look like peppermint in appearance. The most popular types:
- Plectranthus coleoide (coleoide) belongs to the category of shrubs with erect shoots. The height of the plant can reach 95-100 cm. The surface of the ovoid foliage is brilliant. Mint shoots tetrahedral. Soft petioles and stem part are pubescent. Leaf plates are painted in a deep green palette. On the surface of the green mass, white spots or stripes along the edges can be seen.
- Plectranthus Ertendahl (oertendahlii) is a herbaceous perennial crop whose shoots creep along the surface of the soil. The height of the bushes reaches 40 cm. The ampelous plectrantus is distinguished by petiole opposite leaves, the length of which is within 6 cm. On the surface of the green mass, silver patterns that are located along the veins can be considered. The lower part of the foliage is covered with villi of a red tint. In the summer, inflorescences of the racemose type begin to bloom on the upper parts of the shoots, the length of which does not exceed 30 cm. Each of the bells is painted in soft purple tones or a white palette.
- Plectrantus Mona Lavender is a hybrid variety of erect shrubs whose stems are covered with brown-brown skin. The ovoid foliage is colored green. The surface of the toothed green mass is glossy. The reverse side of the foliage is covered with purple villi. On the colors of violet-blue tones, you can see blue dots. Indoor plectrantus during flowering takes on an attractive appearance.
Ertendahl variety
- Plectranthus oakleaf - a plant with fleshy erect stems covered with serrate and leathery foliage, the shape of which resembles the outlines of oak leaves. The green mass is painted in a dark green palette and covered with short silvery villi. Rubbing the foliage between the fingers, you can feel a pleasant pronounced coniferous aroma. Plectranthus care is quite simple, so even beginners in the field of floriculture can engage in its cultivation.
- Felt plectrantus belongs to the category of miniature bushes, the carved foliage of which is densely pubescent and painted in a light green palette. The shoots are drooping. A pleasant minty aroma comes from the foliage. The plant needs good lighting and systematic irrigation with rainwater.
- Southern plectrantus is an evergreen perennial that belongs to the category of herbaceous plants. Mint is able to spread along the surface of the soil and thereby form a continuous large carpet. Burgundy stems when grown in flower pots, hang down a chic cascade. Glossy rounded foliage is painted in a green palette. The edges of the green mass are serrated. On the surface of leaflets, one can see numerous branched veins. Peduncles rather tall and leafless. Florists often refer to the southern variety as Swedish ivy.
- Plectranthus variegate is a type of room mint whose leaf plates are painted in a gray-green palette. The extreme parts of each sheet are painted in bright colors. During flowering, small white flowers form on the bushes. The variegate variety looks good when grown together with pelargonium and surfinia, bearded spur flower (barbatus) and golden mint.
Note! No less popular are such species of plectrantus as Nico and plectranthus Ruffle.
Healing properties
Mint (plectrantus) - can it be consumed? Fragrant plectrantus is naturally endowed with beneficial properties. With the help of tea made from room mint, colds, fever, and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract can be cured. The plant helps to cope with irritable bowel syndrome.
Infusions, which include plectranthus flower, have a strong calming effect, which positively affects the nervous system. People suffering from frequent nervous tensions, anxiety and insomnia should drink an infusion of mint every night before bed. In addition, plectrantus is naturally endowed with choleretic properties, an expectorant effect.
Features of home care
Mint (plectrantus) must be planted in well-lit areas. However, in the sultry period, it is important to slightly shade the flowers from direct sunlight, which will make it possible to avoid burns of leaf plates. The plant is most comfortable in the summer during partial shade. Additional illumination is necessary only during the flowering period.
The temperature in the room in which the plectrantus plants grow should be in the range of 20-22 ℃ above zero. In the summer months, it is recommended to plant bushes in open ground. In winter, you can lower the temperature to +18 ℃ and plant flowers in pots.
The plant is not demanding on the level of humidity. However, it is not worthwhile to put containers with flowers near the radiators in the winter, as the air in this place is too dry. It is recommended to spray the bushes daily, and place the pots on pallets filled with wet pebbles.
Advice! Every week, it is advisable to arrange a warm shower, which allows you to nourish the leaves of the culture with moisture and rinse off a layer of dust.
Mint needs plentiful and frequent soil wetting. The need for watering will be confirmed by the drying of the top layer of soil 1 cm deep. Do not allow stagnation of water in pots, so as not to provoke rotting of the root system. Water the flowers every 2 days. During the period of active growth, it is worth adding complex fertilizer to the soil, which is intended for decorative and deciduous crops.
In the cold season, top dressing is not applied to the soil. It is necessary to resume top dressing in March in order to accelerate the growth rate of shoots. The lower part of the plant is exposed.
Southern Spearmint
Winter Care Features
Plectrantus does not need a rest period, which is why in winter there is no point in creating certain conditions. If necessary, you can independently enter flowers during the rest period. To do this, stop feeding and reduce the frequency of soil wetting procedures. The room temperature in this case can be reduced to +13 ℃.
Important information! The bushes should not be allowed to stand in the drafts. Cold air will negatively affect the growth of room mint.
Felt look
Pruning
To maintain the attractive appearance of the crop, you need to systematically trim. As a rule, this procedure is performed in the spring. Each of the shoots of plectrantus is shortened by half. During the period of active growth, experts advise pinching the tips of the shoots, which helps to stimulate branching.
How plectrantus breeds
Reproduction of room mint can be carried out by:
- cuttings;
- dividing bushes.
To apply the second method, you will need to dig a bush and use a sharp shovel to divide it into a couple of parts so that the root system and shoots remain on each side. The resulting parts of the plant are planted in pre-prepared wells. It is necessary to shade the seedlings from direct sunlight, which will make it possible to avoid burns of leaf plates.
For propagation by cuttings, it will be necessary to cut stem branches from the mother bush, the length of which has reached 5 cm. For rooting, cuttings should be placed in a container filled with water. A few weeks after the roots form on the branches, they are planted in separate containers that are filled with humus, leaf and sod soil.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
Transfer
A transplant of mint is carried out annually. Bushes older than 5 years old can be replanted every 24 months. The procedure is performed in the spring. Transplant soil can be prepared independently using:
- sheet earth;
- a small portion of sand;
- turf soil;
- humus land.
The capacity for planting bushes should be deep so that the root system fits in the pot. The third part of the container is the drainage layer.
Additional Information! It is unacceptable to carry out transplant work in the summer months. In the sultry period, it is difficult for the bushes to take root in a new place.
Diseases and Pests
Among the main pests of plectrantus, it is worth highlighting:
- spider mite;
- aphids;
- whitefly;
- scale shield.
Invasion of insects occurs against the background of low humidity in the room, where there are flower pots. To cope with pests, it is necessary to carry out processing with insecticides and put flowers for a couple of days in the open air.
The difficulties arising in the process of growing need to be addressed in a timely manner. This will extend the life of the culture and allow you to maintain its attractive appearance. Among the most common troubles that may occur during the cultivation of plectrantus, it is worth highlighting:
- Wilting of leaf blades. It is important to adjust the frequency of soil irrigation.
- Burnout and discoloration of foliage. The plant must be protected from direct sunlight.
- The defeat of powdery mildew often occurs against the background of an excess of moisture in the soil. A grayish coating appears on the leaf plates. To cope with the disease, fungicides are treated.
Mint used to make tea
Having familiarized yourself with the features of growing room mint, you can grow healthy bushes that will delight you with systematic flowering, and fill the room with a pleasant aroma of needles or spices.
