Peppermint adds flavor to life

It grows easily and loves to be clipped for refreshing hair rinses, decorative sprigs or a julep.

By JOHN A. STARNES JR.
Published August 6, 2005

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Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is one mint that can adapt as a perennial in our climate. I grow mine in deeply mulched soil that is slightly acidic.

If you live in an apartment or condominium, peppermint grows just fine in a container. Use bagged compost, a handful of dog or cat food nuggets mixed in to feed the soil, plus a liberal sprinkling of either dolomite or crushed dried eggshells. Mulch the soil with dried oak leaves, wood chip mulch or pesticide-free grass clippings and keep the soil cool and moist, not soggy. When buying peppermint, look for a young plant in small pot; it grows quickly, so there is no need to buy big ones.

Harvest your mint as often as you wish: Frequent snipping will make your peppermint patch dense. Diluted fish emulsion (3 tablespoons in 1 gallon of water) applied a few times a year will also boost its growth (drench the soil).

Mint has multiple uses. Boil some fresh leaves for a heavenly hair rinse; or sprinkle some finely minced leaves into your dog's food to control bad breath; or nibble on a few leaves for a natural breath freshener.

Peppermint can also be dried and stored in the freezer. Use it in ice cubes for cold drinks, or drop two mint cubes into a pot of homemade split pea soup just before serving to round out the flavor.

At the end of summer, cut back your lanky mint and give it a good feeding; then relax and think of more minty delights.

- John A. Starnes Jr., born in Key West, is an avid organic gardener and rosarian who studies, collects, cultivates and hybridizes roses for Florida. He can be reached at johnastarnes@msn.com