Mentha aquatica
Water mint
Common names: Stream mint
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 30 cm, rows 40 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Planting
- Mar–May
- Harvest
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- High
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Burschik at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Water mint (Mentha aquatica) is a native perennial suitable for pond edges and shallow water up to about 10 cm deep. It spreads by creeping runners, forming dense, aromatic clumps, and produces lilac flower heads on the tips of shoots from July to September. Bees, bumblebees, and hoverflies are attracted in large numbers, making it one of the most productive bee pastures for pond gardens. The leaves emit a strong minty fragrance and can be used fresh or dried for tea. In mild winters it remains semi‑evergreen; in colder winters it retreats below the water surface and regrows in spring.
Care instructions
Plant water mint in baskets or confined zones along the pond edge to prevent it from spreading rapidly across the entire shallow water area. It prefers full sun to partial shade and constant moisture, even standing water; a loam or pond substrate is sufficient. Trim spent shoots in late summer to keep the clump compact and encourage fresh growth. In winter the plant can be left in place; the roots in water provide adequate frost protection. Divide larger clumps every few years in spring to keep the plant vigorous and to prevent it from displacing neighboring pond-edge plants.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingMar–May
HarvestJun–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Water mint prefers to grow with its roots in the wet, for example at the edge of a pond, in a bog bed or in a large container without a drainage hole. A humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil with good water retention suits it best, while a sandy or dry spot noticeably slows growth. It tolerates waterlogging without problems, which sets it apart from most other mints.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Apr–Jun
A dose of mature compost in spring is usually enough for the whole season. If water mint grows in a planting container at the pond, a thin layer of organic slow-release fertiliser at the start of the growing season helps with strong growth. If you plant it in a bog bed or right at the water's edge instead, you can usually do without feeding altogether.
Overwintering
Water mint is hardy and dies back to the rootstock in autumn. Outdoors at a pond or in a bog bed it needs no protection, and the rhizome comes through even hard frost well under the water surface. If it is in a container, it helps to overwinter the pot frost-free or at least protected from water, so the substrate does not freeze solid.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
- Runners
The easiest way is to divide an established rhizome in spring or autumn and set the pieces directly in a moist or shallowly flooded spot. Cuttings from non-flowering shoots also root reliably in a glass of water, usually within a few weeks. Water mint also readily sends out runners, with which it spreads by itself at the pond edge; a root barrier ring in a container keeps it in check where that is not wanted.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Water mint yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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