Pudina is one of those plants that seems to thrive on neglect in the monsoon, only to look a little tired and leggy once the weather begins to change. October is that in-between month, when the rain has gone, the afternoons are still warm and the mornings are starting to cool. A few small adjustments now can keep your mint lush and full of flavour well into winter. Here are six essentials, organised into five easy steps.
Because mint spreads so aggressively, growing it in a pot is the best way to keep it under control. Pinch off the tips regularly, just above a pair of leaves, so that the plant branches out instead of growing tall and thin. Because flowering reduces the flavour of the leaves, remove flower buds as soon as you spot them,.
Use a rich, well-draining mix, and repot or divide it every one to three years, when the roots start to circle the pot or poke out of the drainage holes. Feed it lightly every four to six weeks with compost, vermicompost or a diluted liquid fertiliser. Too much fertiliser, especially nitrogen, makes it leggy and reduces the flavour. The more you pick mint, the bushier it gets. During the growing season, you can trim a third to half of the plant at a time, so don’t be shy, it grows back quickly.