Aromatic spearmint and peppermint (both herbs in the genus Mentha) are personal favorites; flavoring in the form of oil or
extract will transform plain salt water taffy into a magical sweet treat! Either oil or extract can be used to flavor
icing for cookies or cakes, or you could add a few drops to vanilla ice cream and
milk for a frosty, cold milk shake.
Mint is
grown as a crop, here in our home state of Wisconsin… what a surprise!
Having lived
in Wisconsin most of my life, I’m aware of corn and soy bean fields as I travel
through our State. Cranberry marshes,
cherry and apple orchards are prevalent in certain areas, while cabbages, peas,
potatoes and other veggies grow well here too.
Our growing season is long enough to support all these crops, but
learning that Wisconsin ranks No. 5 in
the nation for mint oil production… amazing! Mint also adds some diversity to the
Wisconsin agricultural scene.
The
publication Growing Wisconsin
(2018-2019 edition) from our Wisconsin Dept of Agriculture provides interesting
data about the mint crop harvested each year:
80,000 acres
of mint are cultivated in the USA every year
Mint farmers
can expect 50 – 60 pounds of oil per acre planted
Mint fields
must be rotated periodically to prevent contracting verticillium wilt (the same
soil-borne fungal disease that can kill sugar maple trees)
Harvest of
mint takes place during JULY/AUG when it is cut and dried in the field
Processing
mint includes two hours of distillation, which extracts desirable oils
Although
some Wisconsin farmers choose mint as a specialty crop, I prefer to grow
spearmint as a container plant. I
use it as a trailing plant along with potted flowers in a large container; mint
roots and stolons are tenacious and need space!
NOTE:
I suggest you refrain from planting mint in the ground… unless you wish
to produce an entire crop of mint! It
spreads aggressively; be cautious!
M. Lynn
Schmid, Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
