Question about mint plants?

Well I actually have 2 questions. First of all, I read you need to "pinch" the plant to make it grow bushier. What exactly do they mean by pinch? and do I pinch the leaf tips or the top of the stem or what?


Also when you put a mint leaf in a drink do you crush it first or do you just drop it in and the flavor comes out on its own?

Question about mint plants?
"pinch" means "cut". Take a knife or scissors and cut the mint directly above a set of leaves. Dont leave a stub more than an eighth of an inch long. Mint is pretty tough, so you can cut it any length, although the traditional is about three inches or so. One thing of note: the strongest flavor you can get is when the plant is in full bloom. Once the flowers die off, the flavor drops off too. It doesn't go away, mint is too strong to completely disappear. I know right where mine is when I rake in the early spring: the mint isn't up yet, but the odor is there! For the second question: you should squish the bottom of the cut stem. Leave the top unsquished for appearances sake. Just mash it a little bit, you don't have to completely crush it. If you like iced tea: boil some mint cuttings with the tea, refrigerate until cold. I use two or three sprigs of mint per half gallon container. Refreshing!
Reply:crushing the leaves releases the flavor.





you've got me thinking about a Mojito now (rum, lime and mint... VERY refreshing).. but it's only 10:15AM where I am.. is that a symptom of a problem??





Brady's right about pinching.
Reply:Be careful with mint. It is very invasive and will take over everything.





Yes leaves must be crushed to release flavor
Reply:You pinch the top of the stem, not the leaf tips. Pinch means to remove. You can use either your fingers/fingernail or scissors. The leaf should be crushed to release its oils. An uncrushed mint leaf is more for decoration than taste.