I can't say I wasn't warned as Leigh does say in his spiel about this mint that, from a distance, it looks like...wait for it...Pot!!! I have never seen Pot in real life, just on the TV news, but it does look very similar. So now I am a bit embarrassed to have this growing on the property and keep the pots out the back just in case a passer-by thinks I am a old junkie :-)
Jokes aside ... this mint, which I actually haven't tasted as yet, apparently has a flavour that is a blend of basil, mint, citrus, tarragon and is great to use in risotto or with meats such as fish and chicken. It also can be made into a pesto or mixed with pasta or boiled potatoes.
It can be made into a tea and is a good companion plant particularly with beans and other annual climbers. It has insecticidal properties which protect from nematodes and bean fly and, as these plants grow so quickly, they provide a trellis for the beans to grow up in no time.
Leigh grows lots of plants to use as garden stakes and also makes up an insecticidal spray which kills fruit fly, aphids, caterpillars and sap sucking insects. It will even kill small grasshoppers.
Hmmm, I must make up some spray soon as we seem to have lots of pesky grasshoppers this year for some reason. If you would like to make up some spray, here is a LINK to the process.
I am growing the mint in pots otherwise I think we could be overrun by the plants as they grow so quickly and spread like most mints do. I am taking a few plants to our Simple Living Toowoomba Homemade Health and Beauty Products workshop this coming Saturday as we will be having a handmade or homegrown swap before the workshop. The weather should be more settled this weekend unlike last Saturday when we got hit by an electrical storm and the power was cut for a couple of hours.
If you would like to grow this unusual mint you can read more about it and then buy the seeds from Fair Dinkum Seeds. Leigh is always very helpful and you will be supporting a small business as well.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Huacatay Black Mint Tagetes Minuta Seeds
Big packet of 100+ seeds which is plenty to get you started!Its a great plant this one, very hardy, and quite a delicious herb in its own right.
The flavour is a blend of basil, mint, citrus, tarragon and it goes great on mild flavoured dishes like risotto or meats like chicken and fish.
Makes a fantastic pesto, great for spreading on tortillas or sandwiches, and equally good mixed into pasta or boiled potatoes. Very popular in in many parts of the world particularly Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico, where it is sold in little jars as "black paste".
Doesn't loose its flavour/aroma as quickly as other herbs can when dried and is easily stored in a jar or resealable packet in the cupboard.
Also great for an aromatic tea that's "antifungal", "antibacterial" "liver cleansing" and "vitality boosting" and just bloody delicious!
Companion plant with just about everything, but especially useful for growing with beans and other annual climbers. Just wait till the huacatay is about knee high, then shove a couple beans or whatever around the bottom of each plant.
The natural insecticidal properties of the huacatay protect them from bean fly and nematodes, and at the same time provide a living trellis for the beans to grow up! They are tall straight plants, just perfect for trellises and pyramids.
While I am on the subject of insect control, I bet you didn't know that this fella, "tagetes minta" is the "marigold" all the companion planting and natural insecticide studies were done on back in the day! All those folks on TV and books saying "marigold" is a great companion plant, and proven to protect other plants from insect attack blah blah blah, well unfortunately, they only have it half right....
There is a great insecticidal marigold, but its not the pretty little orange and yellow flowered "tagetes patula" that they all seem to think it is! This is it, "tagetes minuta" or small flowered marigold, NOT "tagetes patula", despite what the well meaning "experts" insist.... Check it out yourself. This fella gets 1-2m high but only 30cm wide, and kind of looks like marijuana from a distance. Nothing like the one in the shops.
If you have ever grown one of those ornamental marigolds you will have seen for yourself how many different insects love to eat them, so it amazes me this myth keeps being perpetuated. Nothing wrong with "tagetes patula" mind you, just don't expect it to do much apart from look really pretty.
Anyway, back to this fella.
I always grow heaps as its so handy for garden stakes and we make an awesome spray from the excess huacatay we grow. We eat the younger shoots and tips till it gets a woody stem, then plant more so we have a constant supply. Its the best insecticidal spray to kill fruit fly, caterpillars, aphids and various sap sucking insects around the garden, bar none.
Even kills grasshoppers if you get them when they are still small, which even most of the toxic commercial carcinogenic chemical concoctions won't!
Here is a LINK to our spray recipe.
So there you go, great culinary herb, perfect companion plant especially for small vines due to their tall straight growth, and the best natural bug spray you are gonna get bar none!
Grown by us organically, no nasties, no chems, no problems!!!
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Huacatay Black Mint Tagetes Minuta Seeds
Big packet of 100+ seeds which is plenty to get you started!Its a great plant this one, very hardy, and quite a delicious herb in its own right.
The flavour is a blend of basil, mint, citrus, tarragon and it goes great on mild flavoured dishes like risotto or meats like chicken and fish.
Makes a fantastic pesto, great for spreading on tortillas or sandwiches, and equally good mixed into pasta or boiled potatoes. Very popular in in many parts of the world particularly Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico, where it is sold in little jars as "black paste".
Doesn't loose its flavour/aroma as quickly as other herbs can when dried and is easily stored in a jar or resealable packet in the cupboard.
Also great for an aromatic tea that's "antifungal", "antibacterial" "liver cleansing" and "vitality boosting" and just bloody delicious!
Companion plant with just about everything, but especially useful for growing with beans and other annual climbers. Just wait till the huacatay is about knee high, then shove a couple beans or whatever around the bottom of each plant.
The natural insecticidal properties of the huacatay protect them from bean fly and nematodes, and at the same time provide a living trellis for the beans to grow up! They are tall straight plants, just perfect for trellises and pyramids.
While I am on the subject of insect control, I bet you didn't know that this fella, "tagetes minta" is the "marigold" all the companion planting and natural insecticide studies were done on back in the day! All those folks on TV and books saying "marigold" is a great companion plant, and proven to protect other plants from insect attack blah blah blah, well unfortunately, they only have it half right....
There is a great insecticidal marigold, but its not the pretty little orange and yellow flowered "tagetes patula" that they all seem to think it is! This is it, "tagetes minuta" or small flowered marigold, NOT "tagetes patula", despite what the well meaning "experts" insist.... Check it out yourself. This fella gets 1-2m high but only 30cm wide, and kind of looks like marijuana from a distance. Nothing like the one in the shops.
If you have ever grown one of those ornamental marigolds you will have seen for yourself how many different insects love to eat them, so it amazes me this myth keeps being perpetuated. Nothing wrong with "tagetes patula" mind you, just don't expect it to do much apart from look really pretty.
Anyway, back to this fella.
I always grow heaps as its so handy for garden stakes and we make an awesome spray from the excess huacatay we grow. We eat the younger shoots and tips till it gets a woody stem, then plant more so we have a constant supply. Its the best insecticidal spray to kill fruit fly, caterpillars, aphids and various sap sucking insects around the garden, bar none.
Even kills grasshoppers if you get them when they are still small, which even most of the toxic commercial carcinogenic chemical concoctions won't!
Here is a LINK to our spray recipe.
So there you go, great culinary herb, perfect companion plant especially for small vines due to their tall straight growth, and the best natural bug spray you are gonna get bar none!
Grown by us organically, no nasties, no chems, no problems!!!
People who bought this item also bought
ShareThis
Huacatay Black Mint Tagetes Minuta Seeds
Big packet of 100+ seeds which is plenty to get you started!Its a great plant this one, very hardy, and quite a delicious herb in its own right.
The flavour is a blend of basil, mint, citrus, tarragon and it goes great on mild flavoured dishes like risotto or meats like chicken and fish.
Makes a fantastic pesto, great for spreading on tortillas or sandwiches, and equally good mixed into pasta or boiled potatoes. Very popular in in many parts of the world particularly Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico, where it is sold in little jars as "black paste".
Doesn't loose its flavour/aroma as quickly as other herbs can when dried and is easily stored in a jar or resealable packet in the cupboard.
Also great for an aromatic tea that's "antifungal", "antibacterial" "liver cleansing" and "vitality boosting" and just bloody delicious!
Companion plant with just about everything, but especially useful for growing with beans and other annual climbers. Just wait till the huacatay is about knee high, then shove a couple beans or whatever around the bottom of each plant.
The natural insecticidal properties of the huacatay protect them from bean fly and nematodes, and at the same time provide a living trellis for the beans to grow up! They are tall straight plants, just perfect for trellises and pyramids.
While I am on the subject of insect control, I bet you didn't know that this fella, "tagetes minta" is the "marigold" all the companion planting and natural insecticide studies were done on back in the day! All those folks on TV and books saying "marigold" is a great companion plant, and proven to protect other plants from insect attack blah blah blah, well unfortunately, they only have it half right....
There is a great insecticidal marigold, but its not the pretty little orange and yellow flowered "tagetes patula" that they all seem to think it is! This is it, "tagetes minuta" or small flowered marigold, NOT "tagetes patula", despite what the well meaning "experts" insist.... Check it out yourself. This fella gets 1-2m high but only 30cm wide, and kind of looks like marijuana from a distance. Nothing like the one in the shops.
If you have ever grown one of those ornamental marigolds you will have seen for yourself how many different insects love to eat them, so it amazes me this myth keeps being perpetuated. Nothing wrong with "tagetes patula" mind you, just don't expect it to do much apart from look really pretty.
Anyway, back to this fella.
I always grow heaps as its so handy for garden stakes and we make an awesome spray from the excess huacatay we grow. We eat the younger shoots and tips till it gets a woody stem, then plant more so we have a constant supply. Its the best insecticidal spray to kill fruit fly, caterpillars, aphids and various sap sucking insects around the garden, bar none.
Even kills grasshoppers if you get them when they are still small, which even most of the toxic commercial carcinogenic chemical concoctions won't!
Here is a LINK to our spray recipe.
So there you go, great culinary herb, perfect companion plant especially for small vines due to their tall straight growth, and the best natural bug spray you are gonna get bar none!
Grown by us organically, no nasties, no chems, no problems!!!
People who bought this item also bought
ShareThis
well, looks a little like it at first glance but as you look you can see it's not. & am sure you can google the marijuana plant for a comparison too. it's very pretty. i added fair dinkum seeds to my useful links, as it's always handy to have a few suppliers around.
ReplyDeleteinteresting post
thanx for sharing
Selina, Leigh has some unusual plants on his website. It is worth having a good look through.
DeleteHippy Nanna hey?!! That is hilarious. I should plant some just to create a neighbour scandal - hee hee.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, just grow some in the front garden, Phil. You will be the talk of the town:-)
DeleteWhen we first moved to our property, we found something that looked an awful like pot too! It's a weed called, Stinking Roger. I clicked on your link and found its the same thing you've got. We still have it growing wild. I always thought it looked somewhat like a marigold too. I love the smell if you've brushed past it. We used to cut it down, and put it on our chicken coop floor to keep any bugs away.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to like an open sunny place to grow, and since we mow a lot of those areas now, we don't get as many plants. Which is a shame because it was a great nutrient accumulator. In other words, it made a great, fast growing, mulch. It's considered a weed, but I never knew it was a herb. So thanks for sharing the link. :)
Yes it is a herb, Chris. Thanks for that info about using it as mulch.
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I don't think you need to worry about any hippies showing up on your doorstop though. lol :)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know what to do with it anyway, Krystal.
DeleteHahahahaha! Nanna Chel! Who knew, right? That's so funny!
ReplyDeleteMimi, I get embarrassed every time I walk past the pot...I mean pots :-)
DeleteIt's better looking than my boring mint plant
ReplyDeleteWendy, it won't be boring if you put a few plants in your front garden. LOL!
DeleteOhhh, I couldn't do that. There'd be a story on national tv. Wendy the Super Saver goes potty. I can see it now. hehehe !!! As it is some people think I'm weird because I save money.
DeleteYes Wendy. I can just see the headlines now :-)
DeleteMy family has had a good laugh over this :-)
DeleteWendy, glad to hear it :-)
DeleteIt sort of looks like that weed.
ReplyDeleteWhich weed, Deb?
DeleteWhen we first started container gardening 10 or so years ago my kids called it 'dad's pot garden! I would tell them "please don't say that out in public!" Too funny, but you know they have caught some 80 year olds trying to sneak drugs across the border!
ReplyDeleteKathy, it just goes to show that some people never learn eh?
ReplyDeleteApart from creating a bit of a stir it sounds like a pretty useful plant to have, as you say in a few pots.
ReplyDeleteYou know that the naughty little girl in you is having a giggle. You have to let her out to play sometime!
Ha ha, Lynda. Yes it is a pretty useful plant and I should take advantage of its benefits instead of shunning it for being embarrassing :-)
DeleteNanna Chel,
ReplyDeleteYou do have some odd plants in your backyard. It really doesn't look like a mint plant at all but sounds just as useful.
-Shiralee.
You can have a pot if you like Shiralee. I will be bringing some pots to the workshop on Saturday.
DeleteSo it's an "embarrassMINT" 😉
ReplyDeleteHa ha Mary...very good!
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you still have the plant as I just came about your blog and this post (this is great stuff by the way!). We actually use huacatay for a lot of peruvian dishes, mainly the hearty ones and our dipping sauces. We've had similar issues where our neighbors have freaked out about our plant (I live in Miami) but inviting them over for some fried yucca and some huacatay sauce has calmed them down lol. Here's a recipe if you're curious...I would just replace the aji amarillo for habanero peppers as aji is hard to find: https://lavidacomida.com/recipes/salsa-huacatay-2/ Enjoy and best wishes!
ReplyDeletehaha bought land near tenterfield, and this stuff is growing like mad right now, i use it as screen for my outdoor bath, probably harbours snakes, but it smells divine if you happen to trample on it and i think ive seen it in Asian cooking shows. Which is why im here researching. Theres so much i should try to sell it, as i am always broke. it taste pretty good, and im glad it can be made into tea, because its as hot as it gets right now in my town, and. trying to cut down on wine. i love pesto, and coriander season here is short and ive had not much luck with coriander...
ReplyDelete