Water mint

(a rooted stem)

A great classic of aquaponics and natural ponds!

Water mint (Mentha aquatica L.) was probably one of the first plants used in aquaponics.
Indeed, it thrives very well with roots in water, without necessarily having a substrate, thus feeding on excess nitrates and all the metabolic waste from the fish.

A bit like the marsh iris, it enjoys having its feet in water or the damp soil of riverbanks. But its much smaller size allows it to be used in all situations, including indoors and in open aquariums.

At the edge of the pond, it can be planted in moist soil or up to 10-15 cm deep in water. Its stems will emerge and bloom, forming magnificent bouquets of small flowers that can range from very pale pink (almost white) to brighter pink.

Its leaves are aromatic (it's a mint!).

Above all, and this may be its most appreciated quality outdoors: it strongly attracts pollinators. Domestic or wild bees and bumblebees of all species jostle to feed on the nectar of its flowers.
In the permaculture mini-ponds or at the edge of your pond, it will therefore ensure a permanent biodiversity that will benefit all the other plants in the garden.

"It spreads quickly on its own if the conditions are favorable. Its creeping roots form stolons like its terrestrial cousin, and it thus occupies all the ground that is given to it. Some stems can sometimes reach 80 cm in height, which is a maximum, as the plant generally limits itself to about thirty centimeters."

It survives the winter without any problems, resisting temperatures down to -15°C. Its aerial stems disappear in winter and it comes back even stronger in spring, much to the delight of insects.

This bare-root stem, and therefore without artificial substrate, gives you complete freedom in the planting method: bare roots plunging into the water of an aquarium or aquaponics pond, planting in well-moistened potting soil, or finally in the soil or mud of a pond.