If you are looking for plant ideas to start your own indoor herb garden, mint should be on your herbs at home list for several reasons. First, fresh mint leaves is a very popular ingredient in a wide range of recipes. Think minted pea puree, soothing mint leaf tea and fresh, home made mojito. Second, mint is rich in nutrients and has multiple health benefits, such as helping digestion, relieving stress and treating cold. Last but not least, mint is a very easy to care for perennial herb and this post will help you learn how to grow mint from cuttings.
Growing Mint from Seeds vs. Cuttings
In general, growing mint from cuttings is faster than growing mint from seeds. Usually, it takes around 3 months for mint to grow from seeds to mature plants. Meanwhile, mint cuttings develop roots in 1-2 weeks and even grows new leaves during this time which you can already use for food and beverages. Another benefit is that once you learn how to grow mint from cuttings, you can apply the same method for many other plants too, e.g. Begonia maculata.
One important thing to note is that mint is a very invasive plant. This means that mint will grow and spread quickly, and will require some control. If you do not want mint to take over your whole kitchen garden, planting it in a separate container is one of the ways to limit the plant growth. On the flip side, if you grow plenty of mint, you can always harvest and dry or freeze it for later, or share with your friends and show them how to grow mint from cuttings.
Which Mint to Grow Indoors
In general, mint is an umbrella term for a wide variety of mint plants. This includes spearmint, peppermint, flavored mints like apple mint or chocolate mint. Each type of mint has a different scent and flavour, yet some may be very similar. The good thing is that growing different types of mint requires similar conditions and approaches.
When choosing which mint to grow, consider how you plan to use it, as some varieties may not be suitable for cooking. The most popular types of mint for food and beverages are spearmint and peppermint. Spearmint has a more subtle and milder taste while peppermint contains more menthol and therefore has a stronger, sharper mint taste.
Propagate Mint from Cuttings in 3 Steps
1. Get Yourself Some Mint Cuttings
There are several ways how you can arrange yourself mint cuttings. If you or your friends already grow mint at home or garden, simply choose a nice stem and take a cutting. Another way is to buy your favorite fresh mint at a grocery store and take a cutting from the best looking stem.
You may be wondering how long the mint cuttings should be. Keep in mind that roots will start growing from a leaf node (which will be dipped in water) and that the cutting should have at least four top leaves. Ideally, mint cuttings should be around 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long.
2. Root in Water
Rooting cuttings in water for mint propagation is the simplest it can get. The first thing you want to do is pinch out the bottom leaves from the mint cuttings. Next, place the mint cuttings in a glass jar with room temperature water. Keep it in a sunny location and change the water every 3 to 4 days. In a few weeks, the cuttings should develop a new root system.
You can also root mint directly in soil. For this, you will need rooting hormone, a substance that stimulates root growth. First, prepare a plant pot with well-drained soil. Then, dip the mint cutting into rooting hormones and plant it in the pot.
3. Plant in Soil
In 1 to 2 weeks, when you see that the mint cuttings developed a root system in water, you may transfer the plant to a pot. Choose a flower pot or a container that has a drainage hole, such as terracotta pots. Fill the planter with a quality potting mix, make a hole and carefully plant the mint cutting. Water your new mint plant regularly and place it where mint can get bright, indirect sun.
