That said, the oil concentration is stronger if you let the soil dry out a little between waterings as harvest time nears. While the plant can forgive poor soil or inadequate sunlight, dry soil spells disaster. There’s one thing to keep at the front of your mind when growing peppermint: water. Peppermint is an incredibly adaptable plant, but ideally it prefers a cool, moist climate with well-draining, loose, organically-rich soil. Put the new plant in your prepared spot at the same depth it was growing previously and water thoroughly. You want to dig about six inches deep in the soil and three inches around the perimeter of the new plant to ensure that you lift enough of the root system. When the new above-ground growth is at least three inches tall, detach the stem from the parent plant and dig it up. The stem will begin to form roots and new shoots within a few weeks. If you need to, you can weigh down the end of the stem with a rock or small stone. Lie it horizontally on the ground, and bury it lightly with soil. To do this, take an outside stem and remove the leaves from the center four inches. Peppermint is easy to propagate by stem layering. You can learn more about dividing perennials in this guide. Plant the new division in prepared soil at the same depth as the root ball and water in well. You can always take a larger division – as long as you leave about six inches of root behind, your plant will come back quickly. Assuming you’re working with a mature plant that’s about a foot wide, dig up a six-inch-by-six-inch piece of the plant, at least nine inches deep. To divide your plant, you will need at least six inches of roots. The best time to divide plants is in the spring or fall. You might find yourself giving away plant divisions to anyone who will take them! Doing so regularly can be beneficial for your garden because it helps to limit spread, and keep plants healthy. Plant in a new location at the same depth as the root ball you dug up. If you can find a stolon that has already formed a stem and new leaves (and thus, roots), you can dig it up, leaving a three-inch margin on all sides. Gently pull up a stolon of at least six inches long and clip it away from the parent plant. These may or may not have leaves on them. To identify a stolon, look for what appears to be an above-ground root or horizontal stem extending from the parent plant. Peppermint reproduces vegetatively by sending out runners, aka stolons, in the summer after flowering. Then, plant it in prepared soil at the same depth that it was growing in the pot. Each day, put it out for an additional hour until it can be in direct sunlight for seven hours at a time. Harden them off over the course of a week or so by placing the pot outside in the sun for a few hours and then bring it back indoors. In three to four weeks, the rooted cuttings will be ready to move out into the garden. Give them a good soak to settle them in place and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. When you see roots starting to develop, plant cuttings in a four to six-inch container in potting soil. After about 10-14 days the stems will take root. Dip the cut end into a food-safe powdered rooting hormone, and then place the stem in a glass of water.įind a bright, airy location, out of direct sunlight, and change the water every two to three days. Take a four to six-inch cutting from the top of a healthy stem and remove the leaves from the lower half. Rooting stem cuttings is the preferred propagation method for commercial growers because it’s reliable and easy. In the spring, new peppermint plants pop up everywhere and mature rapidly. Peppermint is so vigorous that some commercial growers plow up their plants in the fall to chop up the roots and stolons and spread them around. It’s pretty easy to get peppermint to reproduce – it doesn’t need much encouragement. x piperita is a sterile hybrid that does not produce viable seed.Īny seeds claiming to be peppermint will likely be a type of spearmint that may turn out to have an unpleasant flavor and scent. You can sometimes find “peppermint” seeds for sale, so what’s up with that? Don’t buy them.
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