How to Plant Pudina in India | Growing Mint in Pots

Growing mint plants indoors is the best way to enjoy its fresh leaves in dishes and beverages. Here is everything you need to know on How to Plant Pudina!

What is Pudina?

The Botanical Name of the Pudina or Mint is Mentha piperita. It’s a herb that is used all around the world for its refreshing aroma. Mint is added to a variety of dishes, chutneys, and drinks due to its distinct flavor.

It tastes sweet and produces a prolonged effect of coolness on the tongue. This flavor is mostly present in the leaves of the plant. In India, it mainly grows in Northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana. Let’s see How to Plant Pudina!

Common Names:  Podina, Putina, Phujanaj, Bhudina, Chetni-Maruga, Putiha, Podinaka, Phudino.

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How to Plant Pudina

Growing a pudina plant is very easy. It is fast-growing and can take over other plants in your garden. So, it is better to grow this plant in containers. The following are the requirements for growing a Pudina plant.

Location

Although these plants can do fine in full sun, they grow best in partial sunlight and need around 3-4 hours of direct sunlight to show good growth. So, you can easily grow them in your garden, balconies, and even indoors by placing them in a sunny spot near your window.

Choosing the Pot

Choosing a pot for your pudina plant can be tricky. Make sure to choose a pot that big in size. A container of 8-10 inches in diameter is a good choice, as the plant has rapid growth and the roots require enough space to grow. Also, to avoid uneven growth in roots, choose a container that is at least 10-12 inches deep.

Soil

Pudina can grow well in almost all kinds of soils. The soil needs to be fertile, well-draining, and rich in organic matter. The soils with pH ranging between 6.0 -7.0 are good for its growth. The commercial potting mix is the best choice for growing it in containers. You can prepare your potting soil by mixing equal parts of garden soil, fine sand, cow dung manure, and coco peat.

Water

These plants require a lot of water to grow well. Keep the soil in your pot constantly moist but not wet. The continuous moisture will help in the growth of your plant, whereas overwatering your plant can cause bitter leaves. Water the plants only when the topsoil dries out.

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How to Plant Pudina

There are various ways of propagating the Pudina plant. You can propagate them through both seeds and cuttings. But growing them from seeds can be a tedious task, and the seeds may not even germinate.

Propagating Pudina from Cuttings

Although it is always better to buy a plant from a nearby nursery, you can also grow it from cuttings. All you have to do is take  5-8 cuttings that are 5-6 inches in length from a mature pudina plant. Cut these stems right below the nodes and remove all the leaves at the bottom end. Now your cuttings are ready to plant! Put them directly into the pot and water them thoroughly.

You can also propagate these cuttings in water. Just take a jar full of clear and freshwater, and place your cuttings into it. Keep the container in a spot where it receives indirect sunlight and keep changing the water every day. Stems will start to develop leaves in some time.

Also Read: 19 Best Healing Plants To Grow Indoors

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Pudina Plant Care

Pruning

It is a good idea to prune the plant when it starts to grow well and get bushy. You can keep it in shape by removing the dry and spindling branches from it.

Fertilizers

Pudina plants are not very heavy feeders. Just providing them with small doses of well-rotted cow manure once every two to three months is enough.

Pests and Diseases

Common pests like aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies can attack these plants. But you can easily get rid of them by using organic or homemade pesticides like neem oil, soap spray, etc. Some fungal diseases can also affect your plant. To prevent that, water the roots, not the leaves, as the wet leaves are prone to fungal infection. In case your plant is already infected, you can manually remove the affected leaves.

Also Read: How To Create Indian Herb Garden?

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Health Benefits of Pudina

Including pudina in your diet is a great way to stay active and healthy. It serves plenty of health benefits, including:

• Pudina has high nutritional value and rich in vitamins, fibers, iron, folate, and manganese. It makes a good addition to the regular diet.
• This herb also improves bowel movements and provides relief from indigestion problems like a regular stomach upset.
• Its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties help in treating nasal congestion and breathing problems.