How to Grow Peppermint Plant | Growing Peppermint

Learn How to Grow Peppermint Plant and use its aromatic leaves for culinary purposes! It is also a great herb for a refreshing fragrance!

Peppermint, Mentha×piperita, is a versatile herb that you can grow in the garden as a groundcover and also in pots for a beautiful display of its leaves! Let’s have a look at How to Grow Peppermint Plant effortlessly!

Learn all about growing mint (Pudina) here

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How to Grow Peppermint Plant

From Cuttings

• Snip off 4-5 inches long healthy and non-flowering cutting, at a 45-degree angle, from the plant.
• Trim off the leaves from the lower part of the cutting.
• Dip the end in a rooting hormone and put it in a vase filled with distilled water.
• Place the vase at any location that gets bright, indirect light and good ventilation.
• The roots will sprout in 10-15 days.
• You can then transplant the cutting in a pot filled with a potting mix.

From Seeds

• Purchase good quality seeds from a nursery or a garden center.
• Soak them overnight in water and sow them the next day in a pot filled with a good quality seed starting mix.
• Do not sow the seeds too deep, just about half an inch would be fine. Cover them with a thin layer of soil.
• Mist the soil and keep it in bright, indirect sunlight.
• The seeds will germinate in 1-2 weeks.

Note: To save time, you can also purchase a well-developed sapling from a nursery.

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Growing Requirements of Peppermint

Sunlight

Unlike other herbs, the plant won’t mind a bit of shade. However, for best growth, make sure it gets 3-5 hours of sunlight a day. Growing it near an east or south-facing window would be an ideal spot.

Water

Keep the soil wet but do not overwater the plant. When the topsoil feels dry to touch, water the plant well till it comes out of the drainage hole. Also, avoid wetting the foliage.

Soil

The plant is not too much fussy about growing medium and does well in a range of soil types. Use a well-draining potting mix, with a pH of around 6-7.5, for the best growth. You can also DIY it by mixing equal parts of peat moss, garden soil, perlite, and vermiculite.

Climate

Peppermint grows well in the typical climatic conditions of India and does best in the temperature range of 12-30C. Save the plant from excessive heat and cold drafts.

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Taking Care of Peppermint Plant

Fertilizer

Avoid feeding the plant too much as it will take away its flavor. During its growing period, you can use a balanced fertilizer, diluted to half of its strength once in 4-6 weeks. Do refer to the label for instructions.

Pruning

Pinch off the tips periodically for bushier growth. Also, cut-off broken, diseased, or criss-cross stems from time to time. You should always suppress the flowering growth as it prevents the foliage from developing fully—simply pinch off flowering buds as soon as they appear.

Pests and Diseases

You don’t have to worry much about pests and diseases with peppermint. Just make sure you are never overwatering the plant.

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Harvesting Peppermint

Harvesting peppermint is an easy job— just snip away the leaves you want and it will keep on growing new ones. Just make sure you are not damaging the plant while taking leaves. Use a sanitized shear for the process. Also, make sure you harvest only 1/3 of the plant, or else the growth of the plant will be suppressed.