Mint, also commonly known as pudina, is an aromatic herb that is very easy to grow. Even beginners can try their hands at growing mint from cuttings.
Well you must be thinking how can you grow mint from cuttings? The answer to this is pretty simple. You just need to cut a stem from a healthy mint plant and plant it in another plant and you are done. Simple right! I know you must be having tons of questions regarding the fairly simple process that I just discussed. We will discuss each and every possible concern of yours in detail. First, let us dive into a brief introduction (in case you aren’t already aware) about the nutritional composition of mint leaves.
Nutritional Composition of Mint
- Mint leaves have antioxidant and anti bacterial properties. They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and B- complex. They are a complete nutritional package and you should definitely get your hands on them.
- Mint contains iron in abundance and hence is a good source for the same. It is also a good source of manganese and potassium. All of these are well known to improve the hemoglobin levels. So if the hemoglobin level in your blood is low, you should start including mint in your diet.
- Mint is also known to improve the functioning of the brain. It promotes alertness and boosts memory power. So if you are someone who constantly struggles with remembering things, may be you should try consuming mint regularly.
- Mint is low in calories and fat content and therefore can be safely included even in weight loss diets. It will not disturb the balance that you are trying to create by having low calorie foods.
The nutritional benefits mint offers and the ease of growing it, make it an excellent choice for every gardener. Beginners must also try growing mint as it is super easy and requires minimal effort.
It can be grown by buying a plant from the store, or can also be grown from cuttings from a plant. Let us now understand in detail, the process of increasing mint from cuttings.
Also Read: How to Grow Thyme from Cuttings?
Mint can be grown from cuttings in two ways.
- Growing mint from cuttings in soil
- Growing mint from cuttings in water.
Both the procedures are simple and do not take much time and effort. Taking care of the mint plant grown either way is also almost similar.
Let us discuss both the ways of planting mint in detail.
#1 How to Grow Mint from Cuttings in Soil?
- The first step is definitely going to be cutting a mint stem from a healthy mint plant. You can choose to cut a stem from your friend’s garden or if this option is not available to you, you can also cut a stem from mints that you have bought for your home. Whichever is your case, always make sure that you choose a healthy stem for your plantation.
- The second step in the process of growing mint, is to remove the leaves from the bottom of the stem. Do not remove all of the leaves. Keep the leaves at the topmost part of the stem.
- Next, prepare a pot for planting mint. Make sure that the soil that you choose has a proper drainage holes, otherwise the stem will rot.
- Check the nutrients in the soil and add fertilizers if necessary. Moisten up the soil by adding some amount of water.
- Dig a hole in the soil and place the stem there. Don’t dig the hole very deep.
- Keep the pot in which you have planted the stem, away from direct sunlight. At this stage the stem is trying to adapt to the changed environment and as such, keeping the pot in direct sunlight will kill the plant. So it is preferable to keep your plant indoors.
- Keep a check on the moisture level of the soil. Do not over water the pot as doing so will rotten the stem.
- Wait for a week of two till roots start developing in your plant. Once you notice growth in your plant, you can keep it outdoors but away from direct sunlight.
#2 How to Grow Mint from Cuttings in Water?
- The first few steps in growing mint from cuttings in water are similar to those of growing mint in soil. In the beginning, you need to choose a healthy mint plant, to cut a stem from. Again you can either cut a stem from someone’s plant or you can also prefer to cut a stem from freshly bought mints.
- The next step is to cut the leaves on the stem from the bottom. Make sure you do not cut the leaves at the top, otherwise the stem will become useless to you, as it will not be able to grow mints.
- Take a transparent container and keep the mint stem in water. Do not take a huge container at this stage. Pick a small container and add around 2.5 inches of water to it.
- Place the stem in the container. Regularly check the health of the stem.
- Keep the container indoors as the plant is still trying to adapt to the sudden change in the environment. Ensure that your plant receives indirect sunlight, but never place it at a place where it receives direct sunlight.
- Be vigilant about the health of your plant. Keep changing the water in the container regularly.
- When roots start developing on the stem, you can switch to a bigger transparent container.
- Always change the water at regular intervals to avoid stinking of the water.
Aren’t the steps super easy? Well obviously they are. Even a person with no information and experience about gardening can grow mint without facing any problems.
While the process of growing mints is a cake walk. There could be some issues that you may face while growing it. Let us address them too.
Also Read: Growing Broccoli from Cuttings
Problems That Can Be Encountered While Growing Mint
#1 Root rot – If you overwater you plant, or if your pot does not have good drainage holes, the roots are bound to get rotten. This will damage the overall health of your plant and could also kill your plant.
In order to avoid such a situation from damaging your plant completely, make sure that you are vigilant about your plants health and before watering your plant, check the texture of soil. If it is already humid, don’t add more water to it. Also check the pot before choosing it for the plantation of your mints. Confirm that your pot has proper holes for the drainage of excess water.
#2 Plant wilting- Stem wilting or plant wilting is a very common problem that gardeners face. It can occur if the plant is kept in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight is not at all suitable for mint plants and it can damage your plant’s health severely.
To avoid this situation, you just have to keep in mind that you do not keep your plant at a place where it will receive direct sunlight. Find a slightly shady place for keeping your pot or container.
The problems mentioned above are completely avoidable if you take into account a few precautionary measures. Let us get insights about the ways to avoid such problems from occurring.
Precautions To Be Kept in Mind While Growing Mint
- Do not keep your plant in direct sunlight. This point cannot be emphasized enough by me. Direct sunlight acts like a poison for mint plants. It severely damages the plant health. Always find areas which receive partial sunlight or indirect sunlight for planting mints. Especially during the initial days when you have just planted the stem and are awaiting the growth of roots, be extra careful about the amount of sunlight your mint plant receives.
- If you are planting your mint plant in soil, make sure that you check the level of nutrients in the soil. If there is any deficiency in your soil add fertilizers or compost to make up for it. The nutrients present in soil are a source of food for the soil, so a deficiency of nutrients would essentially mean scarcity of food for your plant. Therefore, do not let this situation occur.
- Mints are easy to grow and require minimal efforts. They can survive every weather condition, but one thing that they cannot stand is saturation. Confirm that your pot has good drainage holes otherwise the water will stay clogged in the pot and will adversely affect the health of four plants.
- Avoid over-watering. All of us care about our plants. We want to look after them and leave no stone unturned in ensuring our plant grows out to be healthy. In doing so, most of us often end up over-watering them and instead of helping them remain healthy, we become a cause of its bad health. Hence, always make sure that you water your plants only when it’s necessary.
- In case you have decided to plant your mint plant in water, make sure you choose a transparent container for the same. This will help you in keeping a regular check on the condition of the stem. You can also notice the growth of roots quickly. Once you notice growth, make sure you shift from a small container to a bigger one as now the roots will need space to spread and grow. Keep changing the water in the container regularly otherwise the water will turn yellow-ish and the condition of your plant will also get deteriorated.
Some other points to be considered while growing mints are mentioned below
- Mint plants grow very rapidly and spread at a very great pace. Hence always make sure that you plant it in a pot or container. Always create some boundary while growing mints otherwise it will cover all the area in your garden.
- Mints are available in different varieties including, peppermint, chocolate mint, spearmint, etc. If you are growing different varieties of mint, plant them separately. If you fail to do so, all of the different varieties will mix up together and hence the taste of mint will become repulsive.
Health benefits of consuming mint
- Mint is rich in vitamins and also has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It is known to treat indigestion. The consumption of mint boosts the production of digestive enzymes and thereby improves the digestion of the consumer.
- Mint improves the functioning of the brain. It improves hemoglobin level in our blood and thus enhances the brain functioning. Mint is also known to improve the alertness and memory power if the consumer.
- Mint aids weight loss. Even if you are planning to go on a low calorie diet, you can consume mint in various forms.
- Mint is a well known immunity booster. The anti bacterial and anti oxidant properties present in mint as well as the abundance of nutrients and irons make it a complete package which increases the immunity if the consumer.
- The soothing and aromatic smell of mint is a very good source of curing stress. Just by breathing around mint plants, you can control your stress hormones as it naturally calms your mind.
Conclusion
Mint is an excellent choice for growing natural herbs in your garden. It is abundantly rich in vitamins and is also very easy to grow. Growing mint from cuttings in your garden or kitchen will make sure that you never run out of mint supply.
Moreover, the health benefits it offers and the nutritional composition of mints makes it an appealing choice for gardeners to think about growing it. Start your plantation journey, by keeping in mind the points mentioned above and you will not face any challenges in growing mint, even if you are a first time gardener. Any gardener’s life can’t get simpler than this.
You don’t even need to buy a plant to start the plantation of mints. Just grab some healthy stems and you are done. You don’t even need to water the plant regularly. So, without thinking much, start your journey of planting mints in your garden.