By this time of summer, mint has typically taken over the garden – wherever it has been planted. In my garden, transplanting mint becomes an absolute must-do at this time.
Of course, it can occur throughout the season… and it really should, in order to stay on top of things…. but around here, it just has to be fit in as I can get to it.
Why Should We Transplant?
I absolutely love mint and all of the wonderful things that I can do with all my various cultivars, but to be honest, my favorite thing to do with mint is smell it! I walk past, regularly, run my hands through it and then stand there like a crazy woman, sniffing my hands. (It’s a good thing we don’t have neighbors that can watch me fondling my plants!)
There are soooo many awesome things that you can do with this wonderful herb! Of course, it is a wonderful ingredient in many scrumptious recipes, from entrees to desserts to drinks (think mojito!). But it also has its place in beauty and skincare developments and that’s not even mentioning the tremendous aromatherapy qualities.
A Few Simple Steps
Transplanting mint, or any plant within that family, is a very simple process. It is honestly just a matter of snipping off some cuttings, which I have to do because my plants will get completely out of control otherwise, and then rooting and placing them in their new home.
I like to get some cuttings for transplants when I am thinning my mints as well as when I am harvesting some of the leaves for drying and for recipes.
* Take cuttings from the growth of your plants. I like to mostly use the thicker stemmed veins but you can get a cutting from any part of the plant. Just make sure that it is at least 4 or so inches long.
- When you have your cuttings, you can give them a ‘leg-up’ by soaking their stems in water in order to help speed the rooting process.
- Pull off any leaves that are at the bottom of the stem which will be in the water. Setting them in a sunny window and changing their water regularly will help keep them healthy.
* Within about a week you will begin to see roots sprouting from the stem in the water. At this point you can transplant them into another container. (You can also plant them directly into the ground, but I don’t recommend that unless you are specifically wanting the mint to take over that area.
After Rooting
- I first dip the new roots into cinnamon to give them more of a rooting boost. (You can also use a ‘rooting powder’ if you like)
- I then plant them directly into a compost rich soil.
- Regular watering and good sun exposure will have your new mint plants growing and thriving in no time.
NEVER MISS A THING!!
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