The pure breeding of your favorite mint can be done quickly and easily using offshoots. The result is vital young plants with exactly the same attributes of the mother plant. Find out about all the important steps in propagating cuttings here.
How do I grow cuttings from mint plants?
To grow mint cuttings, cut strong top cuttings (20 cm long) in early summer and remove the lower leaves. Place them in a glass of water in a partially shaded, warm place. After forming roots, plant the cuttings in soil.
This is how cuttings root in a water glass
The quality of the offshoots has a significant influence on the success of this form of vegetative propagation. In early summer, the mother plant has particularly strong shoots when it is about to bloom. Therefore, start the work on a dry day in June. How to do it right:
- cut the desired number of head cuttings with a length of 20 centimeters
- remove the leaves in the lower half of the shoot
- place in a glass with water in a warm, partially shaded location
The addition of a small piece of charcoal prevents the formation of rot. In addition, the water should be changed every 2-3 days. Every day now you can watch the cream-colored root strands sprout.
Planting rooted offshoots correctly
Once the root strands have reached a length of several centimeters, pot up your pupils. Use a bucket with a diameter of at least 30 centimeters if you want to cultivate mint on the balcony. Loose, compost-based herb or pot plant soil (€6.00 on Amazon) is suitable as a substrate. How to proceed step by step:
- Create a drainage system made of grit, pebbles or pottery shards above the water drain in the bottom of the pot
- fill the bucket halfway up with substrate
- make a hollow in it with a piece of planting wood
- insert the rooted offshoot up to the bottom pair of leaves and water
Place head cuttings immediately in the ground - this is how it works
As an alternative to the water glass method, stick the prepared cuttings directly into the bed soil in a partially shaded to sunny location. Beforehand, you carefully pulled out all the weeds and enriched the soil with compost or another organic fertilizer.
Use a wooden stick to pre-drill the planting hole so that the stem is not damaged. The top two pairs of leaves should still be visible. Place small supports in the ground around the young mint to prevent the plant from tipping over. The distance to other cuttings is around 50 centimeters. Be careful when watering to avoid washing out the cuttings.
Tips & Tricks
Always use offshoots without flowers. As soon as a mint shoot blooms, the plant has invested all of its energy into it. The growth force has weakened, so that rooting is either very hesitant or not at all.
