If your favorite mint presents bulging seed heads in autumn, the challenge of propagation by sowing is tempting. Here we provide you with all the important information you need to harvest and sow the seeds correctly.
How to harvest and sow mint seeds?
To harvest mint seeds, allow part of the plant to bloom, cut off wilted stems, and dry them. Then strip off the flowers and seed heads, sieve out the seeds and continue drying them. To sow in March, mix the seeds with bird sand, use a sterile substrate, barely cover the seeds and ensure a temperature of at least 20 degrees.
How to harvest seeds successfully
For a mint to produce brown herbaceous fruits, at least part of the plant should be allowed to bloom. Cut off the completely withered stems close to the ground and spread them out on newspaper to dry. After 1-2 days, start harvesting seeds:
- strip the flowers and seed heads over a bowl with your fingers
- grate the flower-seed mix between your palms
- sift the mixture repeatedly until the seeds remain
The fresh seeds dry for a few more days so that all residual moisture evaporates. Until the date of sowing next year, store the seed harvest in a dark screw-top jar in a cool cellar.
Sowing seeds in an exemplary manner – this is how it works
The best time for sowing mint seeds begins in March. Now take the seeds out of their dark container and mix them with a little bird sand to optimize their spreading ability. Peat sand, coconut fibers and seed soil (€10.00 on Amazon) from retailers are suitable as a substrate. Ideally, you should put it in the oven at 150-180 degrees for 30 minutes to sterilize it. Here's how to proceed:
- Fill seed containers with substrate and moisten with water
- sow the seed-sand mixture and press it on
- Do not screen the light germinators or screen them a maximum of 0.5 cm
- Put a plastic cover over it or place the containers in the indoor greenhouse
In order to increase the germination of mint seeds, a constant temperature of 20 degrees and more is required. Water the seeds regularly without causing waterlogging. There is no fertilization during this development phase. The cotyledons emerge within 14 to 16 days. The cover has then done its job.
Pricking from a height of 5 centimeters
Once the growth of mint seedlings gets going, it progresses quickly. From a height of 5 centimeters, the young plants are transplanted into individual pots in order to be planted out in the bed from mid-May.
Tips & Tricks
A new mint variety is conquering the hearts of hobby gardeners. When lightly touched, the cologne (Mentha piperita v.) exudes an invigorating scent that is reminiscent of the world-famous perfume from the Rhine.
