If the mint in the bucket provided an invigorating pleasure with its leaves for over 2 years, it deserves a fresh treatment. Repotting into new substrate is just what the herb plant needs. We explain how to do it right.
How should you repot mint properly?
To repot mint correctly, you should cut back shoots in autumn or spring, shorten long rhizomes, set up drainage in the new pot and use nutrient-rich substrate. Check the water requirements of the mint regularly after repotting and water if necessary.
Proper preparation is the be-all and end-all
After 2 years of tireless growth, mints have developed an impressive stature. A bucket is completely rooted and the substrate has been leached. A larger planter is required, as is fresh potting soil. The best time for a complete renovation is autumn or spring. Before repotting the plant, the following preparation work is recommended:
- cut back all shoots close to the ground
- Unpot the mint to shorten rhizomes that are too long with a sharp knife
- In the new bucket, create a drainage system made of grit, pebbles or pottery shards above the water drain in the bottom
You can work boldly when cutting back the long roots. As long as at least 2 buds remain, the mint will sprout again.
How to repot correctly
The new substrate should be nutrient-rich, humus-rich and well-drained. Herbal soil (€6.00 at Amazon), which is enriched with sifted compost and horn shavings, is ideal. Alternatively, mix 1 part of garden soil with compost and add additives such as sand, perlite, coconut fiber or expanded clay. How to proceed:
- fill the lower third of the new pot with substrate
- Make a depression in it and insert the prepared mint
- fill with fresh soil so that the mint is not deeper than before
Press the soil a little and water generously. In the first few weeks after repotting, the water requirement turns out to be quite high. Ideally, you should carry out a thumb test every day so that you can water immediately if the soil has dried out.
Tips & Tricks
Mint in the bed should change its location every 3 years. The best time is in autumn when the ground is still warm from the sun. Use the spade to cut off the long rhizomes within a radius of 30 centimeters and lift the plant out of the ground. There should not have been any other mint in the new planting location in recent years. Optimize the soil with compost and plant the mint at the same depth as before.
