In this article, you will learn how to plant mint at home. And what is the planting season? Mint is used in many ways in Indian cuisine. Its fragrance enhances the taste of any food. This is the reason why most people grow it at their home.
Growing mint at home will give you fresh mint all the time, and also, it is a very fast-growing plant, and you can get multiple harvests from a single plant. Like coriander, mint can also be grown quickly at home. Not only this, it can be grown in many ways.
Some people develop it from seed, while some use cuttings. And some people grow it in water. When you buy mint from the market, after removing its leaves, collect the stalks in one place. Then, using these stalks, you can plant a mint plant.
It is remarkable that it only requires a little effort when we plant mint at home. The process of applying it is similar to that of coriander. Once you plant the stalk in a pot or on the ground, it must be exposed to water and sunlight. So let’s learn how to grow mint at home by cutting.
Mint Planting Season
Mint can be grown in any season throughout the year. But extreme cold can stunt the plant’s growth, so the best time to plant mint is in the spring or the months of February to April because plants get sufficient sunlight at this time.
You can plant a mint plant in many ways. Just like the seeds are planted directly in the pot or field, the mint plant is also grown through cuttings or stalks, and the mint plant is also planted directly by growing it in water, so let us know about all the methods of planting mint.
First of all, take mint seeds brought from the market or brought from someone else’s garden and soak it in water. Then, you apply them after soaking them in water for about 10 hours.
Preparing potting mix for mint is very easy. You can take soil from anywhere in the garden, which we call red soil, and add sand, cow dung manure, or vermicompost.
Choose the pot according to your need. Take a pot as big as the amount of mint you need. And cover the seeds lightly in the soil of the pot. Remember that whatever pot you take, drainage should be good in it, which means the holes in the bottom of the pot should be properly.
The soil needs to be moist until the seed germinates. This process takes about 10 to 15 days — plants grown from seed start growing within two months.
Mint can be quickly grown from cuttings. Mint cuttings take only a few days to develop roots. Then, you can plant the cuttings in soil or water.
Take a cutting from a mint plant and soak it in water. You apply them after soaking them in water for about 10 hours.
Now you take out the mint from the water, and you will see some cuttings with little roots coming out at the bottom. So you separate these cuttings and separate the cuttings without roots.
“Mint will overgrow from rooted cuttings, and you can use rooting hormone powder before planting unrooted cuttings. With the help of rooting hormone powder, roots are formed quickly in the cuttings, and the chances of plant growth increase.
While planting the cutting, keep in mind that you leave only two-four leaves at the top. Therefore, remove all the leaves from the bottom.
Now fill the potting mix pot and add water to it. After soaking the water, make small holes in the soil with the help of a stick.
Put different cuttings of mint in these holes. If you are planting rooted cuttings, then plant them directly, but if the cuttings do not have roots, then first put them in rooting hormone powder and then plant them.
After planting the cuttings, water them once again. Keep these pots in a place without direct sunlight, but it is not completely dark either.
Keep spraying water on them regularly, and after a week, you will see that these cuttings have started turning into plants.
Mint is one such plant that can be easily grown in water without soil. This method is straightforward.
For this, you need a plastic box or basket, etc. You can take a transparent plastic jar for this.
First, make several holes in the lid of this box with the help of a sharp object.
Now take mint cuttings, and keep in mind that the stems of the cuttings you are taking should not be completely green. Instead, the color of the branches should be slightly grayish-brown.
Now wash these cuttings in the water and remove all the leaves from the bottom side. Only four leaves should remain on top.
If you want, you can also put these cuttings in rooting hormone powder and then plant them.
Now put the different cuttings in the holes made in the lid.
You have to change the water of the jar every three to four days and keep it in a place where there is shade and it does not get direct sunlight.
In about ten days, your cuttings will grow and have roots coming out from the bottom.
When the mint grows very fast, pluck its leaves, remove its stalk, wash it with clean water, and keep it in an air-tight plastic bag. Now put the thali in the freezer, it can be kept safe for months, and you can use it anytime.
Mint Plants Care
Mint plants require care. Plant care methods are given below. These are as follows –
Sunlight
A sufficient amount of sunlight is required for the excellent development of mint plants, so plant the plants in a place where the plants can get at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily.
The mint plant grows well in loamy soil with good drainage. The pH value of the soil should be around 6-7 for plant growth. You can use potting soil containing all the mint plant’s nutrients.
water for mint plant
Keep the soil in the pot moist, but don’t over-wet the soil, as over-wetting the soil can make the soil soggy, stunting the plant’s root development and resulting in plant death. On the other hand, if the soil feels dry about an inch down, water your plants appropriately. If you notice wilting mint leaves, it is usually a sign that the plant needs water. You can water the plants in the morning or evening between 4 to 5 pm.
You can give organic fertilizers like old cow dung manure, vermicompost, rock phosphate, bone meal, neem cake, etc., to the plants for the growth of mint plants.
Mint plant pruning
Mint plants grow faster by pruning. Pluck the leaves as per your requirement. Only harvest up to 1/3 of the leaves at a time. You pluck as many mint leaves as you need at a time.
Q1. What are the three methods to grow mint (pudina) at home?
Ans. The three methods to grow mint (pudina) at home are:
1. Growing from seeds
2. Growing from cuttings
3. Growing from roots
Q2. When is the best time to grow mint?
Ans. The best time to grow mint is in the spring or fall, when the temperatures are cooler and more moderate.
Q3. What type of soil is best for growing mint?
Ans. Mint grows best in moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal for growing mint.
Q4. How much water does mint need?
Ans. Mint needs to be watered regularly to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. It’s important to not let the soil dry out completely between waterings.
Q5. How much sunlight does mint need?
Ans. Mint grows best in partial shade, but it can also tolerate full sun as long as it’s not too hot. It’s best to provide some shade during the hottest part of the day.
Q6. How long does it take for mint to grow?
Ans. Mint can take anywhere from 7 to 10 days to germinate from seeds, and about 2 to 3 weeks to root from cuttings. Once established, mint can grow rapidly and reach a height of 1 to 2 feet in just a few months.
