Collect the seeds of peppermint flowers in early autumn. Leave the flowers to allow insects to pollinate them. You have to pay attention to this when you collect peppermint seeds to sow them in the garden or on the balcony.

The peppermint is blooming

The small white-pink flowers appear on the peppermint plant in June and July. Since the plant is at its most aromatic just before flowering, it is usually harvested beforehand.

If you want to collect seeds to reseed peppermint, you must leave the flowering shoots on the plant. Only then can fertilization take place.

  • Leave the flowering shoots
  • Cut faded shoots
  • Gently shake out the seeds
  • Store in paper bag

Harvest seeds from peppermint

When the plant has faded, you have two options for harvesting seeds.

Either leave the flower on the plant until the seeds are ripe. You can tell if they are ripe by the fact that they fall out of the dried flower at the slightest touch.

As a second option, cut the stems with the flower as soon as it has turned brown. Lay them loosely side by side on a paper towel that is as white as possible. This is the best way to see the dark seeds. Keep the cloth in a warm place to dry.

Gently shake out of the flower

Ripe seed easily detaches from the flower. All you have to do is shake it a little and the seeds will fall out. Therefore, only harvest with a light base.

Peppermint seeds germinate slowly and erratically, and sometimes not at all. Therefore, collect a lot of seeds so that later at least a few plants will grow from them.

Buy seeds in specialist shops

If you don't have peppermint plants in your garden yet, you can also buy the seeds. In the supermarket, the bags are offered cheaply. However, it is rarely noted on the bags which variety it is.

The garden trade offers a larger selection. Here you will find a wide variety of peppermint seeds for sowing.

tips and tricks

Instead of sowing peppermint, it is more promising to buy them in pots and plant them in the garden or take care of them on the balcony. Take cuttings from the plants if you want to propagate them.

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Category:

Vegetable garden