While you grow most culinary herbs from seed, peppermint is a little more difficult. Sowing takes longer compared to other propagation methods and is not always crowned with success. What you should consider when sowing.
Where to get Peppermint Seeds?
Seeds without a variety are available in the supermarket or hardware store. If you want to grow different types of peppermint in the garden, you should ask in the garden shop. Sometimes the neighbor can help out with special varieties.
You can get your own seeds if you let the peppermint bloom in the garden and simply shake out the ripe seeds in the fall.
Prefer peppermint on the window sill
Since peppermint needs a relatively high level of soil heat to germinate, it makes sense to grow it on the windowsill from February.
Prepare planters with potting soil for this. Do not scatter the seed too densely. You must not cover it, as it is a matter of light germs. Keep the seed nice and moist but not wet. Cover the jars with cling film, which you air out once a day to prevent mold from forming.
The first seedlings take between one and three weeks to appear. Do not plant out before mid-May, when the soil has warmed to about 15 to 18 degrees and the plants are large enough.
Sow outdoors
To sow peppermint outdoors, wait until mid-May. Lay out rows about 30 centimeters apart in the propagation bed or at the desired planting site. Spread the seed thinly.
After emergence, separate the plants about 15 centimeters apart. As soon as the peppermint has reached a height of about ten centimetres, place it in the desired location at a distance of 50 centimeters from other plants. You should prepare the soil beforehand:
- Loosen
- Remove compressions
- Possibly refine with sand
- pulling weeds
- Fold in compost when mature
tips and tricks
Since sowing peppermint can be quite time-consuming and tedious, you should use cuttings for propagation instead. A few stalks are often enough for this, which you can cut from a pre-grown plant from the garden store and root in a glass of water.
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