Growing: Peppermint

I've always loved growing my own plants and herbs. It comes from my fascination with permaculture and also stems from the fact that my grandmother and grandfather gave me my "green" thumbs and taught me a lot about plants and herbs and what herbs can do for you and your body. So naturally even if I'm currently living in Singapore, I decided to grow my own plants and herbs in pots.

And one of my favourite herbs to grow is peppermint. It's quite easy to grow and it grows pretty fast once it gets a good hold in the soil. So here are steps on how to grow and propagate peppermint (from cuttings).

Step 1

Cut a few stems from a "mother" plant. The cuttings should be around 2-4 inches in length. Remove the leaves from the bottom part of the cuttings, this is the area where the roots will eventually come out of.

Step 2

Place the cuttings in water and wait....

It took about a week for the cuttings' roots to appear. Plants and herbs differ, so just be patient and let nature do her thing.

Step 3

Once the cuttings have root networks, it's ready to be planted. Get a pot and place some soil in it. It's best if the soil is the type that can retain moisture, since peppermints love water and moist conditions. Poke some holes in the soil and place the rooted cuttings in the soil. Place the potted peppermint in a spot that gets equal amounts of sun and shade.

*NOTE: Some people will say to wait for the most of the roots to be about 2 inches long before planting.

Peppermint grows quite well given the conditions it likes. Just water it from time to time and prun and cut it as well. Don't be worried peppermint benefits from the pruning, as it encourages new growth from the areas where it had been cut and makes the herb more lush and more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.