Lady Lee's Home

Grow, Preserve, and Cook Your Own Food

  • Gardening
  • Preserving
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • About Lady Lee

How to Grow Mint From Cuttings

by Lee 22 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy for details.

Please share this content if you like it. Thank You!

3597shares
  • Facebook 78
  • Email
  • Print

In this tutorial, we will learn how to grow mint from cuttings. Mint is a very simple plant to grow that you can enjoy year round. If you plant it in a container, you’ll be able to bring it indoors for the winter and as long as you provide it with good lighting it will keep growing. There is nothing like a cup of hot tea with fresh mint and some honey when it’s super cold outside! Let me show you how to propagate mint. 

 

I have three plants from the mint family growing in my garden: spearmint, peppermint, and lemon balm. The pictures below are from the garden I had when we lived in town. Now that we are in the country, I keep my mint in containers.

They were super easy to move! I didn’t have to dig the plants that I had in the garden in town, instead, I just started new plants from cuttings like you will see below.

I grow them mainly for tea, but I also add spearmint to salads. My tea is very simple… Boiling water, a spring of mint, and half a teaspoon of honey. No tea bag.

 

How to Grow Mint From Cuttings

Let me show you in a step by step picture tutorial how to grow mint from cuttings. Propagating mint is very easy. You can have a mint plant by next week! #howtogrowmintfromcuttings #growingmint #propagatingmint

Of course you can get a small mint plant at the local plant nursery, but if you know of someone that has mint in their garden, or if you come across a mint plant somewhere all you have to do is grab a couple of stems and you are on your way to having your own mint plant. I’ll show you how easy propagating mint is.

 

What Does it Mean to Propagate Mint?

Propagating is an easy and simple way to get more plants from ones you already have (or someone else has…) by rooting a stem of the mother plant. 

Propagating ensures that the plant you get is identical to the mother plant. There are a few different ways to propagate plants and the technique you’ll choose will depend on the kind of plant you are going to propagate. Mint is very simple to propagate by rooting a stem cutting of the mother plant.  

 


 

Mint Varieties…

There are so many varieties of mint! You can choose from spearmint, peppermint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, ginger mint, lavender mint and on and on…

In the mint family, called Lamiaceae, you’ll find many other herbs like lemon balm, oregano, lavender, basil, bee balm, catnip, basil, marjoram, rosemary, and more. 

Many of those plants can be propagated in the same way I’ll show here but I find that it’s a bit harder with other plants (like oregano and rosemary for example). Mint, by far, is the easiest plant I ever grew from cuttings. 

 

Growing Mint…

Spearmint growing in the garden

Spearmint

Mint grows best in rich soil that is high in organic matter. Mint loves a moist environment, however, the soil has to have good drainage.

 

Peppermint growing in the garden.

Peppermint

You can plant mint in full sun or a partially shady location in the garden. All types of mint spread vigorously, so make sure to give them enough room or simply plant them in containers. 

 

Lemon balm is growing in the garden.

Lemon Balm

In fact, growing mint in a container might be a good idea anyway even if you have enough room for it in the garden because it will take over the garden (especially spearmint and peppermint). It’s also a good idea because then you can move it indoors in the winter (here are 10 tips for growing herbs in containers).  

I am gardening in zone 7B, and as you can see, my mint was planted in the garden but it was a small garden for the mint family only. 

Mint actually loves the cooler temperatures (50 – 60 F), but as the temperatures drop, I keep piling dry leaves on the plants (here is information about leaf mold, leaf mulch, and leaf compost). At the end of the winter, they look pretty bad and I often wonder if they are going to be able to recover, but they always do.

If you plant your mint in a pot, you can easily move it indoors in the winter and place it by a sunny window. It will keep growing just fine and you’ll get fresh mint year around (here are 8 herbs you can grow indoors). 

So now let’s see how you can easily start your own mint plant…

 

Growing Mint From Cuttings (in Other Words Propagating Mint)…

How to grow mint from cuttings1. Cut a stem of mint – Find a nice looking mint plant. It doesn’t matter if it grows inside or outside or if it grows in the ground or in a pot. You are just looking for a healthy, green, vibrant plant.

Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut a stem of new growth, about 4 inches long…

 

Mint cuttings

2. Clean lower leaves – clean the lower leaves from the cutting so you are left with an inch of bare stem. Use the leaves you removed to make a hot or cold cup of tea!

 

Mint cuttings rooting in a glass of water 3. Place cutting in water – place your mint cutting in a glass of water on the kitchen counter or another well-lit location in your house, a window sill will work great.

I usually have this glass of water on the kitchen counter to use for tea. I prefer keeping the plants alive like that than storing them in the refrigerator.

If you ever bought mint at the grocery store in one of those flat plastic containers and placed the container in the fridge, you probably noticed that the mint turns black pretty quickly. It’s because it doesn’t like the low temperatures. It’s much better to take it out of the container and place the stems in a glass of water instead. They might even root for you.

 

Mint cuttings roots in water 4. Change the water – change the water every couple of days to keep things fresh. You’ll start seeing roots in just a few days (usually around 5 – 7 days).

 

Mint cuttings with roots.  5. Remove your mint cutting from the water – once the mint cutting has established roots at least half an inch long, you can remove it from the water and plant it.

 

A container for growing mint.6. Plant your cuttings – it depends on what you are planning to do with your mint plant. If you just want it to establish in soil and then move it to the garden, you can use a small pot (3-4 inches). Maybe one of those Cow Pots that you can plant in the soil so transplanting to the garden is easier.

It’s better to let it establish a bit before you plant it in the garden, but mint is a pretty strong plant so if you really want you can try planting it in the garden right away.

I’ve decided to keep this peppermint that I am planting in a pot so I can move it indoors in the winter, so I am using a 6” pot. You can go as large as you want with the size of the container. As long as your mint is happy, it will keep spreading according to the size of the container it’s in.

So once you choose a pot, fill it with good potting soil. Most potting soils have fertilizer mixed in them so you should be good for the first six months or so. If you go with organic potting soil (or if you just want to give your plant extra food) you can add some worm castings. I used to raise red worms so I added my worm castings but now I get my castings on Amazon. This is, in my openion the best organic plant food there is!

Once your pot is filled with potting soil, stick a pencil in the center of the pot and move it around to create a hole like in the picture above.

 

Planting mint in container.

Plant your rooting mint in the hole. Be careful not to break the roots.

 

Mint plant in a pot. How to mint from cuttings. Pack the soil around the plant and water well.

Place it in a well-lit location in your house, on the porch or in the garden somewhere. Keep the soil moist until you see new growth, then you can water when the soil feels dry (once or twice a week).

 

This is a great gardening chore for the winter. By the time spring rolls around you’ll have nice mint plants to plant in the garden. Also, if you start this five weeks or so before the holidays, you can give a potted herb as a gift. Plant it in a cute, small pot, or let your kids decorate a small clay pot, plant the cutting, wait for it to establish, add a nice ribbon around the pot and you have an awesome gift.

I love mint and enjoy growing it very much. It’s one of those plants that you just can’t kill. You don’t need to pay much attention to it once it’s established, just water it once in a while. I’ve never had pests bother my mint. I also love that once your plant takes off the more you harvest the more it grows.

If you are still looking for more information, here is a great post from  Traditional Cooking School on this same subject.

~Lady Lee~

 

 

Posted on September 11, 2018 · Last updated June 3, 2020 · Growing Herbs

« How to Make Ricotta From Whey
Why And How to Make Corn Silk Tea »

Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Carmen bissonnette says

    December 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Love you page, try for the mint information, any other ideas..?

    Reply
  2. Julyan says

    September 28, 2016 at 4:12 am

    Very nice ,easy to understand
    I will try the min in water

    Reply
  3. shafar taib says

    October 14, 2016 at 5:21 am

    Thanks good info

    Reply
  4. priya says

    February 20, 2017 at 3:28 am

    Thanks for ur information.

    Reply
  5. mona says

    February 22, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    I placed my mint in water ( sink, non filtered) and it wilted. Should I add something to the water ?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      February 24, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      The same thing happened to me when I did it with mint I got at the store (did you get yours at the store or did you cut it from another plant?). I left mine in the water by a sunny window and after a couple of days it came back to life. Four or so days later it had an inch or so roots.

      Reply
  6. Bilal Amjad says

    August 20, 2017 at 7:53 am

    What maximum temperature mint can grow in? I have above 86 degrees F here in summers.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      August 21, 2017 at 6:53 am

      It can tolerate high temperatures but it will need more water. 85F is perfect (it’s not that hot at all).

      Reply
  7. Heather Thomas says

    April 4, 2018 at 11:54 pm

    Is it better to put the mint cuttings in a clear glass or is a white ceramic pot ok?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      April 5, 2018 at 5:38 am

      Doesn’t matter what you put it in. I just used the clear cup so I can show the roots growing.

      Reply
  8. Itzel says

    May 12, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Do you have any more tips on transplanting the cutting to soil? I am always successful in getting my cuttings to root, but I have never had success with it being transplanted into soil. Not sure what I am doing wrong.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Lee says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:18 am

      Transplant when it is on the cool side outside, not in the middle of the day when the sun is strong. It’s better in the early afternoon. Make sure you water well and mulch with straw. In my experience mulching with straw makes the difference between a live transplant and a dead one. The mulch keeps the soil moist and soft. I tried wood chips and leaves too in the past but it seems to me like the plants prefer the straw. Then, just make sure to water well for a couple of weeks until the plant is past the transplant shock.

      Reply
  9. The Bathtub Diva says

    November 4, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    Thanks Lady Lee!

    I just shared this post on my site (with a thank you and link back to you!)
    https://www.thebathtubdiva.com/peppermint-power/

    All the best to you!

    The Bathtub Diva

    Reply
    • Lee says

      November 4, 2018 at 2:47 pm

      Thank you! You have a wonderful blog too bad I don’t have a bathtub!!

      Reply
  10. Rebekah says

    June 15, 2019 at 1:16 am

    Mint does grow rapidly and can become an invasive plant! What I did is take (10!!) approx. 8 inch pots, the black, thin kind that small bushes and plants come in from the summer nursery or even Walmart! You can usually find these throw away type pots empty & in piles at your local nursery for nearly free, just ask.
    Planted a good starter of any mint in good soil in the pots, dug a hole to accept the pot in the location you want your mint, and these plants stay self contained growing to actual 2 foot high! by 3 foot wide mint BUSHES! And this way do not take over your garden and yard.
    I plant my mint bushes all around the patio and anywhere I want to deter most any bugs! Awesome stuff!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      June 16, 2019 at 3:02 pm

      Yes, it’s a great plant as long as you know how to control it. I also grow mine in a container now.

      Reply
  11. Flip says

    September 10, 2019 at 4:33 pm

    Lady Lee, That was an outstanding essay on mint! Am in process of “relocating” a mixed bed of spearmint & choc. mint by the cutting, rooting, potting–>sunnier bed in the garden. Loved your easy-going style mixed with intellectual depth on the subject of mint plants. Very helpful and also inspiring. Thank you, Flip

    Reply
    • Lee says

      September 10, 2019 at 10:23 pm

      Thank you for the kind words! I love mint, happy you found this helpful.

      Reply
  12. Yeshey says

    May 4, 2020 at 12:59 am

    Under what type of stem cutting does the spearmint falls?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      May 4, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      I am not sure that I understand your question… You can start spearmint the same exact way that you’ll start mint.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 12 Aromatic Indoor Plants that Purify Air Naturally - Just another WordPress site says:
    August 20, 2018 at 1:05 am

    […] Image Source […]

    Reply
  2. How to Grow a Mint Plant From Cuttings – A Step-by-Step Picture Tutorial - Survival Patch says:
    September 23, 2018 at 6:57 pm

    […] How to Grow a Mint Plant From Cuttings – A Step-by-Step Picture Tutorial […]

    Reply

Follow me on...

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Hi! I’m Lee Traister, a.k.a Lady Lee. I help homesteaders simplify their homesteading journey while still producing a ton of food! I am a single mother of four, I was born in Israel and raised in an agricultural commune called a Kibbutz. Now I homestead in central NC.

Learn More About Me…

Search Lady Lee’s Home…

Featured Posts…

How to Preserve Whole Lemons

Where to Plant a Vegetable Garden

Cheesemaking Equipment That You Need!

How to Can Meat

Simple Strawberry Bread (VIDEO)

Canning Chicken Step by Step

Standard Disclosure

In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
FTC Disclosure
Privacy Policy

Medical Disclosure

All materials and statements provided on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be taken as a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health care professional for any questions you may have regarding your symptoms or medical conditions and before taking any home remedies or supplements. The statements on this web site have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Amazon Associate Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2021 · Lady Lee's Home · All Rights Reserved