Mint tip cuttings

Organic Mint reproduction by tip cuttings

We use two methods to reproduce our range of organic mints. Root separation and tip cuttings. Root separation I do in Spring when the new shoots have started to push through. I find this method produces bigger mints faster, which are good to sell in mid Spring. Tips cuttings take longer, as the plant has to grow downwards before it has the strength to push up and out; it is better for Summer sales. The reason I do both is that there is a limit to the number of root cuttings I can take from each mother plant, but tip cuttings are much more numerous and the more you cut the more new tips push out.

All our organic mother plants we grow in half wine barrels, they are easier to lift out for root separation and they require more water than most of our other plants so a leaky hose does the rounds of all the mother plants.

I choose the strongest looking stems and cut them dead on a junction where the leaves grow, the growth hormone is concentrated at these points. I then carefully strip all but the top leaves. Be very gentle here as they are prone to snap. I fill a large pot full of Orgasyl, an organic soil from Frassinet that has both organic NPK and organic rooting hormones in the mix,  water well before adding the cuttings. I then find a shady place to let the new mint plants grow, it is important at this delicate stage that they remain damp and never dry up. In about four to six weeks check the underside of the pots for root growth. If you can see roots soak the pots, gently tip them up and separate the plants and place in their own pots. As the mints take their new home I keep an eye on them, if there is no sign of new emerging shoots around the pot then I clip off the tip of the stem, this usually gets the plants going.