How to Propagate Curly Spearmint

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    Rhizome Division Propagation

    • 1). Divide curly spearmint plants in spring once outdoor temperatures reliably stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Make the rhizome divisions in the early morning hours while the plant's sap is running low.

    • 2). Select a portion near the edge of the plant measuring 4 inches square, or choose one that has at least three healthy stems with several sets of foliage. Avoid divisions with too much foliage since the plant will expend its energy trying to maintain the leaves instead of growing a healthy root system.

    • 3). Spread the stems away from the main plant to expose the soil between it and the offshoot. Insert a trowel into the soil between the curly spearmint offshoot and the parent plant.

    • 4). Work the trowel around the edge of the desired division at a depth of 3 inches. Slide the point of the trowel under the roots and rhizomes. Pry the division out of the ground.

    • 5). Plant the rhizome division in a prepared bed with identical light and soil conditions to that of the parent plant. Make sure the base of the stems is flush with the surface of the soil and not lower than it. Water the curly spearmint division to a depth of 3 inches after planting and follow the regular watering routine of the parent plant after that.

    Cutting Propagation

    • 1). Take a 6-inch-long cutting from a healthy curly spearmint plant in spring before the plant begins to form flower buds. Look for a thick stem with a cluster of leaves near the tip. Sever the cutting at an angle using floral snips.

    • 2). Pinch off the leaves from the lower two-thirds of the curly spearmint cutting to expose the leaf nodes. Insert the cutting halfway into a small pot filled with a mixture of two parts garden soil and one part perlite. Press the soil tight against the stem.

    • 3). Water the curly spearmint cutting with 1/4 cup of water. Let the water drain from the bottom of the pot.

    • 4). Place the pot inside a large plastic bag or under a clear plastic propagation dome to hold heat and moisture around the curly spearmint cutting. Remove the bag or dome for one hour each day to allow trapped moisture to evaporate.

    • 5). Set the potted curly spearmint cutting outdoors in dappled shade or indoors near a window with bright, diffuse light. Remoisten the soil every week to maintain constant moisture at the base of the cutting.

    • 6). Check for roots in three weeks. Remove the plastic bag or propagation dome once roots have formed. Keep the plant in the pot for two months before planting it outdoors in a permanent bed.

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