How to Get More Peppermint Plants Out of One Plant

Cut the peppermint plant stems in half using a pair of hand pruners, which encourages new growth after division.

Dig up the peppermint plant by inserting a hand spade or shovel into the soil 6 inches away from the base of the plant. Lean back on the tool handle to lift the entire root ball out of the ground. If the peppermint plant is in a pot, turn the pot sideways to remove the root ball.

Open a sheet of newspaper on a flat surface and lay the peppermint plant on top of it.

Loosen the root ball with your fingers to knock off as much dirt as possible. Then place your thumbs into the center of the white roots and gently pull them apart. The mint plant will naturally fall apart into multiple sections as you do this.

Look for an outdoor planting site that receives direct sun and has damp but not soggy soil.

Dig a hole using a hand spade, making it only as deep as the white roots on each mint plant. In some cases, the hole may only be 2 to 3 inches deep.

Insert one clump of mint into each hole making sure that the green stems are completely above the soil and backfill the hole with soil. Press down firmly on the top of the soil so that the mint plant stands upright on its own.

Water the soil until it is damp to a 4- or 5-inch depth. Keep the soil constantly moist for the first week until the roots re-establish themselves and can suck up water from deeper in the soil.