How to Plant Mint From Another Leaf

The edible leaves of mint (Mentha spp.) provide a versatile kitchen herb that works well in both savory dishes and sweet desserts. The perennial herb grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. Although you can start mint from seeds, it grows most readily from cuttings taken from an existing healthy plant just as new growth appears in spring. These cuttings, which have a few leaves and a portion of the stem, produce their own root system when planted properly.

Compost
Peat
Vermiculite
5-inch pot
Shears
Bleach
Rooting hormone
Plastic bag
Spray bottle

Instructions

- 1
  Mix equal parts peat, vermiculite and sterile compost. Place the mixture in a 5-inch diameter pot with a bottom drainage hole. Water the mixture until it feels moist and excess water drains from the pot bottom.
- 2
  Cut a 4-inch stem from the mint, using small shears sterilized in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Select a stem with two or three healthy leaves.
- 3
  Strip the bottom leaves from the stem, leaving only the leaves near the tip of the stem. Dip the cut end of the stem in water and dip it into a powdered rooting hormone, completely coating the cut stem end with the hormone.
- 4
  Push the stem into the prepared potting medium, burying the bottom half to third of the stem so only the top leaves are above the soil surface. Place multiple cuttings in the pot, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart in all directions.
- 5
  Mist the soil surface with water to moisten it. Place a clear plastic bag over the pot, arranging it so it doesn't touch the leaves on the mint cuttings. Set the pot in a warm room in an area that receives bright but indirect light.
- 6
  Water the soil if the top one-half inch begins to dry. Monitor the cutting for signs of new leaf growth and remove the bag as soon as it appears. Mint can take up to four weeks to root.

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