Peppermint (Organic)
Southern Cross Certified Organic seed (SXC cert 26065)
Mentha × piperita
Packet: 200 seeds
Grown from seed: true peppermint is a sterile hybrid that is normally grown from cuttings, so seed-raised plants vary in scent, flavour and habit. Pick out the best-smelling seedling and grow more plants from its cuttings.
Peppermint is a vigorous perennial with dark green leaves and a sharp, cooling menthol scent. It is the strongest of the common mints and the one most people reach for in tea. Like all mints it travels, so a pot is your friend.
Sowing
Surface sow or barely cover with 2 to 3mm of fine mix, as the seed needs light. Germination takes 10 to 21 days at 20 to 25°C and can be uneven. Space plants 30 to 45cm apart, or one plant per 25cm pot.
When to Sow - Australian Climate Zones
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Cool & Mountain: September to March
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Temperate: August to April
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Subtropical: March to September
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Tropical: April to July (cooler, drier months)
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Arid & Semi-arid: March to May and August to October
Care
Grow in part shade in soil kept moist. Mint spreads by underground runners and will take over a bed given the chance, so grow it in a large pot or sink a barrier around it. Cut it back hard after flowering and it comes away fresh.
Harvest
Pick sprigs from about 10 to 12 weeks, cutting stems above a leaf pair so the plant branches. The oils are strongest just before flowering, so that is the time to cut for drying.
Sold as seed for home garden growing only. We do not sell this as a food, a tea, a herbal preparation or a medicine, we give no preparation or dosage instructions, and we make no health claim of any kind. Any historical information is offered as garden history only. Seek advice from a qualified health practitioner before using any plant.