MaxMustermann wrote:
Hi all,

Some couple of months ago I cut a number stems from my mint plant and
placed them in water. After a few weeks, white roots started growing.
The intention being to replant the mint in other places.

Well, the first plant I planted grew and is doing fine. I did this
before winter. The next plants I placed in pots (indoors) just died
away.

Is it the wrong time of year to do this procedure or am I doing
something wrong?

Thanks,
Max


It's often difficult for cuttings to survive being potted if they were
rooted in water. The survival is much better if you start them in a
potting mix.

I find the best mix for cuttings is a 50-50 mix of peat moss and
"washed" plaster sand. This is the basis of my regular potting mix
described at http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_potting_mix.html.
However, for cuttings, I omit the compost and omit ALL nutrients. While
compost contains many beneficial micro-organisms, it also contains some
that can cause cuttings to rot. Nutrients are not needed until good
root growth is achieved and the cut heals; before then, nutrients can
also promote rot. In any case, mint will thrive in a "lean" mix without
many nutrients, although some nitrogen is needed if you harvest the mint
frequently.

Finally, there is the problem of growing mint indoors. Mint is really
not a house plant. In the winter, heating a home can make the air too
dry. Mint requires a lot of water, in both the soil and the air.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/