GrowLog
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Multi-Generation Peppermint and Spearmint Grow

Grow log by serri588 · Original thread

5 visual updates7 photos20 replies
View recap
CropPeppermint, spearmint, catnip, chamomile, bergamot, hyssop
Variety-
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics, water-rooted cloning
EquipmentAeroGarden Ultra
Plants-
AudienceAdvanced

What you can learnA long mint diary with valuable information on cloning, compact pruning, leaf-harvest strategy, recovery from neglect, and catastrophic pump failure.

Actions:3 Planting3 Pruning1 Harvest
Useful practices
  • pruning peppermint to encourage bushiness
  • rooting cuttings in water
  • maintaining multiple cloned generations
  • plucking large leaves while retaining branching stems
  • checking pump operation after maintenance
Problems encountered
  • failed early plant positions
  • competition between mint plants
  • neglect before a conference
  • pump left unplugged after cleaning

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 149
UPDATE#5
Grower update

Update #5

Actions taken

PruningPerformed a major trim and removed stems and yellow leaves after neglect.

S By serri588

These poor plants got horribly neglected while I was prepping for a conference. I had a lot of trimming to do.Post haircut:What I hacked off:Even after pulling out the stems and yellow leaves, that's a lot of mint:
Conversation
M
MaryL

That’s quite a haul.

S
Shawn

I agree! That is a lot!

S
serri588

I'm filling up a pickle jar with dried peppermint, though I'm betting I'll need two or three jars before I get enough to get a decent amount of oil. I'm really hoping I get something usable out of this. I'm seriously in love with peppermint scented things. I just planted some lavender, and I need to plant myself a eucalyptus bush, and then I will be a very happy girl.

M
MaryL

.

S
serri588

I did a dumb and forgot to plug the pump back in after a cleaning. It did not work out well. They really tried, but they all ended up dying off. I am going to try to restart from seed and I have a couple healthy cuttings that might root for me.

S
Shawn

I hate when that happens. And I think it has happened to all of us at just that wrong time. Sorry.

Day 135
UPDATE#4
Grower update

Update #4

Actions taken

PlantingMaintained third-generation mint plants cloned from the original.
PruningPruned stems that crowded neighbours and removed tops to prevent flowering.
HarvestHarvested large leaves while retaining stems for branching.

S By serri588

Some of these are now in their third generation cloned from the original plant. There is only one spot open, and I have another trimming happy and healthy in water. I just need to wait for it to root and I'll have all 9 slots planted.I'm trying a new harvest strategy. I'm going to continue pruning stalks where one plant starts hogging space from another and trimming tops to prevent flowers. However, as leaves get big, I'm plucking them off the stalk so that the stalk can continue to branch out. Not sure if this is going to increase yield, but it does seem to be producing more compact plants.
Conversation
M
MaryL

Fun that you have cloned so many.

Day 33
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

Not archivedOpen original URL

Actions taken

PruningPruned peppermint repeatedly to encourage bushier growth and reduce competition.

S By serri588

I've been hacking away at the peppermint pretty liberally, trying to get it to bush a bit as well as giving the spearamint time to catch up. The spearmint has a few true leaves now, so it won't be long.
Conversation
J
jcosmo

Looking good! A lot better than my peppermint, though I haven't been pruning it at all... will need to start doing that.

D
drbanks

I've always wanted to grow some of that, and even have the seeds.Yours looks wonderful and offers me encouragement.

S
Shawn

One of the reasons I bought an AG for my daughter, so she can grow mint. Looks great!

S
serri588

Didn't grab a pic of this one either, but the peppermint is now in it's second generation from cuttings from the first plant. I want to try to make peppermint oil, so I'll need a lot more plants. It does seem a lot happier in the tall machine with more space to grow.

Day 11
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

Actions taken

PlantingPlanted spearmint in the front-right position.

S By serri588

I got my hands on some spearmint seeds during my last Home Depot trip, so that is now in the front right. The two I had in the back left didn't take, but the chamomile is doing well. I think I can get away with leaving it in the harvest for a bit yet before I transplant it to one of the farms.
Conversation
M
MaryL

They’re looking good.

J
jcosmo

Which one is the catnip? I've wanted to grow it, but I'm afraid my cats would eat it as soon as it has a few leaves!

S
serri588

The catnip got transplanted to the left side Harvest 1 this past week, so the most recent picture in that thread has it.It really depends on the cats, some aren't that interested in it, so you would be fine, but I'm sure others would destroy it. My mom used to grow cat grass, and I think she kept a clear plastic dome on it until it got well enough established. It was much larger than the AG ones and did vent a bit to let the moisture out. After that, the cats kept it well pruned but didn't completely destroy it.

Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

Actions taken

PlantingAdded more tiny catnip seeds to the sponge.

S By serri588

Patriot seeds. The peppermint has a few leaves now. I had to add a couple seeds to the catnip (they are super tiny) but now it is just below the top of the sponge.The plants in the back of the machine are chamomile, bergamot and hyssop. They are larger bush-type herbs, so once they get a bit larger they'll go in my last farm.
Conversation
M
MaryL

Nice selection of herbs.

Enlarged photoClick outside the image to close