Peppermint is a total staple for home gardeners, whether you’ve got a sprawling backyard bed, a sunny patio, or just a few pots on your balcony. There’s nothing quite like picking those first aromatic leaves in early spring! To get the best flavor, you’ll want to harvest before the plant starts to flower. However, if you’re looking to grow more plants for next year, you’ll need to let a few stems grow out and bloom.
The Peppermint Bloom
Right around early summer—usually starting in June—you’ll notice the first blossoms appearing. They grow in little clusters (called panicles) and feature tiny flowers in shades of white-pink or light violet. Once your mint starts blooming, it’s actually best to stop harvesting the leaves. The plant is putting all its energy into the flowers, which means the essential oils in the leaves drop off and the flavor isn’t nearly as strong. These flowers are a hit with pollinators, and by early fall, the seeds will be ripe and ready for anyone wanting to try their hand at sowing them next season.
Harvesting the Seeds
The best time to harvest is once the flowers have completely dried out. You can simply pick the dry flower heads and gently shake them over a kitchen towel—the tiny seeds should fall right out. Store them in a dry spot, ideally in a tin or a paper bag, until you’re ready to plant.
If you want to be a bit more methodical about it, try this method:
- Wait until the flowers have been pollinated and start turning brown.
- Cut the stems with the brown flower heads.
- Lay the stems out on a white cloth (this makes it way easier to spot the tiny seeds when they drop).
- Keep the stems in a warm, dry place.
- Once the stems are fully dried, the seeds will naturally fall out of the blossoms.
Just a heads-up: home-harvested mint seeds can be a little finicky when it comes to germination. It’s a good idea to collect as many as possible to increase your chances of success. Of course, if you want a specific variety or a guaranteed sprout, buying seeds from a garden center is a great shortcut. Plus, you’ll find a much wider selection of cool mint varieties there!
If you decide to just buy your seeds, you can snip off the flower buds before they even open. This keeps those delicious essential oils concentrated in the leaves, allowing you to harvest flavorful mint all summer long. You can then dry your harvest or freeze it to keep your mint supply going strong until next year’s crop is ready.
