Sowing & Growing

Germinating peppermint seeds indoors, six weeks before the last frost, allows you to get a head start on growing peppermint in your home garden, but it can be very challenging. Plant your peppermint seedlings outdoors in early spring and reap their tasty harvest all summer and into the fall.

Fill a seed tray with potting soil. Gently tap the seed tray on a hard surface to flatten and evenly distribute the soil. Moisten the potting soil lightly with a watering can.

Sow the mint seeds 1/4 inch deep in the moist potting soil. Place one or two peppermint seeds in each section of the seed tray. Water the peppermint seeds lightly. The potting soil should be damp, but not too soggy. Cover the seed tray with plastic wrap or plastic film designed for seed trays, which is available at most gardening supply stores.

Place the seed tray in a sunny and warm place indoors. Peppermint germinates in soil that maintains a temperature of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprouts usually begin to emerge between seven and 14 days after planting. Water the seeds every few days to keep the soil damp.Peel back the plastic wrap once seedlings begin to emerge from the soil. Keep the seed tray in a sunny and warm spot until early spring. Transplant the seedlings outdoors.