How to Plant Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a pungent herb and low-growing ground cover. A member of the Labiatae family, pennyroyal is closely related to mint. The spreading nature of this frost-hardy perennial makes it a good ground cover in temperate and subtropical gardens. Grow pennyroyal in a sunny herb garden or use it in the semishade of a shrub bed or border area. Plants grow 8 to 12 inches tall. Pennyroyal is a low-maintenance plant. Grow your own from seed, or pick up starts at a nursery. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Seed-starting tray
- Peat moss
- Grit
- Potting soil
- 3-inch pots
- Trowel
- Shovel
Instructions
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1
Prepare a seed-starting tray six to eight weeks before the last frosts. Fill the tray with a damp mixture of equal parts grit, loamy potting soil and peat moss.
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2
Place the pennyroyal seeds on the potting mix one inch apart. Keep the seeds at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Look for signs of germination in 10 to 15 days. Moisten the mixture with a spray bottle when it begins to dry out on top.
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3
Transplant pennyroyal seedlings into 3-inch pots when they develop two true leaves. The first set of true leaves follows the first leaves called "seed leaves." Fill the pots with quality potting soil. Lift the seedlings out of the seed flat and plant them in the pots.
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4
Water the pots until the potting soil is thoroughly damp and place the seedlings in filtered shade between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
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5
Transplant pennyroyal seedlings into the garden when the last frost has passed. Young unestablished seedlings are particularly frost sensitive.
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Plant pennyroyal in soil with high organic matter and good drainage. It grows in a soil pH range of 4.8 to 8.3. A site that gets full sun or part shade is suitable.
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7
Dig the planting holes 2 inches wider and as deep as the starter pots. Slide the pennyroyal seedling out of the starter pot and place it in the hole. Handle the seedling by the base of the stem and the root ball.
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Adjust the pennyroyal seedling so the base of the stem is level with the natural soil line. Push the extra soil back around the roots and pat it down with your hand. Soak the planting area until it is damp 6 inches deep.
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9
Space multiple pennyroyal plants six inches apart. Keep the soil damp throughout the growing season. Water once or twice a week or when the top inch of soil dries out, soaking the soil to a depth of 6 inches.
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Tips & Warnings
Pennyroyal grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9.
References
Resources
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