The peppermint that experienced the massive leaf drop is recovering. I was so suprised because there were literally nothing left but green sticks. I put a lamp with a CFS bulb next to it and now it's starting to put out leaves again. I'm very happy about that because I love having mint growing in the house.

I got some chocolate mint seed from a friend and I'm thinking about planting some. I know it doesn't grow true to the parent plant but I figured I'd just give it a shot to see what came up. I'm a curious little thing lol.

Peppermint will come up strong and new from the roots. You can cut it down to the soil level and it'll be back.

Tammy, the chocolate mint does sort of the same thing. I'm new at it of course... dug some out of various generous folks' beds, potted it up in containers, and have brought them in.

The die-back comes and goes in phases it seems. Sometimes it will look like it's all dead, but then here come sprigs up from the dirt, or sometimes from the dead-looking stems - just like Deborah L says. I haven't been able to identify the trigger(s). I have a tendency to overwater (just ask my gazania), so that's a possibility.

I'm going to plant one of them outside in a "safe" place (= buried bucket) tomorrow, just to see what happens to that one.

Thankyou for telling me about the pruning. That would probably make it thicker and prettier to look at. Right now I have to say it looks a little scraggly lol.