How to Grow and Care for Mint in Your Garden or on Your Windowsill (2024)

Mint is an extremely versatile herb—it can be used for cooking, as a pest repellent, and to attract pollinators, like bees and butterflies. There are about 600 mint varieties, but spearmint and peppermint are the most commonly planted. No matter the type you choose to grow and harvest, you'll find that the herb's adaptability and resilience makes it easy to grow and cultivate, even for novice gardeners. In fact, it's so easy to grow that it often takes over anywhere it's planted—which is why it's important to know how to properly care for the herb to prevent it from disrupting other plants growing in your landscape if you do choose to plant it outdoors.

How to Plant Mint in Your Garden

Although it's ideal to grow mint in containers, it can be planted in the garden in zones 4 to 11. "It’s best to plant mint in spring once you've passed your final frost and temperatures are consistently mild," says Ryan McEnaney, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nurseries and author of Field Guide to Outside Style. "This will give you a full growing season to enjoy the plant and reap the rewards of your work."

When planting mint outdoors, be mindful of spacing. "Mint typically matures to about 3 to 5 feet wide, so you'll want at least that much space between plants," says McEnaney. "Since this is an edible plant, you’ll want space between each to allow for good airflow and avoid any possible foliar diseases that might affect the mint."

From Container

If you purchased mint in a container, and want to move it outdoors, the process is quite easy. "One of the greatest things about mint is that it's incredibly adaptable and can grow in a variety of sites," says McEnaney. "It's not overly particular about soil or light exposure."

1. Choose a suitable location in your garden.
2. Dig a hole slightly wider and deeper than the pot it came in.
3. Place the plant in the ground.
4. Back fill the hole in with soil, making sure the soil level is even with the soil in the ground.
5. Water thoroughly.

From Seed

Growing mint from seed is challenging because the seed is very small. If you go this route, it's best to start your seeds indoors. "This will help logistically with the small seeds and give the plants a head start to deal with the outdoor elements," says McEnaney. "To start the seeds, plant in a well-draining soil about eight weeks before your final frost."

1. Set seeds on top of well-draining soil.
2. Keep seeds moist and in direct light to germinate, which will take about two to three weeks.
3. Once the seedling is a few inches tall (and the threat of frost has passed) you can plant it in the ground or in a pot.

How to Care for Mint

While mint is adaptable to a variety of growing conditions, there are some things to keep in mind when caring for the versatile herb outdoors.

Sun

Whether growing mint outdoors or indoors in pots, the plant prefers full sun to partial shade. Not only will this keep it healthy, but it will also enhance the flavor of your mint.

Water

Mint prefers consistently moist soil. “If you start to feel the top of the soil dry out, be sure to give it a good soak,” says McEnaney. “Stick your finger in up to the second knuckle to see if it needs water.” Container plants dry out faster than those growing in the garden, so those will need to be checked more frequently.

Soil

Adaptable to almost any soil condition, mint can thrive just about anywhere other than exceptionally dry environments. “Ideally, you will have a container mix in a pot or a well-draining humus soil in the landscape, but mint will grow in clay or sandier soil—as long as it’s consistently moist,” says McEnaney.

Fertilizer

Since mint grows so quickly, it doesn’t require much fertilizer in good quality soil. “Give it a well-balanced, organic fertilizer in spring for a kickstart to the season and it should be good to go,” says McEnaney. “Since this is an edible plant, just be sure to use organic fertilizer.”

Temperature

Mint grows well across much of North America. “It’s a hardy perennial up to Zone 4 and can handle the heat and humidity to Zone 11,” says McEnaney. In more humid climates, be on the lookout for foliar diseases and ensure proper airflow to keep the leaves clean.

How to Grow Mint in Pots

Since mint is an aggressive grower that spreads quickly, gardeners typically choose to grow it in pots inside and out, says Eric Tomassini, owner of Ave 33 Farm. There's one clear advantage to growing potted mint indoors: easy access to its leaves, which you can snip as you cook.

The care requirements for mint, whether you plant it in your garden, grow it in a container outside, or grow it in a pot indoors, are the same. If you choose the latter two options, just make sure that your pot has a drainage hole at the bottom to allow for excess water to escape.

How to Repot Mint

If you choose to grow mint in a container, you will eventually need to repot it once the roots start to circle.

1. Choose a pot slightly larger than the current container.
2. Fill the pot with well-draining soil.
3. Gently remove the plant from its current container.
4. Loosen and detangle the roots.
5. Place the plant into the pot at the same depth as it was in its old container.
6. Back fill in the hole with soil.
7. Water thoroughly.

How to Prune Mint

Pruning mint will encourage the plant to produce new leaves. "This is aesthetically appealing, and the flavor of the new growth is more enticing for cooking and drinks," says McEnaney. Once the mint begins to flower in summer, trim the entire plant back to a couple of inches to encourage new growth.

How to Propagate Mint

Want to make more mint plants for your garden or to give to friends? You're in luck—propagating the plant is quite easy, thanks to its vigorous root system.

1. Take a 3- to 4-inch cutting of your leafed out mint stem with clean pruning shears.
2. Remove the lower few leaves and place the cutting in a clean glass of water, making sure the cutting gets good airflow and sun.
3. Once you have a fibrous root system developed in the glass, transplant it into a pot.
4. Plant the new mint in a well-draining soil mixture and trim back to a couple inches to focus the energy on establishing the roots.
5. If you want to plant outdoors, wait for about two weeks to allow the plant to get established.

How to Harvest Mint

One of the most rewarding aspects of growing mint is snipping off its leaves to use in recipes. "Mint is especially tasty with new growth," says McEnaney. "Once it lives on the stem for too long, especially after the plant flowers, it loses some of its great flavor."

Most climates provide two flushes of new leaves to harvest. You can either pick a leaf or two off as you need it or cut the whole stem down to 1 to 2 inches for a larger haul. Simply let the stems regrow for more leaves later in the season.

How to Store Mint

After picking the leaves from your healthy and aromatic plant, save any extra to be used at a later date. Store fresh-cut herbs in a water-filled glass, with a produce bag wrapped around the top and tied in place, which creates something of a greenhouse effect, says Greg Lofts, the former deputy food editor at Martha Stewart Living.

Overwintering

Newly planted mint benefits from winter protection. The plant will die back to the ground in colder climates, so be sure to protect the roots with mulch or leaves during winter months. "If you're overwintering mint in a pot, bring it into an unheated garage or shed for winter, protect the pot with a blanket, and give the pot about 1 cup of water per month before bringing it back out in spring after the final frost," says McEnaney.

Common Pests and Diseases

Because of mint's potent fragrance, it usually doesn't encounter too many harmful pests. However, there are a few things to be on the lookout for.

Mint Rust

Mint rust is a fungal disease that sometimes affects mint growing in the landscape. It's most commonly recognized by yellow and brown spots forming on the bottom of the leaves. "It can spread quickly, so completely remove any affected part of the plant," says McEnaney.

Powdery Mildew

If you notice a white, powdery substance growing on the leaves of your mint plant, it could be a sign of powdery mildew. This is often caused by decreased airflow and moisture left on the leaves. "You can treat this by removing the leaves or stem completely or spraying with an organic fungicide," says McEnaney. Using an organic fungicide is important to avoid ingesting any harmful chemicals.

Aphids

Aphids are a common garden pest that may cause yellow or distorted leaves and a moldy appearance. "If the infestation is fairly small, simply remove the affected part of the plant," says McEnaney. "Neem oil or other organic insecticidal soaps can also help prevent insect infestation."