Is mint hard to grow? That's a good question! Some people find it difficult to grow mint because they don't have enough sunlight in their garden.
Mint is a plant that requires regular watering and sunlight to thrive.
What kind of space does your herb garden take up? Mint takes up space, so it may not be the best option for your small garden unless contained, but if you have plenty of room in your yard or on an outdoor balcony, then go ahead and try!
Mint plants are a great addition to any garden, as they will grow quickly and produce large amounts of leaves that can be used for cooking or tea. They also make an excellent ground cover, which helps keep weeds at bay.
You'll find many different varieties of mints available at your local nursery, so you're sure to find one that's just right for you!
Have a green thumb but don't know where to start with gardening; try growing some fresh herbs like mint! It's easy and fun - plus it smells amazing too!
Get started today by planting your herb garden with our helpful guide on how to grow mint plants. We've included everything you need to know about caring for these beautiful plants so they'll thrive all summer long!
How To Plant Mint
Mint is a hardy perennial and can be grown in most climates. To plant mint, you want to have well-drained soil and the right amount of sunlight. They can tolerate partial shade.
Plant it in full sun if possible because they love the heat. Mint grows best in rich soil with good drainage, so if you're planting it in your garden, make sure to dig plenty of organic matter into the ground beforehand.
Mint needs excellent drainage, so it doesn't rot from overwatering. It also thrives in moist conditions but not wet ones (think of what happens to a sponge).
Planting mint near tomatoes helps deter pests like hornworm caterpillars who don't seem to like the smell of mint!
Watering Mint
In general, mint thrives in moist soil. Also make sure to water your plant thoroughly; don't just splash the leaves with some water.
If the plant does not get enough water, it will wilt and die back to its roots until conditions improve.
Water in early morning if the soil is dry and make sure the soil is always moist. Mint in pots will need watering more often than those in the ground as pots dry out quickly, especially in sun.
Mint Can Become Invasive
Mint is a vigorous plant that easily spreads fast underground with its horizontal runners and underground rhizomes.
Mint tends to grow quickly and spread outwards into other plants in your garden, taking over what would otherwise be more useful plants like tomatoes or lettuce.
Have you ever had problems with mint becoming invasive in your garden? Mint can be difficult to get rid of once it starts growing, but luckily, you can do some things to prevent this.
I'm going to go over a few different ways to keep mint from taking over your garden so that it doesn't become an issue for you or your neighbors.
- Cut the runners around the plant with a large spade to keep it from growing larger and spreading out into the garden.
- Plant in containers placed on pavers or crushed stone.
- In the garden, bury the potted mint and occasionally lift to ensure the roots have not grown through the pots' drainage holes. If so, clip them off. Make sure the branches do not reach the ground as they will root themselves.
- install plastic edging several inches deep around your garden bed or the plant to make it look like a pot. The edging will help contain your mint in one area and prevent it from spreading unchecked.
Pests And Diseases
Its very disappointing to see your mint plant with rust. The small orange spots show up on the mint leaf's undersides, especially in humid weather or when plants are overwatered. Not to worry!
This can be quickly fixed by using an organic fungicide and limiting watering if you have been overwatering. Let any excess moisture dry off so as not to spread the problem further.
Suppose it's a different issue like whiteflies, flea beetles, spider mites, aphids, or mealybugs that have been bothering your precious herbaceous friend. In that case, these problems should also resolve themselves within time while being treated for others sources of stress such as over-watering, which will only make things worse.
Maintaining Mint
You can make your mint bush grow healthier and fuller by pinching the tips of the stems, keeping them healthy and preventing them from becoming leggy mint.
If you start seeing flowers on the sprig, then just cut those off before they have a chance to bloom so that it does not affect its overall growth.
If you're looking to keep your mint plants alive through the winter, it's super important that you protect them from frost. One way is by moving their container undercover on cold nights or in an unheated garage during the day.
Mint Varieties
There are many types of mint to choose from when deciding what type will work best in your space. Depending on the variety of mint you choose to grow, it may produce flowers or fruit (called Nutley) throughout its lifespan.
Some have a similar flavor or aroma, but vary between each variety - make sure the one you select is suited for your climate and needs.
Mint is always a very popular herb that can be used in many dishes, drinks and desserts. Mint plants are also great for aromatherapy and make your home smell amazing! There are so many types to choose from, but which mint variety should you plant?
Applemint
Applemint grows about 16 to 39 in (40 to 100cm) tall. Highly aromatic, with apple aroma.
Chocolate Mint
It has a subtle chocolate-like mint flavor, and the fresh leaves have burgundy veins through the rich green color.
Spearmint
Mentha spicata also called common mint or lamb mint, makes the best mint sauce. It can reach between 15 to 39in (30-100cm) tall.
Ginger Mint
Low-growing mint reaching only about 12in (30cm) and has variegated green leaves splashed with gold. Its flavor has a hint of ginger.
Curly Mint
Curly mint is a mellow and refreshing herb with green leaves curled at the edges. It smells like spearmint, has a great flavor that's sweet to taste and grows in clusters on tall upright stalks.
Grapefruit Mint
This is a really awesome mint with a zesty citrus flavor and smell. It has an upright growth habit with large oval crinkled green leaves.
Lemon Mint
Lemon Mint or Lemon Balm grows to a maximum height of 27 to 59in (70-150 cm) and has a refreshing minty lemon flavor.
Lavender Mint
It grows to about 23in (60cm) tall and makes an ideal container or hanging plant, and has a lightly floral flavor of lavender.
Orange Mint
Orange Mint is highly aromatic and has a strong citrus and spice flavor. They reach a height and spread of about 24in (60cm).
Water Mint
As its name suggests, it grows along rivers, garden ponds, boggy soil, in full sun or partial shade.
Peppermint
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) has a strong menthol flavor and aroma and grows along river banks and marshy areas. Perfect for peppermint tea.
Wild Mint
Wild Mint or Field Mint is native to Northern America and reaches about 3 feet (1meter) in height.
Longleaf Mint
It is also called Horse Mint or Brook Mint. Under favorable conditions, it can sometimes grow up to 1.5 m high.
Apple Mint
It grows to 16 to 39 in (40-100)cm tall and has the faintest hint of apple flavor.
Propagating Mint
Propagate From Cuttings
Pick a new softwood stem about 6in (15cm) long, just as if you were going to harvest, stip off the lower leaves and place in a glass of water or seedling mix. Keep the seedling mix well watered.
Propagate From Runners
Uncover some runners under the soil and place this runner around 1 inch below the potting soil of your new pot. Later shoots will start coming out. Keep the soil moist.
Propagate From Seed
Harvesting and storing mint seed is easy and worth the effort.
The best time to harvest your blooms is when they have already turned brown (typically 2-3 weeks after bloom).
The next step would be carefully selecting them off their stems and place them in either a paper bag or cardboard box.
Then dry them out completely for about three more weeks to get rid of any moisture left on the flower before extracting seeds.
Benefits Of Mint
Throughout history, mint has been used to treat various stomach and digestion problems in herbal tea. It is also known as a breath freshener.
The dried leaves were often used for whitening teeth or repelling pests.
Mint still finds its way in medicine, beauty products and food additives today due to all these qualities that it provides us with!
Mint oil can be extracted from fresh mint leaves and used for a variety of purposes.
You can use fresh or dry leaves any time you want- they're great on salads, drinks like mint tea are always refreshing when mixed with some peppermint extract -and look at how beautiful your garden will be if there's more mint growing around it!
Harvest mint leaves when fresh, frozen in ice cubes for iced tea or dried for winter use.
Mint is great because it can be used as both an edible herb and an ornamental plant. And if that weren't enough, its scent is also calming to the body and mind.
Growing Mint In Containers
They need to have 8 in (20cm) or bigger pot to root properly and provide enough space for the best results. Avoid gardening containers that measure less than 10 inches (25cm) deep because this will stunt plant growth with too little soil depth, causing mint roots to grow out of drainage holes at the bottom of pots instead!
A standard potting soil mixture is usually sufficient for healthy growth, but adding some perlite or vermiculite will help your plant get the moisture and drainage it needs without getting too soggy.
Make sure not to overfeed the plant with fertilizer during the growing season, as too much of this will kill your mint!
Once you've put it in its new pot, position the container so that there are six hours or more of sun per day. It likes some shade, but mint prefers lots of sunlight.
Takeaways
Growing mint is an easy task for any gardener. The plant requires very little care and can be grown in containers or directly in the garden.
Mint is an herbal remedy that can be used to help with stomach discomfort, anxiety and insomnia.
Easy to propagate from a mint cutting and runners.
You can grow mint indoors as an indoor plant as long there is plenty of light. Plant one in your kitchen to get easy access for harvesting while it's still fresh!