Garden Mint Plant: A Beginner's Guide to Growing and Harvesting

Growing your own garden mint plant is a great idea, and with this beginner's guide, you'll be harvesting fresh leaves in no time.

Garden mint plants are hardy and can thrive in a variety of conditions, making them a great choice for beginners.

They can grow up to 3 feet tall and require minimal maintenance, but they do need regular watering and pruning to keep them healthy.

Mint plants prefer well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun, depending on the climate.

Growing mint is a great idea, especially if you're looking for a low-maintenance herb to add some freshness to your cooking. Plant mint in the spring after the last frost, or in the fall in frost-free climates, and space the plants 18 to 24 inches apart.

To give your mint a great foundation, improve native soil with several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. For container growing, consider a premium bagged potting mix like Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose Container Mix.

Regular watering is key, so keep the soil consistently moist and water when the top inch becomes dry. You can also promote excellent leaf production by regularly feeding with a water-soluble plant food.

Here are some additional tips for growing mint:

Growing mint is a breeze, and with these quick tips, you'll be harvesting fresh sprigs in no time.

Plant mint in the spring after the last frost, or in the fall in frost-free climates, setting seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart.

To give your mint a great foundation, improve native soil with several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. For container growing, consider a premium bagged potting mix.

Keep the soil consistently moist, watering when the top inch becomes dry. Promote excellent leaf production by regularly feeding with a water-soluble plant food.

Here's a quick rundown of what to expect:

Keep in mind that mint is a vigorous grower, so it's best to keep it in pots to prevent it from taking over your garden.

Growing mint from seed can be a slow and unreliable process, so it's usually not worth the effort.

Germination rates can be unpredictable, making it difficult to get a successful start.

If you do decide to sow mint from seed, you'll get a much wider choice of varieties if you buy young plants instead.

You'll have to check out our indoor sowing guide for specific instructions on how to get started.

Propagating mint is a breeze, and I'm excited to share the easiest ways to do it. You can divide established clumps in spring or autumn to create new plants.

To divide established clumps, simply cut the rootball into several smaller sections with secateurs or a knife, and discard any old dead parts in the centre. This will prevent the plant from getting too cramped in its pot.

You can also take cuttings from the underground stems (rhizomes) of your mint plant. This method is great for creating new plants without having to buy more seeds or seedlings.

In the spring, take softwood cuttings from vigorous young shoots. Stand them in a glass of water and they'll soon produce roots and can then be potted up.

Here are the three easy ways to propagate mint:

To keep mint healthy and thriving, plant it in a pot with good drainage, like a 10″ pot filled with Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose Container Mix.

Mint prefers fertile soil with a pH from 6.0 to 7.0, so if your soil isn't quite right, add a few inches of Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose In-Ground Soil.

Regular watering is key, especially in hot, dry weather, so check your mint plants in containers regularly and move them to a shadier spot if needed.

Harvest the tips of mint regularly to keep the plant from taking over and to encourage new growth.

To keep your mint patch strong, lift and replant every 3 to 4 years, as the roots are quite hardy and can survive in zones 5 and even 3 in some varieties.

Feed your mint with Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Edibles Plant Nutrition, following the label directions, to give it a boost of nutrients.

Mint is a tender-leaf herb, so it needs to be dried somewhere with darkness and low humidity to prevent the leaves from turning dark and moldy.

Mint is a rugged plant, but young mint is vulnerable to pests like whiteflies, blackflies, spider mites, snails, and slugs.

Whiteflies, blackflies, and spider mites can be a problem when mint is young, so keep an eye out for them.

Mint is also attractive to invertebrates like aphids, caterpillars, and flea beetle, but they rarely cause significant damage.

It's best to leave these pests for natural predators to control, and make sure to shake the foliage thoroughly after harvesting to ensure they don't end up in your kitchen.

Mint can be affected by mint rust, which can cause swollen stems with orange spots on the leaves.

If you notice mint rust, dig up the plant and bin it, as mint rust remains in the soil for at least three years.

Mint beetle can also affect mint, but it's not usually a problem unless there's a large infestation.

To control mint's spread, plant it in a container or bottomless bucket rather than letting it grow freely in the ground.

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Mint can re-grow from small pieces left in the ground, so make sure to dig out any unwanted shoots as soon as they appear.

If you're growing mint in containers, be aware that it's more vulnerable to freezing temperatures, so move pots to a sheltered spot in autumn if possible.

Cold, wet soil or compost in winter can also cause the roots to rot, so make sure to protect your mint plant.

If you're looking to grow mint in your garden, there are several varieties to choose from.

Mentha suaveolens is a strong-growing, erect mint with a milder fruity flavor. It's a traditional cottage garden favorite.

Spearmint, on the other hand, has bright green leaves with a nice texture and a medium-strong flavor.

For a unique twist on traditional mint, consider growing 'Banana', which has a peppermint taste with a hint of banana.

If you want to grow mint for making mint sauce, Bowles's mint is a good choice, with mauve flowers and large leaves.

Other varieties to consider are 'Chocolate', which produces brown leaves that taste like after-dinner mints, and 'Lime', which has lime-flavored, dark green/purple leaves and mauve flowers.

If you're looking for non-invasive mint varieties, 'Chocolate', 'Lime', and 'Variegata' (also known as pineapple mint) are good options.

Here are some popular mint varieties to grow:

You can start harvesting mint as soon as leaves appear above in spring and continue through to the first frosts.

To get the most intense flavour, choose the young, soft shoot tips and pick regularly to keep plants compact and encourage bushier growth.

Mint leaves can be added to many dishes, hot or cold, sweet or savoury - scatter chopped leaves over buttered new potatoes, add them to salads or make into mint sauce to complement roast lamb.

For a classic sauce, combine fresh mint with sugar and white wine vinegar, or steep a handful of leaves in boiling water with sugar added to taste for a soothing mint tea.

You can also use mint flowers, which are edible too, to add a refreshing twist to your dishes.

To keep the leafy harvests going over winter, bring potted plants indoors in autumn and place them on a warm, sunny windowsill.

If you're thinking of buying a mint plant, there's a huge range of types to choose from – buy a selection based on what you intend to use the leaves for.

You'll find mint widely available from garden centres, but if you're looking for a greater range of types, it's worth shopping online.

Mint plants can be a bit delicate, so make sure to check them for signs of damage and disease before planting.