Mint is an easy herb to grow in your garden and can add flavor to every meal.
Also receive the 蜜桃恋人 Daily newsletter including gardening tips, weather, astronomical events, and more.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Mint
Growing
- Minimal care is needed for mint. For outdoor plants, use a light mulch. This will help keep the soil moist and keep the leaves clean.
- Indoor plants should be watered regularly to keep the soil evenly moist.
- At first, mints develop into well-behaved-looking, bushy, upright clumps, but they soon set out to conquer new territory with horizontal runners and underground rhizomes. Unless you block the advance, a peppermint plant can become a sprawling 4-foot giant in just 1 year. It鈥檚 not the stuff of horror movies, however. Mints benefit from picking and pruning. They are shallow-rooted and easy to pull out, so there鈥檚 no reason to worry as long as you provide physical barriers such as walls, walkways, or containers.
Harvesting
- Frequent harvesting is the key to keeping mint plants at their best. Young leaves have more flavor than old ones, and mint can be harvested as soon as it comes up in spring. Although fresh is best, and sprigs should be kept in water for a few days, mint leaves can be frozen or air-dried in bunches.
- Right before flowering, cut the stems 1 inch from the ground. You can harvest one mint plant two or three times in one growing season.
- You can also pick the leaves as you need them.
- You can grow the plants indoors for fresh leaves throughout the winter. If you want to dry them, it鈥檚 best to cut the leaves right before flowering. Store the dried leaves in an airtight container.
Propagating Mint
The best way to propagate mints is by taking cuttings from those that you like best. It鈥檚 easy鈥攖ake 6-inch cuttings of rooted stems and plant them horizontally in the soil. Mint stems will also root in a glass of water. Start with a small cutting from an established plant. Any gardening friend will give you a cutting of a favorite mint.
Cooking Notes
Serious cooks generally prefer spearmint for savory dishes and peppermint for desserts. Try apple or orange mint for a delicate mint taste in fruit salads, yogurt, or tea. Mint lurks in the background in Middle Eastern salads, such as tabouli, and does well with lamb. It also goes with peas, zucchini, fresh beans, marinades for summer vegetables, cold soups, fruit salads, and cheese.
Tip! Make flavored ice cubes by freezing trays of strong mint tea, then use the ice cubes for your drinks!
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
Michigan is in Zones 4 to 6. Depending on where you are, emergence time will vary. It will also depend on local conditions and plant health. Best guess would be that you should see signs within the next 3 weeks. If nothing shows, it might be that the plants suffered from disease or pests, or water/freezing issues. Although most varieties of mint are quite hardy, some are more delicate and might struggle overwintering, depending on conditions. If you hadn’t already, in future you might provide winter protection, such as moving the planter to an unheated garage, or covering the soil with a thick layer of mulch, or placing the entire container in a leaf bag and covering with leaves along the sides and top, so that any strong cold snaps would have less of a chance of hurting the dormant plant.
My husband and I bought a house in southeastern arizona about 10 years ago. There was already mint planted in the front of the house. I don't know what kind of mint it is but I have never even watered it and it grows beautifully.
I live in the desert southwest, and wondered if mint would grow well in the heat? Also would like to purchase a couple of plants, do you sell them?
Yes, you can grow mint in the desert southwest. Although mint prefers it cool and moist, it tolerates a wide range of conditions. The key is to keep the soil moist and to provide shade during hot afternoons, such as by using a shade cloth. You can also plant in part shade.
We do not sell plants, but you might check local garden centers or online for mailorder nurseries that sell to your area.
I have a mint plant and it's growing like crazy but the leaves keep turning brown its in a pot and i water it just about every day what do what am I doing wrong
Brown leaves could mean several things. Best guess is that it is getting too much water. Even though it likes moist soil, make sure that the soil is not waterlogged. Test the soil: if it feels dry, or almost dry, then water. If it is moist or soggy, do not water; cut back on the watering schedule a bit and remove the brown leaves. Make sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Other causes could be viruses or fungal diseases, or pests, overcrowded roots, etc.
I could not find an organic mint plant or seeds and wanted to get some plants started over the winter inside, zone 9. Low and behold, I stuck some sprigs from the grocery store in a glass of water. Two weeks later and the roots are crazy. Now I need to figure out how I wish to plant them in the garden. A whole pot? Just an edging that goes deep? 2nd option sounds prettier, maybe. Going to plant with lavender around a lemon tree for protection. I'm glad I didn't bother with seeds!
I live in zone 8-9. Can I grow mint outside in full sun 100 plus degree temperature? Can I grow it in the house, medium light?
Mint can be grown in Zones 8 and 9, but in hot summers, you’ll need to have it in partial shade and be sure that it is kept moist (but not waterlogged). Morning sun and afternoon partial shade is good.
Mint can be grown in pots indoors, but will need adequate light. Try a sunny window, and turn the plant every few days; if your plant is not happy, then you might try adding some artificial grow lights, found at garden centers, to supplement. Keep the plant moist, but not waterlogged, and you might mist it every so often.
Why should you plant it near cabbages and tomatoes? Is it because it tolerates the same soil conditions or can it deter insects and pests? Thank you
