How to Grow Mint
Mint At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Lamiaceae
Growing Season
Cool & Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Mint shrugs off cold, so sow it right in the pot where it will grow, about 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Press the tiny seeds onto damp potting mix and barely cover them, no deeper than 0.5 cm, then mist to keep the surface moist. They sprout in 10 to 16 days: thin them (pull the extras) to one strong plant per pot, or 30 cm apart.
Mint is one of the easiest herbs you can grow, almost too easy: its underground runners spread fast and will take over a bed. Grow it in a pot, or in a pot sunk into the ground with the rim sticking out, and it comes back year after year.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Mint?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Mint Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Mint Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow mint seeds in a pot outdoors now
2 weeks before your last frost· every year
Plant or divide mint, and keep it in a pot so it cannot spread
Around your last frost· every year· optional
Cut mint back by half and pinch off the flower spikes
45 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your mint seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Your mint is growing! Keep the soil damp, mint loves steady moisture.
About 46 days after you plant it
Looking great! Snip stems often, the more you pick, the more your mint grows.
About 76 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your mint.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Mint's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–16 days
Growing Tips
- 1Mint grows in full sun or part shade, and some afternoon shade helps in hot summers.
- 2Use rich potting mix, or soil with compost mixed in, in a pot at least 30 cm wide.
- 3Keep the soil moist, watering whenever the top 2 cm feels dry, since pots dry out fast in summer.
- 4Feed with worm castings or compost tea in spring and again after a big cut.
- 5In midsummer, cut the whole plant back by half and pinch off the flower spikes to get a fresh flush of tender leaves.
- 6Spray aphids off with a strong stream of water, and pull off any leaves with orange spots so the problem does not spread.
- 7Large amounts of mint can upset a cat's or dog's stomach, so keep pets from chewing it.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~90
Days to Maturity
60 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
90 days
When to Pick
Snip leaves frequently to promote growth
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking once the plant is about 15 cm tall.
- 2Snip each stem just above a pair of leaves, and two new shoots will grow from that spot.
- 3Take no more than a third of the plant at once so it bounces back quickly.
- 4Pick in the morning, when the leaves smell strongest, and pour boiling water over a handful of fresh leaves for a simple mint tea.
- 5To dry mint, hang small bunches upside down in a dark, airy spot for 1 to 2 weeks, then crumble the leaves into a jar.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Mint crosses easily with other mints, and plants grown from saved seed often taste a little different from the parent, so take cuttings or divide the clump to keep a mint you love exactly as it is. Peppermint makes almost no good seed, so it is always grown from cuttings. If you want to try saving seed, let a few flower spikes dry brown on the plant, cut them into a paper bag and shake out the tiny seeds. Store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place, where they keep a few years.
Seed Production
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