Mint Plant Care

Welcome to the urban gardeners' myriad of mindful Mint metaphorical advice. Mint plant care is not hard, however every gardener can have a moment or two when a myriad of mix-ups occur. While frustrating, it can be a blessing in disguise, as the silver lining is often the opportunity for more knowledge and experience.

Mint Plant Care - A Beginners Guide to Mixing It Up With Mint

We will set the stage by going over the basics of Mint plant care, and then discuss the typical problems and what the causes are likely to be. Every plant needs soil, sun and a good soak but sometimes plants vary in what makes it “good”, “not enough”, or too much.

Well let's not meandre about the minty introduction and get right to it!

The Fresh of Mint (To coin a phrase?)

In simple terms, a mint plant is like a refreshing breath mint for your garden – it's green, aromatic, and has a cool, minty scent that can freshen up your outdoor space and your recipes.

Picture a small, leafy plant with bright green leaves that give off a delightful fragrance when you touch or crush them. That's mint! It's like nature's own air freshener, adding a burst of freshness wherever it grows.

Mint is not just a pretty plant; it's also incredibly versatile. You can use its leaves to flavor drinks like tea or cocktails, add zest to salads, or even make delicious desserts. Plus, it's easy to grow, making it a perfect choice for beginner gardeners or anyone looking to add a bit of greenery to their home.

So, whether you're sipping on a refreshing mint mojito or enjoying the invigorating aroma of fresh mint in your garden, this little plant is sure to bring a touch of brightness to your day.

Size Matters! - Choosing the Right Container

When considering mint plant care, choosing the right container is important because mint is one of the most voraciously expanding plants - if you let it grow wild in your garden it won’t take long before it expands to every corner of your garden, choking out everything else..

You will want a container that is at least 12” or 30 cm in diameter and 8” or 20 cm deep . That will give you a decent size pot or area to grow mint and leave it a bit of room to expand.

It will also need good drainage because the roots do not like sitting in overly damp or wet conditions. Make sure you get a container that the water can leave the roots easily, and pick an indoor potting soil that has excellent drainage. The deeper the pot the better as it will help with water drainage from around the root system. Mint plants with consistently wet soil are susceptible to root rot.

Planting Mint In Containers

Growing Mint in containers helps in two ways: Reduce impact of soil based pests; Keeps the Mint plant from spreading across your entire garden and choking out your other plants and flowers.

Mint seedlings or starter plants are sold in most gardening centres or grocery stores during the gardening seasons, and can be bought and then transplanted to your own container. This is the easiest method to start your own Mint plant.

Mint is not that picky about soil, so long as it is well draining. It is recommended to use a potting compost to mix in with the soil for the best Mint plant care results.

Planting Mint From Seed

To plant Mint from seed is a bit tricky, as the seeds are hard to germinate. Here are some quick tips if you are keen to grow the plant from seed:

Fresh seeds have a better chance of germination.
Unlike some other herbs, mint seeds benefit from a period of stratification, which mimics the natural winter conditions they would experience outdoors. You can achieve this by placing the seeds in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and refrigerating them for about 1-2 weeks.
Fill a seed tray or small pots with a well-draining seed starting mix. Press the soil lightly to remove any air pockets.
Sprinkle the stratified mint seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. Don't bury them too deep; just lightly press them into the soil's surface.
Gently mist the seeds with water to settle them into the soil. Cover the tray or pots with a clear plastic lid or plastic wrap to create a mini greenhouse effect, which helps retain moisture.
Place the seed tray or pots in a warm, sunny location. Mint seeds prefer temperatures around 70°F (21°C) for germination.
Check the soil regularly and keep it consistently moist, but not waterlogged. You may need to mist the seeds with water occasionally to maintain moisture levels.
Mint seeds can take anywhere from 10 days to several weeks to germinate, so be patient and keep providing the right conditions.
Once the seedlings have developed a few sets of true leaves, they can be transplanted into larger containers or into your garden bed. Be sure to space them at least 12 inches apart, as mint can spread rapidly.

Natural Fertilizer for Mint Plant Care

For the most natural Mint plant care fertilizer available, you can simply use dried tea leaves, or even mix in dried coffee grounds. Those are high in nitrogen. Mix them in with regular potting soil or compost. Go sparingly at first as too much can make the leaves turn yellow.

Another trick is to repurpose water used to boil potatoes, put it aside and use that to water your Basil plants.

If you are looking for a traditional store bought natural fertilizer, look for one which contains Blood Meal or Cottonseed meal.

Sun or Shade Mint Will Not Fade.

Mint only requires partial sun, so as long as it can get 6 hours of sun it will thrive just fine. The sunnier the better however for the best Mint plant care.

Watering Wisdom - Keeping Mint Hydrated

Mint plants like moist soil, but not a wet soil. The soil should feel a bit damp to the touch. Mint is pretty hardy, so just keep an eye or a finger on the soil and don’t let it get too dry. Try to establish a regular watering schedule.

Pro Tip:

Always check the moisture level in the soil before you water!
If your city water is heavily chlorinated, then you should fill a water can with water and let it sit overnight before watering your plants. This will allow the chlorine in the water to evaporate before you water the plants.

An easy way to check the moisture level of the soil is to stick your finger in the soil about an inch or even the second knuckle from your finger nail. When you pull out your finger if there is soil that attaches itself to the finger then it is likely moist enough. If your finger is dry, time to add some water!

On the flip side, adding too much water is not good. Water-logged soil can starve the Mint plant of oxygen - just like us, plants need oxygen to survive. Over-wet soil can also increase the changes of fungus and lead to root rot

Common Mint Mishaps - A Troubleshooting Guide

Even though Mint is an easy plant to grow, it does not mean it is trouble-free. Here are some of the more typical symptoms to allow you to up your Mint plant care game.

Just remember not to be too hard on yourself, learning is part of the journey, and we don’t always get it quite right all the time!

Leggy and Scraggly Looking

One reason why people love mint is that it is incredibly resilient and grows quickly. Unlike other plants, mint does not need as much water or care. It can actually grow in a variety of environments, making it a favorite among amateur and expert gardeners alike.

Although the fact that mint can grow quickly is a benefit in many scenarios, it also comes with a drawback. Most notably, mint can spread really quickly. This causes stems to be weak and the plant to be leggy and scraggly overall. Quick growing mint will especially become scraggly if the environment is not conducive to a healthy plant.

Too Little Light

Mint plants can grow whenever there is lack of light, unlike other plants. Whenever they are not experiencing enough light, the stems will stretch out so that they can get the needed resources, creating a leggy and lopsided look.

If you suspect that your mint plant is not receiving enough light, you should move the plant to a more exposed area and rotate its positioning every day. Mint that does not get enough light will typically be lopsided and leaning towards the direction of the light source.

Too Much Fertilizer and Nitrogen

Additionally, too much fertilizer can create scraggly stems. Whereas too much fertilizer will make other plants die, it makes mint scraggly and leggy. Especially if there is too much nitrogen, the mint will continue growing, but the plant will look rather scraggly and less full.

Obviously, you will need to stop fertilizing your mint plant if you think it has too much fertilizer and nitrogen. Then, let the soil around the plant dry. Follow up by watering it heavily. You should water the mint so heavily that the water can exit the drainage holes for 10 to 15 seconds. The intent is to “wash out” the excess fertilizer. Do this once, returning to a regular watering schedule and see if the plant improves.

Rootbound

Your mint can be scraggly and leggy if you have any container too small. Rootbound is something that can affect any potted plant, including mint. It happens when the roots have gone throughout the entire soil and are pushing against the container walls. In other words, there could be more roots and soil within the pot.

Rootbound is relatively easy to fix. You know that your mint plant is experiencing rootbound if there are roots coming through the drainage holes or roots showing on the surface or right below it. Simply move the mint plant to a larger container so that it can have more room. You can also divide the plant into smaller portions, and plant each portion in a different pot. Great opportunity to give them out to family and friends!

Low Temperatures

Finally, the last reason why your mint plant could be leggy and scraggly is because of low temperatures. This will typically only be an issue if your mint is outside. Indoor mint plants should not face this issue unless it is placed right next to a window.

Low temperatures are a bit more difficult to fix. Given that this is primarily only an issue for outdoor plants, you obviously cannot control the weather. If freezing has left your mint barely alive, you need to prune it aggressively. Cut all the stems from the mint base. You can then leave the plant outside and wait for the weather to get better or bring it inside.

Leaves Turning White

There are two main reasons that your mint leaves could be turning white. Each of these has its own unique causes, effects, and ways to fix and prevent them. It is extremely important to diagnose which type of leaf damage your mint has. This way you’ll be able to target and fix these problems with specific solutions that are effective for the exact type of damage your plant is experiencing.

1) Leaves Turning White Because of BUGS!

The first reason your mint can have white spots is the presence of bugs! These aren’t normal, visible bugs like fruit flies, but much smaller, suckling bugs that love the taste of your mint. These are mostly spider mites, but other types of bugs could be present as well.

These bugs love to make their homes on your mint leaves and suck the mint flavor out of the leaf, leaving small white spots all over them.

If you’re still unsure based on a cursory glance whether or not bugs are the problem, there are a few other ways to identify them. Webbing or any other kind of bug habitat near your mint plant is a surefire sign that your white spots are being caused by suckling bugs of some kind.

If you can’t find any webbing, try to find a magnifying glass that zooms at least 10x. This should be enough to see the spider mites crawling around, as they are too small to be spotted as anything more than tiny, tiny specs with the naked eye. If you do see little bugs crawling around, it’s time to act fast!

Bug Remedy - Clean the leaves by simply coating them with a mix of soap and water, with a lot more water than soap, should do the trick. Simply spread it on the top side of the leaf, where the damage is, and then the bottom, where the bugs love to stay and suckle on the mint. If that doesn’t work, you may want to just cut back the plant to remove the white spotted leaves.

2) Leaves Turning White Because of Powdery Mildew

The second major cause of white spots on your mint leaves is powdery mildew. This powdery white substance is often mistaken for dirt or dust, especially in its beginning stages when it is still a grayish color. However, it is not simply harmless dirt or dust.

This mildew is often the result of your mint being in an area that lacks humidity. Once the leaves of your mint dry out, it will begin to form the fungus known as powdery mildew on its surface. This can further damage the mint leaves, so it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible!

Powdery Mildew will become more obvious as time moves on, so it isn’t too hard to identify with the naked eye. It will spread all over the leaves and begin to cover most of the surface area of the leaf, far more than the smaller marks from the suckling bugs. This can help you clearly identify powdery mildew as the problem as opposed to the bugs.

Mildew Remedy - You can cut back the damaged leaves, or you can try to clean the leaves. Cleaning the leaves requires either a store bought chemical for mildew removal, or you can try one of the home made recipes:

a) Wash the leaves in mouthwash (If you have a minty fresh mouthwash it will not be extra helpful, but it might be funny);

b) Combining a tablespoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of soap and a gallon of water will create a solution that is great for treating powdery mildew. The fungus has trouble growing in the presence of soap and baking soda. This is also a great preventative measure!

Mint Leaves Turning Yellow Or Brown?

Mint leaves turn yellow or brown for a number of reasons. Sadly none of them are by accident. When the Mint plant is lacking something it needs, it causes damage to the leaves, which is shown by discoloration. They range from problems with how the plant is being watered, to where the plant is placed, and how much nutrients it is able to receive.

Potential Causes For Yellowing Mint Leaves:

1) Overwatering - When you put too much water in the soil that your mint is growing in, it can lead to a lack of oxygen. This is because not only do plants aerate or “breathe” through their leaves, but they “breathe” through their roots as well. Overwatering can also lead to root rot. If this is the case, cut back on the watering. Trim off the yellowing leaves (they can’t become green again), and see how the plant adjusts to less water.

2) Underwatering - Dry air (especially in the winter) can shrivel up your mint leaves very quickly. This will start as some browning along the edges of the leaves and then turn into the entire leaf drying out, drooping, and turning a yellowish or brownish color. The solid should be moist but not damp. Trim off the yellowing leaves (they can’t become green again), give it a good drink, and see how the plant adjusts.

3) Overexposure To Sunlight And Heat - You may think it best to put your mint directly in sunlight, as most plants thrive when given proper sunlight. However, this isn’t the case for mint. On the contrary, mint actually prefers growing in shady areas. This is because sunlight and heat are not good for mint, as they can dry out the leaves and damage the plant. Try moving it to an area which receives less direct sunlight.

Potential Causes For Brown Leaves:

1) Brown and Crispy Leaves - If you notice that your mint leaves are brown and crispy, no matter how much you water them, it might be because you are exposing your mint to too much sunlight.

2) Brown Edges - If only the edges of your mint leaves are brown, then it is likely experiencing the opposite issue of a mint leaf with brown and crispy leaves. Brown edges typically mean that your plant is stressed and not getting enough water.

This will most likely be true if you place it in direct contact with the sun. Mint does not thrive in this environment, and it will likely experience heat scorching as a result. Instead, mint does best in shadier conditions.

Luckily, this issue is pretty easy to fix. If the leaves are completely scorched, simply wait for them to fall off and protect the rest of the plant by placing it out of direct sunlight.

To fix this problem, start watering your mint plant a little bit more. As you water your mint, make sure to water it from the level of the soil. If you water it too high up, not all the water may reach the roots and it could potentially damage the leaves.

Something Eating Your Mint Leaves?

Before diving into how to get rid of pests that are eating your mint, let’s take a look at the most common pests that like to eat mint plants. Here are the most common potential mint pests and common signs of their presence:

Spider Mites: Will leave speckled yellow spots and thin webbing.
Loopers: Will leave missing and large holes within the leaves.
Flea Beetles: Will create clusters of small holes in the leaves.
Aphids: Small insects that stick on the leaves.
Cutworms: Set at the stem and kill the plant.
Thrips: Leaves the leaves curled and distorted.

What Can You Spray On Mint For Bugs?

Because mint is typically grown for consumption, you don’t want to add pesticides to your mint to prevent bugs from eating them. This includes natural pesticides. Using pesticides on your mint can lead to the chemicals getting into your body.

Instead, you can spray a mint plant with forceful water if you need to get rid of any bugs you see on them. With the strong jet of water, make sure to spray underneath the leaves and around the stem to ensure that no pests hideout.

Is It Safe To Eat Mint Leaves With Holes?

The cause for the holes will determine whether or not you can eat mint leaves with holes. If the holes are caused by insects eating away at the leaves, the leaves will be safe to eat. Just make sure to rinse the mint leaves off thoroughly to ensure that no insect residue is left on them.

Additionally, do not eat mint plants that are diseased with mint rust. Mint rust (brown / yellowing leaves) may cause holes in the leaves, and it will render the plant dangerous for consumption.

Is Mint Good For Pest Control?

Even though some insects like munching on your yummy mint, mint is actually considered a natural repellent for many insect varieties. Most notably, it repels many types of mosquitoes, ants, fleas, moths, and flies. As a result, many people like to use mint within their gardens to naturally repel insects from their other plants.

You can also create a mint spray to keep insects away if you don’t want to plant new mint plants. You can mix 1 medium-sized onion, 2 cups of mint leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of Cayenne pepper in a blender. Blend them into incredibly fine particles.

Then, strain the mixture and add it into a large jug (large enough to hold 1 gallon). Add 2 tablespoons of castile soap and enough water so that you have a 1 gallon mixture. You can spray this mixture on plants affected by pests two times a day.

In addition to insects, mint is also known to repel rodents. Rodents do not like the minty aroma, and they will stay away from areas that typically have that minty smell associated with the plant.

Can Mint Survive The Winter?

If the question is simply if mint can survive the winter, the short answer is yes. Mint does what is called “dying back” in the winter. Although this may seem like the mint is dead, it is actually just dormant. Like many other plants, it will grow back in the spring, ready to be used again.

How to Help Mint Survive in the Winter

There are a few ways to help you with Mint plant care in the winter. These things vary depending on where you’re growing your mint, what you mean to do with it, how soon you mean to use it, and other variables as well. Read on to find out what’s right for you and your Mint plant:

Moving it inside for the winter months
Using a Cloche - A cloche is a small covering, usually transparent or translucent, that goes over an herb in the winter in order to protect it from colder temperatures. Older cloches were made from glass, while most modern cloches are a plastic material.
Cover the Mint in mulch to provide a layer on insulation and help keep it a bit warmer.

Mint Companion Planting - Other Herbs For Container Gardening

For container gardening, finding the right companion plant to go alongside Mint in the same container can be like a gardening windfall! Two plants, one container, where’s the downside? Well if you pick a herb or plant that Mint gets along with, absolutely no downsides!

First of all you need to make sure the container is large enough - even two good friends can’t share a one bedroom apartment for too long. Mint likes room to expand, and you will need a companion plant that can handle the competition!

Second, pick a friend who shares similar living habits and likes the same living conditions. Fighting over the heat controls and curtains isn’t fun for humans, and the same is true for plants.

Here is a list of other herbs which go very well with Mint in containers, either indoor or outdoor:

Mint Planted with Chives

Chives can grow fast enough to keep the Mint in its’ place. Chives have a mild onion flavor and can be a wonderful addition to your culinary endeavors.

Mint Planted with Basil

Mint and basil are both members of the mint family (Lamiaceae). While mint can be invasive, growing it in a container alongside basil can be a good way to control its spread.

Mint Planted with Oregano

Another member of the mint family, oregano, compliments Mint well. Both herbs share similar growing conditions.

Other Resources For Mint:

How To Use Mint As An Insect Repellent - This article covers how Mint can act as a deterrent to some harmful insects which can affect your garden or even the humans in the garden, such as mosquitos. Have a read and just maybe you will start to grow more Mint around your house - Hey more Mojitos, less Mosquitos! Catchy huh?

Article: How To Use Mint As A Natural Insect Repellent, by TheHerbCottage.com

How does High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields affect plants and herbs?

Find out with this article from the “National Center for Biotechnology Information - National Library of Medicine” article entitled “Plant Responses to High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields” with this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4769733/

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