Mint: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow mint outdoors?
To sow mint outdoors, choose a mild period after the risk of frost has passed, with soil that has warmed. Use a pot with drainage holes or a carefully prepared patch of moist, well-drained soil, in light sun or partial shade. Scatter the tiny seeds thinly over the surface and press them down gently without burying them deeply. Follow the seed packet's instructions. Water with a fine spray so you do not wash the seeds away, and keep the surface moist without waterlogging it.
Protect the sowing from heavy rain, drying winds and scorching sun. In cool conditions, starting seeds under cover in a bright place at around 20 °C is often easier. Once seedlings have several leaves, thin them or move them into individual pots, handling the roots gently. The spacing between established plants depends on the type; it is not a required distance between every seed. To keep the characteristics of a named variety, choose a plant, cutting or division of that variety. Grow mint in a pot if you want to limit its spread.
How to care for this plant
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Contain spreading rhizomes
Look for mint shoots spreading beyond their allotted space. If they crowd neighbouring crops, remove them with the accessible rhizomes rather than cutting them at ground level. In pots, also check for stems rooting outside the container.
When do you harvest mint?
Harvest mint during its growing season once the plant is established and has enough leaves. Cut young stems just above a pair of leaves, leaving enough foliage for regrowth. Pick small amounts regularly rather than stripping a young plant. Morning, after the dew has dried and before the heat builds up, is a good time to pick the leaves.
Keep fresh mint in the fridge for a few days. For longer storage, dry the leaves or small bunches in a dry, airy place out of direct sunlight. Wait until they are completely dry before placing them in an airtight container away from light. You can also freeze the leaves to use later in cooking.
Choose healthy, tender shoot tips rather than old, damaged leaves. Use clean scissors so you do not crush the stems, and sort your harvest before storing it. For drying, make small, well-spaced bunches: a large, tightly packed bundle stays damp in the middle. Never close a storage jar around leaves that are still soft and damp.
Mint
- Type : Aromatic plants
- Subtype : Leafy vegetables
- Botanical Family : Lamiaceae (labiate)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Perennial
- Exposure : Partial Shade
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
- Mature height : 30 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Plant Spacing : 10 cm
- Row Spacing : 25 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Division