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After reading these 9 reasons to grow a mint plant, you will definitely do it! Use the mint leaves in recipes, flower arrangements, to repel bugs, and more!
I’m not a life-long herb gardener…but I’ve planted herbs for long enough to know which ones I like and which ones I don’t. My three all-time favorite herbs are rosemary, basil, and mint. There are so many good qualities about all of these herbs, and they are all easy to grow. Even if you have never planted an herb in your life, I promise you can grow these three! If you want to start slow, I recommend beginning with mint. Read on for all the reasons why.
1. Mint is easy to grow and flourishes in containers.
As a perennial herb, mint plants sometimes get a bad rap because if planted in the ground, they can be very invasive. They tend to get carried away, and spread all over the place. The best way to avoid that is to place mint in a container. Make sure your containers have drainage holes, fertile soil, and several hours of sun per day. Adding a bit of compost is a good idea as well. All my herb gardening is done in containers, so I highly recommend it. Container gardening is convenient and perfect for herbs.
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2. Mint plants can be harvested constantly.
Mint grows quickly, so it’s important to harvest mint on a regular basis. Even if a plant is cut all the way back, it will recover itself in a matter of just a week or two. Mint produces runners, which are stems that grow downward, reaching back into the soil. These runners become new mint plants. When growing mint in containers, it’s important to quickly remove any diseased plants. Because it is a fast grower, mint is a great herb to preserve by drying or freezing. Freshly dried mint makes the best tea, and it can also be added to casseroles or used as a dry rub for lamb.
3. Mint can be grown in partial shade or full sun.
Another reason mint is so easy to grow is that it does well in full sun or part shade. So even if your deck or patio faces east, and doesn’t get full afternoon sun, you can still grow healthy and beautiful mint. Mint is a perennial, so it will come back, if the conditions are good. I have grown mint in containers for years, but it wasn’t until last growing season that it came back for the first time. I believe placing my container in full sun helped that happen. Previously, I grew mint on our deck, and it wasn’t in full sun. The mint grew well, but I had to replant every year.
4. There is literally no maintenance, except watering.
There is nothing you need to do to grow healthy mint plants, except water them. My method for planting is simple. I purchase small mint plants, and place them in fresh, fertilized potting soil. I try to water them regularly, especially in the hot weather. I admit that at times I forget, but the mint hangs in there! If you harvest your mint regularly, there is no need to pinch it back, which eliminates one more gardening chore. Watch out for mint rust, which is a fungus that displays orange spots on the mint leaves.
5. Use the mint leaves in delicious recipes.
The flavor of mint brightens the taste of many recipes for food and beverages. Here are some easy ideas for dishes featuring mint!
- Watermelon Mint Salad
- Mint Lemonade Spritzer (pictured above)
- Lavender Mint Tea
- Add mint to a sheet pan of vegetables for added flavor. Include new potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, fresh peas, or asparagus.
- Make mint ice cubes by placing fresh mint sprigs in the vessels of an ice cube tray. Fill the tray with water and freeze. Enjoy the mint cubes in drinks and cocktails.
6. Mint plants repel flies, moths, aphids, spider mites, and mosquitoes.
If you place your herb garden containers on your deck or patio, the scent of the various herbs, including mint, will act as a built-in bug repellent. The scent comes from the essential oil that is naturally in the herbs, and insects tend to avoid it. The more herbs you plant, the less pests you will have! On the plus side, pollinators and butterflies love mint, and the bees aren’t particular about the variety!
7. Mint can be grown indoors.
Even though it grows like crazy outdoors, mint can be grown indoors as well. Make sure to use a pot with good drainage and place the plant in the sun. I like to start herb plants in my kitchen in the early spring, and then move them outdoors when any chance of frost is past.
8. There are different types to choose from.
Here are just a few types of mint:
- Chocolate Mint
- Mojito Mint
- Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- Apple Mint
- Pineapple mint
- Eau de Cologne Mint (Mentha x piperita citrata)
9. It’s beautiful as a garnish or in flower arrangements.
Since mint grows so quickly, there may be times where you actually have too much. When that happens to me, I always harvest it, and use it in my garden flower arrangements. Not only does it add a wonderful touch of green, but fresh mint provides a scent that pairs beautifully with the flowers. Mint has sturdy stems, and it lasts for a long time.
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Mint sprigs also make the perfect garnish for salads, desserts, and drinks. It can take an ordinary dish and transform it into something lovely. I especially enjoy using it in drinks. Even plain water turns into something special when you add mint!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mint come back every year?
Yes. Mint is a perennial that when cut back in the fall, will appear again in the early summer.
Is mint a sun or shade plant?
Both! Mint prefers morning sun, and shade in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest.
How many hours of sunlight does mint need?
Mint does best when it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
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Also so easy to propagate. Cut stem, remove bottom leaves, pop in a clear vase….and roots come quickly and you have a new plant🙌
I love mint and always have it growing during the summer. After a trip to India, and later a trip to The Netherlands, I realized that you just pour boiling water over fresh mint (several good sized sprigs) for hot mint tea, which is my go-to winter tea. There is no need to use dried mint. In the winter I buy mint fairly frequently to use in cooking and garnishing. This is a great way to use the remainder of the store-bought packet.
I love this idea…thank you!
I have grown mint for years and love it! Sometimes I simply walk by it and gently run my hand (or foot) across it to smell it’s wonderful aroma. My challenge is that I grow so many types that I often have difficulty determining which one is which!
I’m going to give this a try, Ann! Growing mint in container. Thank you for the inspiring post!
Thank you once again for an inspiring post! I’ve added potting up herbs for the kitchen to my to do list 😄
Very informative. I plan to plant more of these herbs in pots.
Thank you!
Thank you! I just love your site!
I’ve been growing mint for a few years now and am excited to try your suggestions
Thank you
Theresa
Ann,
I love mint and do grow it on my deck. It has been coming back for about 3 yrs without me replanting. I drop leaves into my iced tea, lemonade, and several recipes for pork and chicken. I love to put small stems in tiny vases. I do have to be careful or my cat likes to sniff them and knock them over. Thanks for inspiring others to grow plants including MINT!
I have tried to grow mint so many times. I have two plants that I recently bought a n d had them in the window but looked like they were not doing well so I moved them to my patio outside. I hope they survive, love mint in my ice tea!
This is a lovely article with very convincing reasons to grow mint!
The two ways I use it most are as a garnish for drinks, desserts, and other dishes, and in sweet floral bouquets for my powder room for a fresh fragrance.
So funny you shared this today! My mom passed away in nov, and I was just back at her home in Ohio to pack it up for sale which was hard. She always grew mint around her patio and would add it into her homemade sun steeped sweet tea. I grabbed some up to bring back home with me to enjoy the sane and remember her. ♥️Thanks for the ideas.
Where did you find those cute herb markers to put in your pots?!
I adore chocolate mint and have been growing it for years!!! I can’t wait to see it spring out of the ground so I can add to my water pitcher! You can’t find more refreshing water than that with chocolate mint or spearmint added to it! And, bonus, the chocolate mint curbs my chocolate cravings……at least that’s what I’m telling myself!
My grandmother had mint in her garden next to her garden hose. A tiny drip kept it well watered in the summertime. It was so flavorful in iced tea or ice water. I recently dug some mint out of our flowerbed because it was taking over. I may plant more near our patio to keep insects away. I, too, love rosemary and basil.
OOOOOO did you say mojito mint? My favorite drink
I have had success growing mint in the past. But, since moving last year to a new town and house it hasn’t been a priority. Thanks for this blog. I’m going to have lovely refreshing mint all summer -and I’ll need it-I live in Florida!
Be blessed.
In my first house,I planted mint in the ground and it did take over.Not a lover of mint but it does look pretty mixed with flowers with an added bonus as bug repellent.
Meadow Tea is a Lancaster, PA staple. You can find the recipe online. I haven’t tried it yet….this is my first year growing mint :-) Thanks for the great tips, Ann!
Hi Shelly…I’m googling Meadow Tea now. Thank you!
My mint was still green and thriving during the winter! You really can’t kill it. I love using it in most beverages and it holds up so well without wilting.
Mosquitoes love me so #6 is my favorite reason to grow this herb!
I have had an herb garden for 20+ years. Love the mints. Another trick with mints is to watch for runners and clip them. Also clip off flower heads when they start to form. This keeps them the leaves from getting tough. I put holes in the bottoms of pots and plant in the garden. Helps them from overtaking.
I love Spearmint in my ice tea. I grow it on my patio, but our Texas sun is relentless. Have to water twice a day in the summer time.
How timely. My 20 year old mint “strawberry pot” just fell apart and I was sitting at breakfast thinking what pot to use next! Mint is my favorite herb to grow – always a success.
Mint is a great addition to my container herb garden on the deck. Love to use it in ice tea, to make jelly to use with lamb, and as an addition to bouquets. Also makes such a pretty garnish for my lemon pound cake.
Hi Kathy! Thank you so much for writing. Would you mind sharing your jelly recipe? Just email me at ann@onsuttonplace.com. I would love to make some!