Cultural Tips for Growing Mint
In This Guide
Site selection
Mint grows best if the plant receives full sun to partial shade (at least 4 to 6 hours a day). Try to plant away from areas that will be watered by lawn sprinklers. Whenever possible, select a location that is not heavily infested with weeds, especially weeds that can be hard to control with hand weeding. Also avoid areas that have had previous disease problems. Planting on level ground may be easier to work on than sloping ground.
Herbs will do well on a wide range of soils and especially in well-drained soils. If your soil forms a clump when squeezed, then it is too wet; if the soil crumbles easily, it is a good soil to use. Damp soil surfaces encourage snails, slugs, sowbugs, and diseases.
Adding organic matter (compost, peat moss, manure, sawdust, ground bark) makes clay and sandy soils easier to work with. The soil should be kept at a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. Lime or gypsum can be added to soils low in calcium.
Soil recommendation
Mint can become very invasive and is best grown in a container with well-drained soil.
Soil preparation
The preparation of your soil is just as important as adding fertilizer and soil amendments. Before working the soil, make sure it is moist but not thoroughly wet.
- Use a shovel, rototiller, metal bow rake, or all of them together to loosen the top 1 to 2 inches of soil. Rake the area to remove weeds and old crop debris. Be sure to dig out roots.
- Irrigate the plot deeply to encourage the germination of weed seeds.
- In a week or two, after a substantial number of weeds have germinated, work the area again to kill the weed seedlings. Be sure to break up the clods in the soil, as seeds planted in cloddy soil will germinate poorly and won't live long because the soil dries too quickly.
- Form soil into beds if desired, and plant while soil is still wet.
Time to plant
Mint is a perennial herb that can be transplanted or grown from seed. Because mint can be sensitive to frost, seeds can be started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost in spring. Transplants should be planted once the danger of frost has passed.
| Planting Dates for Mint in California* |
North and North Coast
Monterey County north |
March – April |
South Coast
San Luis Obispo County south |
April – June |
Interior Valleys
Sacramento, San Joaquin valleys |
March – April |
Desert Valleys
Imperial and Coachella valleys |
May |
| *Planting dates are only approximate as the climate may vary greatly within the regions denoted. Contact your local UC Master Gardener program and experiment on your own to find more precise dates. |
Planting Mint
Plant mint in areas that have partial to full sun. Mint can be very invasive. Grow in containers to manage spread. Plants that have outgrown their pots can be divided or cut into sections and replanted in new pots with fresh soil.
Fertilizing
It may not be necessary to add fertilizers or amendments when growing herbs in well-amended soil.
Watering Mint
Proper watering is very important. Drip irrigation instead of using sprinklers will keep your soils well drained and protect against diseases such as root rot. Keep the root zone moist and take care not to overwater to the extent that soils are soggy.
Harvesting and Storing Mint
Harvest leaves individual or clip stems at the base. Mint can be used fresh or dried to preserve for later use. Fresh mint can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week. To prevent mint from spreading, remove flowers before they set seed.
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