This is an article about how to grow mint indoors and outdoors.

Mint can be grown successfully by anyone. It is perfect for busy (or lazy) gardeners. It is so hardy that even when ignored for days there are no adverse consequences. Frequent harvesting doesn’t matter, either. In fact, it invigorates and promotes healthy growth.

Where to Use Mint Leaves

Leaves from mint plants are most often used in teas, but they can even be consumed medicinally. Then there’s the zesty, refreshing flavor mint makes in a variety of culinary uses including yogurt, smoothies, and salads. Last but no least, let’s not forget that mint is a frequent ingredient in some of our favorite cocktails.

Selecting the right mint plant for you

With over 600 varieties of mint available, it can be difficult to know where to begin! A good place to start is with your basic peppermint or spearmint plants. Both of these are used widely in recipes from soups and sauces to cocktails and ice cream. The classic, instantly recognizable flavor of peppermint (Mentha x piperita) comes in a number of cultivars, has a stronger flavor than spearmint, lends itself readily to teas and desserts, and pairs perfectly with chocolate.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is my go-to for more savory dishes and makes a great addition to salads, chutneys, and soups, and is used to great effect in sweeter options as well (Wrigley’s anyone?). There’s even a “Mint Julep” variety of spearmint to elevate your Kentucky Derby Day festivities.

Other fun types include apple mint, which combines a mildly sweet mint flavor with a hint of apple that is perfect in salads or served with cut up fresh fruits, and lemon or orange mint which both have a refreshing citrusy flavor. Ginger mint and pineapple mint not only have appealing flavors, they have variegated leaves too, making both pretty options in the garden when planted alone or combined with colorful annuals. There’s even a chocolate mint! Isn’t chocolate one of the basic food groups?

How to grow mint in the garden

Here are a few simple practices to help your mint plants thrive while at the same time preventing them from running rampant through your veggie patch. Did I mention that mint is an aggressive spreader in the garden?

Mint performs best with full morning sun but with partial shade in the afternoon. It will grow 2-3 feet tall in good conditions. Site plants in a moist, but well-drained spot.

The plants form a network of underground stems, (stolons). These will overtake your perennial bed, herb garden, lawn, and life, if you let them! To rein in spreading, I always plant my mint in bottomless containers that are at least a foot deep and then buried in the ground, with only an inch or two sticking up above the surface.

If you do place them directly in the soil, space the plants two feet apart. Make sure they have enough room to send out runners. Mulching is recommended. It helps prevent the underground stems from running amok. Fortunately, roots are fairly shallow. If runners start to extend into areas where they’re not wanted, simply pull them up.

Sprouting mint after the rains – photo by Justin Youngman