Mint
A wonderfully aromatic and versatile herb, perfect for drinks, desserts, and savoury dishes. Mint is incredibly easy to grow but can be invasive, so container growing is often recommended.
Mint (Young plant)
£3.99 in the shop
Calendar
Sow
March – May indoors, or April – June direct outdoors
Plant out
April – July, plant out seedlings or rooted cuttings
Harvest
May – October (leaves), year-round if grown indoors
Conditions
Sun
Partial shade to full sun, tolerates varied conditions
Water
Keep consistently moist; mint prefers damp conditions but not waterlogged soil
Soil
Moist, rich, well-drained soil, pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing
30-45cm (12-18 inches) apart, or contained in pots
Containers
Highly recommended for containers (20cm+ diameter) to control spread
Indoors
Excellent indoors on a bright windowsill, can be harvested year-round
Care and harvest
Feeding
Minimal feeding needed; a balanced liquid feed every 4-6 weeks if in pots
Pruning
Pinch back regularly to encourage bushy growth and prevent flowering; cut back hard in autumn
Harvesting
Snip stems and leaves as needed, pick before flowering for best flavour
Storage
Keep stems in water in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze chopped in ice cube trays
Good companions: Tomatoes, Cabbage, Peas