Growing Mint, also Garden mint

Mentha spicata : Lamiaceae / the mint family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S                    
      T                
      P P              

(Best months for growing Mint in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Grow in trays and plant out or start from cuttings. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 70°F and 75°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-12 weeks. Cut leaves from top with scissors.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cabbages, Tomatoes

Your comments and tips

29 Nov 12, Kathy Mottley (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi. I have small black bugs on my mint plant which are eating the leaves and also seem to be leaving a brown mark on the leaves. How can I get rid of them?
28 Dec 12, Anne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Kathy, sounds like these could be aphids or mites (if so, they are sap suckers). First plan of attack I use is to hose them off with a strong jet of water. If they return, then the next day I do the same. If they return a third time, I use Eco-Oil to suffocate them. It's a certified organic oil based solution that you spray onto the leaves. The company I get it from is www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au and it's a great emergency product for organic gardeners for those stubborn problems. Other than that, I also address the health of the plant and soil. Pests generally only attack plants that are unhealthy so I add rock minerals, give the plant a fish/seaweed 'tonic' to boost them with trace elements, check soil moisture is adequate and mulch well. Hope this helps!
16 Jan 13, Justine (Australia - temperate climate)
A few weeks after planting my mint I have noticed that something has been eating the leaves. A lot of the leaves have sharp cuts into the leaves. I'm thinking a bird might be eating them? We have lots of rosellas and we have pigeons in the area.
24 Mar 14, Col (Australia - temperate climate)
Bright green caterpillars. Put some white butchers paper under the plants and look for black poo
06 Apr 14, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I live in South Australia and my mint has been eaten by a bright green caterpillar, have also noticed the black poo on some leaves, how do I get rid of future caterpillars is there something natural I can do to stop them coming back. Please help as my mint was thriving last week but now is full of holes and the leaves have been stripped bare. :-(
26 Jan 13, Sue (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Something is eating my mint at night time , I put snail and slug pellets down but whatever is eating it the pellets arnt working, the bugs have nearly stripped all the leaves bare just leaving the storks.
02 Jun 13, Meg (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Sue The same thing happened to my mint and lemon balm. I looked very closely at the remaining mint plant and I finally noticed a bright green caterpillar on a stalk. It was extremely well hidden against the green stalk! I picked it off and found one more. The lemon balm had a slightly curled leaf, which upon inspection, was a home to a well protected heap of caterpillar eggs. Dipel will get rid of them, but if plant is small you can look for pests and pick them off. Good luck!
27 Jul 14, (Australia - temperate climate)
I had the same problem for the last two winters. Late one night I went to the mint growing box with a flashlight and voila I found all my mint covered in little green caterpillars. I have no idea what they were, but spent an hour or so for the next couple of nights picking them off. The caterpillars will not be found during the day and are hard to see of a night but persistence is the key. Happy hunting!! John
04 Mar 13, Mark (Australia - temperate climate)
you could try a garlic oil recipe for a bottle sprayer. I have tried making it before and always works well, although I usually make two mistakes. First, I never make enough, second I always forget to strain it properly and my sprayer gets clogged up.
16 May 13, John (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Mint. Note the comment under growing notes. Mint WILL attempt to take over your garden! Which can be an advantage : ) or disadvantage : (
Showing 11 - 20 of 96 comments

Have you had frost lately Phil? Frost can make the leaves (particularly new ones) go black.

- Stevee

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.