Mint Plant: How to Grow Mint in Pots, Indoors and Outdoors

Grow mint indoors in a pot in a sunny window facing south or west, and water once the mix feels dry to the touch. Start from a cutting, root piece or young plant, since seedlings often fail to come true to type.

The mint plant (Mentha) is usually a hardy perennial that spreads underground, and mints can become invasive if not confined. Every mint page below puts it in a pot or behind a barrier; they differ on the size and on how much sun mint wants.

Mint at a glance

Plant type	Hardy perennial; most garden-grown mints hardy to zone 5, and mint generally hardy to -20 F (some species, in one guide)
Sun	Full sun to partial shade; more shade where summers are hot
Soil	Rich and moist; pH 6.5, or 6.0 to 7.0 for peppermint
Pot	About 12 to 16 inches across, with drainage holes
Spacing in beds	About 12 to 18 inches
Start from	Cuttings, roots or transplants; seedlings often do not come true
Water	Up to 1 to 2 inches a week, without overwatering
First harvest	Once plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, or at 4 to 6 inches of new growth
Pets	Listed as a problem for cats, dogs and horses (see below)
Divide	Every 2 to 4 years in beds; every year in pots

Spearmint, peppermint and other mints to grow

Spearmint and peppermint are the most common mints, and the ones most often grown for the kitchen. Taste and smell vary greatly between varieties, so choose with care.

• Spearmint (Mentha spicata). Pointed, slightly crinkled leaves, a lighter green than peppermint, with a sweet smell and a sweet, mild flavor; 1 to 2 feet tall.
• Peppermint (Mentha x piperita). A cross of spearmint and watermint with more menthol, so it tastes stronger and cooler. It rarely sets seed.
• Apple and pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens). Fruity in scent and 2 to 3 feet tall. Pineapple mint's leaves are typically edged in cream; cut out stems coming up solid green, since they outgrow the variegated ones and would leave plain apple mint.
• Chocolate, orange, ginger and curly mint. 1 to 2 feet tall, ginger mint about 1 foot.
• Corsican mint (Mentha requienii). Considered the least rampant mint: a groundcover up to 4 inches tall, listed as hardy to zone (5)6.

Cold. Spearmint is rated hardy to zone 4a or to zone 5, peppermint to zone 5 (5a), and both are listed up to zone 9b.

Why mint should grow in a pot

Grow mint in a pot because its roots travel and it is hard to remove once it settles in. Mints spread aggressively by underground rhizomes, and spearmint's square stems can take root anywhere they touch soil. In open beds mint spreads quickly, crowds out most garden plants and, once established, is very hard to eradicate. Pulling, mowing or tilling only chops the stems into pieces that grow into new plants.

Mint is often grown in a container, and the sizes given differ:

Pot size for mint

Size given for	Pot	Note
Mint	About 12 to 16 inches across	Cut runners that creep over the rim
Peppermint	12 to 16 inches wide	To help control its spread
The smallest class of a container chart	At least 1 to 3 gallons of mix, 4 to 6 inches deep	Shared with basil, cilantro and thyme
Small herbs, mint among them	2 to 5 gallons	A range they grow well in
Any herb grown indoors	At least 6 inches across, with a drainage hole	The indoor minimum
Mint already in a pot	Not given	Divide and repot it every year

The two gallon figures are different kinds of number: 1 to 3 gallons is a minimum for small plants, while 2 to 5 gallons is a range small herbs grow well in. In our reading, a pot 12 to 16 inches across is the size named for mint itself.

Stand mint pots on a hard surface, so roots cannot slip out through the drainage hole into the garden. Every pot still needs drainage holes, and potted mint needs water more often and an occasional feeding, since a pot runs short of nutrients sooner than garden soil.

How to grow mint indoors

Indoors, give mint the brightest window you have, water when the top of the mix has dried, and feed it lightly. Mint is among the herbs that cope with the lower light, dry air and cool rooms of a house. Light targets vary:

Light for herbs grown indoors

Light	What is given	Note
Window	South or west	A bright east window can work too
Direct sun	Ideally 4 to 6 hours; at least 6, or around 8, for most herbs	Mint tolerates a little less light than most herbs
Under grow lights	About 12 to 16 hours a day	On a timer; 12 to 14 hours under fluorescent tubes
Light distance	6 to 12 inches from the leaves	Within that range for higher light intensity

1. Pot it in a well-drained potting mix, in a container with drainage holes, one kind of herb to a pot.
2. Water once the mix feels dry to the touch, or is dry 1/2 inch down, before the plant wilts; steady wetness encourages root rot, above all indoors.
3. Keep the room at 60 to 70 F, away from heat vents. A tray of pebbles and water adds humidity, and a small fan's air flow can curb disease.
4. Feed lightly. One schedule uses a general fertilizer at half or a quarter of full strength from early spring through summer, and none in winter; another feeds indoor herbs at half strength every six weeks; a third feeds every two weeks at the label rate and warns that too much fertilizer can dull aroma and taste.
5. Harvest by taking the top one-third of the growth, as with other perennial herbs.

A potted mint that spends the winter inside can go back out in late spring once the weather warms.

Pets. NC State's plant pages list spearmint and peppermint as a problem for cats, dogs and horses, without further detail. For people, they rate poisoning severity as low: vomiting and diarrhea with large ingestions, from the essential oils.

Planting mint outdoors without letting it spread

Plant mint outdoors early in the growing season, inside a barrier whose rim stands above the soil, so runners must climb over where you can cut them. Perennial herbs in general can also go in during fall or early spring, where possible, to establish before summer.

Sinking a pot. Knock the base out of a plastic pot, or use another container, and sink it with the rim 1 to 4 inches above the soil: about an inch in one method, 3 to 4 inches in another. Runners must then cross the lip, where you trim them before they root. Barriers go 10 to 15 inches deep. Not every source trusts this: sunken bottomless containers do not always succeed, and mint can escape them, so one guide strongly suggests containers above ground instead.

Other options: a raised bed, which gives drainage and helps control spearmint's spread, or a bed of its own.

Spacing and soil. Space plants about 12 to 18 inches apart, with rows at least 2 feet apart. Set transplants with their roots just under the surface, in rich, moist, slightly acidic soil amended with compost. The pH given is 6.5 for mints, or 6.0 to 7.0 for peppermint. Pineapple mint is the exception: it turns floppy in rich soil and does well in lean ground.

Winter. In severe winters, protect mint with a mulch of straw or pine needles; hardy perennial herbs get 2 to 5 inches of mulch.

What to plant with mint

In containers, group mint with basil, parsley and cilantro, which need more consistent root moisture than lavender, oregano, rosemary and thyme, herbs that like to dry out between waterings. Opinions split on mint as a pest repellent. One list of companion research findings says slugs avoid mint, rosemary and thyme, and another extension says mint repels white cabbage moths, though it does not generally recommend companion planting for pest control. Others say field research has not borne out mint's pest-repelling reputation, or that there is not yet enough research behind strong-scented herb pairings. When it flowers, mint draws bees, butterflies and other pollinators. See our companion planting chart.

Watering, sun and cutting back mint

Keep mint's soil moist but not soggy, give it sun for at least part of the day, and cut it back during the season.

Sun. Mint grows in full sun to partial shade, and one guide prefers full sun, tolerating light shade. Spearmint takes full sun to part shade. Peppermint grows in sun or shade, probably most productive in full sun, and copes with shadier spots on as little as three hours of sun a day. In South Carolina mint gets part shade, like parsley, and in Florida light or part shade. Pineapple mint wants full sun where it is cool and some shade where it is hot, or the leaves burn. In our reading, the hotter the summer, the more shade mint is given.

Water. Supply up to 1 to 2 inches a week, depending on heat, exposure and soil; overwatering leads to disease, and drip irrigation keeps the leaves dry. Water in dry spells and mulch to help hold moisture; leaf edges often brown in hot, dry weather. Outdoor pots of herbs may need water daily in hot weather.

Feeding. In the ground, one early spring feeding as growth resumes supplies enough: one teaspoon of a slow-release 16-16-16 fertilizer per plant, worked into the soil. Too much water and fertilizer promote rust and lower the plant's mint oil.

Cutting back. One approach cuts plants to within an inch of the soil two or three times a season, just before bloom, and finds a mint plant very difficult to over-prune; another caps each cut at one-third of the plant (see the harvest section). Flowering lowers the oil content of the leaves, so pinch blossoms as they show; you can remove flower spikes as they appear, and spearmint can be sheared after bloom to bring on fresh leafy growth. Before winter, cut each plant to the ground, which discourages pests and disease.

Renewal. Divide established mint in beds every 2 to 4 years, and potted mint every year. When old plants turn woody, take them out so younger stems can fill in.

Mint rust and other problems

Rust is the one disease every mint disease list here includes. It starts as small whitish, slightly raised spots on the undersides of leaves that turn reddish orange or brown. Keep leaves from staying wet overnight: water by drip, or overhead before midday. Rust and leaf spot occur occasionally, especially on crowded plants with poor air flow; spacing, sanitation and removing infected leaves help.

Aphids, spider mites and similar minor pests rarely cause serious damage. Flea beetles and cutworms also turn up: hose aphids off with a strong jet of water, cover plants with row covers in spring against flea beetles, and put collars around plants against cutworms. Traditional pesticides are not labeled for culinary herbs.

How to harvest mint leaves

Pick mint leaves and stem tips as you need them, and pick often. Frequent cutting brings more new growth, and the new growth carries the most flavorful leaves. Start once plants are 3 to 4 inches tall; for perennial herbs in general, the cue is 4 to 6 inches of growth.

Cut with a sharp knife or scissors on a dry morning, early or late, once the dew has dried and before the heat of the day.

How much to cut. The advice runs from a third of the plant to nearly all of it:

• Indoor herbs: the top one-third of a perennial herb such as mint.
• Perennial herbs outdoors: never more than 1/3 at a time, though mints can be cut to the ground once the season ends.
• Herbs in general: up to three-quarters of the season's growth.
• Mint in beds: stems cut to within an inch of the soil, two or three times a season.

For drying. Cut leaves just as flowering begins, or just before or as the flower buds form, several inches above the soil, leaving foliage to regrow.

Keeping it fresh. A bunch keeps 3 to 7 days in a glass of water, or up to a week in the refrigerator, standing in water or wrapped dry in plastic.

Drying and freezing. Mint is a tender-leaf herb whose moist leaves mold if not dried quickly, so dry it somewhere dark and dry, or the leaves darken and mold. Hang stems upside down in a hot, shady spot until brittle, or spread them on a screen in the shade, and store dried mint airtight for up to 1 year. Freezing advice differs: one guide says single leaves do not freeze well and freezes chopped leaves in water in ice cube trays, while another says mint freezes well.

How to grow mint from cuttings

Cut a stem tip, strip its lower leaves and set it in water or moist potting mix; mint stem cuttings root readily in either. Mint also grows from root cuttings, divisions and layered stems, and runners can be dug up and replanted.

The steps below follow a general method for herbaceous stem cuttings that lists mint among the perennials suited to it:

1. With a clean, sharp knife, take a stem tip 2 to 4 inches long.
2. Strip the lower half of the cutting bare of leaves.
3. Stand the bare end in water, or insert it in a container of moist perlite. A rooting hormone is optional; not all cuttings need one.
4. For perlite, tent it with a clear plastic bag, set it in indirect light and keep the perlite moist.
5. Pot each cutting up once its roots reach at least 1 inch. Most herbaceous cuttings root in 4 to 6 weeks.

Dividing a clump. Split a mature plant in spring before growth starts or in early fall. Creeping herbs such as mint are dug while dormant, in spring or autumn, and the clump is cut apart with a sharp knife.

Why not seed. Mints readily hybridize, so seedlings often fail to match their parent and may differ in flavor and vigor. Mint is seldom grown from seed, because the other methods take less work.

Mint plants and supplies

Start with a plant whose scent you know: an established plant from a reputable source, a cutting from a known plant, or a division of an established one. If you do sow seed, cover it 1/4 inch deep and thin the seedlings once they emerge.

Choose a pot about 12 to 16 inches across with drainage holes. A self-watering container is another route, well suited to edible plants: a reservoir under the mix that roots can reach means you water less often.

What you'll need for mint

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• 

  RooTrimmer 12 Inch Plastic Nursery Pots with Drainage Holes

  Choose a pot about 12 to 16 inches across with drainage holes.

  Check price on Amazon
• 

  KUGAZ 12 Inch Self Watering Pot with Drainage Holes

  A self-watering container is another route, well suited to edible plants: a reservoir under the mix that roots can reach means you water less often.

  Check price on Amazon

Sources we used

Every mint number above comes from our saved copy of a page in this list (read October 2026). Where the pages disagree, the text above shows the spread of figures or names both views.

• "Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 1311: Herbs"
• "University of Maryland Extension: Growing Mint in a Home Garden", "Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables", "Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables" and "Vegetable Succession and Companion Planting"
• "Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Mint in Your Garden"
• "Iowa State University Extension: Growing Mint in the Home Garden", "Growing Herbs Indoors", "Can I grow herbs indoors over the winter?" and "Propagating Herbaceous Plants from Stem Cuttings"
• "University of Illinois Extension: Herb Gardening, Mint", "Mints, Friend or Foe?" and "Herbs all winter: grow them indoors"
• "NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Mentha spicata", "Mentha x piperita" and "Extension Gardener Handbook, Vegetable Gardening"
• "UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Mint"
• "University of Wisconsin Extension: Pineapple Mint"
• "University of Minnesota Extension: Growing herbs in home gardens"
• "UNH Extension: The Herb Garden"
• "National Center for Home Food Preservation: Drying Herbs"
• "Washington State University Extension: Gardening with Companion Plants" and "Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting"

Related guides

• Fungus gnats in houseplant pots, a pest of the damp mix that indoor mint is kept in.
• Rosemary in pots, a dry-soil herb to pot apart from mint.
• How to grow cilantro, an herb to group with mint in containers for its steady thirst.
• How to grow spinach, which a container chart puts in the same small pot class as mint.
• How to grow radishes, another crop for the smallest containers.
• How to grow Swiss chard, which the chart lists in that small class too (and, as chard, one size up).
• How to grow tomatoes, which the same chart gives a far bigger pot, at least 8 to 10 gallons.
• Companion planting chart, on what research says about scented herbs and pests.
• Pothos care and wandering jew plant, two trailing houseplants started from stem cuttings.

Frequently asked questions

Why should mint be planted in a pot?

Mint spreads aggressively and can take over a bed, so grow it in a pot, or in a bottomless pot sunk with its rim 1 to 4 inches above the soil so stray runners can be trimmed. Sunken containers go 10 to 15 inches deep, though they do not always hold mint.

How do you harvest mint so it keeps growing?

Pick leaves and leafy stem tips often, since regular harvesting encourages bushy, full growth. Start once plants are 3 to 4 inches tall. In beds, stems can be cut within an inch of the soil two or three times a season, though some growers never take over a third at once. Indoors, take only the top third of the plant.

Can you grow mint from cuttings?

Yes, mint stem cuttings root in water or moist potting mix, and a mature plant can also be divided. Both methods give a plant identical to its parent. Seed may not: mints hybridize so readily that seedlings often fail to come true to type.

How much sun does mint need?

Mint grows in full sun to partial shade, and in our reading the advice leans shadier where summers are hot. Peppermint can manage on as little as three hours of sun a day. Indoors, use your sunniest window.

How often should you water mint?

Water mint regularly, up to 1 to 2 inches a week depending on heat and soil; overwatering leads to disease. Pots need water more often. Indoors, water when the mix feels dry to the touch, before the plant wilts.

Does mint come back every year?

Yes, mint is a hardy perennial: most mints grown in gardens are hardy to USDA zone 5, and mint is generally hardy to -20 F, though one guide says only some species are. Cut plants to the ground before winter, and in severe winters mulch them with straw or pine needles.

Should you let mint flower?

Not if flavor is the goal: once mint blooms, the oil content in its leaves decreases and they taste weaker. Pinch blossoms as they show, or cut plants back before bloom. Removing flower spikes keeps the flavor, though the flowers do draw bees and butterflies.

What are the orange spots on mint leaves?

Raised spots on leaf undersides that start whitish and turn reddish orange or brown are mint rust. Keep leaves from staying wet overnight by watering with drip or before midday. Rust occasionally shows up, especially where plants are crowded, so space them and remove infected leaves.