Spearmint with textured green leaves and serrated edges.
Photo: Forest-and-Kim-Starr · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Mentha spica”. Cropped for display.
Plant Care Steps · Growing guideplantcaresteps.com/plants/mint/

Herbs · A separate pot on a patio or porch

Let’s grow
mint.

Share this guideWhatsAppPinterest

Mentha spicata

This plan is for Spearmint

Light: A bright spot with morning sun is a useful starting place.

Planting steps ↓

This is the outdoor spearmint pot. For a window, use how to grow mint indoors. Extra leaves can go to how to dry herbs.

YOUR SIMPLE GROWING PLAN

One pot. Here’s the plan.

Before you start Give mint its own outdoor pot, and protect a newly bought plant's tender growth if frost is forecast.

What you need · pot, mix & supplies
  • One 3-gallon pot with drainage
  • 1 spearmint nursery plant
  • Fresh potting mix and scissors

The soil

Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix (US, feeds for up to 2 months)

A separate pot on a patio or porch. Start with nursery start.

THE POT3-gallon pot

Keep it separate; mint spreads vigorously in a garden.

HOW MANY1 nursery start

Choose labeled spearmint for this recipe.

See the planting illustration
Illustrated starting setup: 3-gallon pot; 1 nursery start.
3-gallon pot · 1 nursery start Keep it separate; mint spreads vigorously in a garden. Choose labeled spearmint for this recipe. Original illustration; not to scale.
  1. 01

    Give mint its own home

    Place the pot on a patio or another surface where escaping runners are easy to spot.

  2. 02

    Plant at the same depth

    Keep the top of the root ball level with the new mix. Water thoroughly.

  3. 03

    Check the pot daily

    Feel the mix before adding water. Tip away water collected in the saucer.

  4. 04

    Harvest the tips

    Once growth is established, snip young stems for the kitchen. Keep enough leaves for regrowth.

Other ways to start
Divide an existing plant+

Separate a rooted section from an established, healthy mint plant and pot it up at its previous depth. Keep it moist while it settles in.

YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE

Water & fertilizer at a glance.

Water when
Check each morning. Water when the top inch is dry; keep deeper roots lightly moist and drain excess water. Empty the saucer or outer pot after draining.
Fertilizer
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food (US 24-8-16)
Amount
1½ teaspoons in 1 US gallon of water
What that amount covers
Mix into water. Apply only enough solution to wet this pot and drain; the mixing batch is not the amount to pour on.
How often to feed
Every 3–4 weeks outdoors.
When to start or pause
Wait until the fresh mix’s starter feed is spent. Feed only during active growth; pause when growth stops.

Half the product’s outdoor concentration; use this lighter herb recipe after starter feed ends.

Product directions ↗

Use level measures and the exact US formula shown. If your label differs, follow it; do not transfer this dose to another formula or combine feeding programs.

See the watering & feeding illustrations
A soil check followed by slow root watering and free drainage.
Check before watering. Check each morning. Water when the top inch is dry; keep deeper roots lightly moist and drain excess water. Original illustration; not to scale.
Fertilizer measure for Mint: 1½ teaspoons in 1 US gallon of water. Mix into water. Apply only enough solution to wet this pot and drain; the mixing batch is not the amount to pour on.
1½ teaspoons in 1 US gallon of water Mix into water. Apply only enough solution to wet this pot and drain; the mixing batch is not the amount to pour on. Every 3–4 weeks outdoors. Wait until the fresh mix’s starter feed is spent. Feed only during active growth; pause when growth stops. Original illustration; not to scale.
Illustrated reference for Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose, US 24-8-16; not actual packaging.

US PRODUCT REFERENCE

Miracle-Gro

Water Soluble All Purpose

24-8-16

Soluble: mix into water

Check the official US product ↗

Illustrated reference; check the manufacturer’s current packaging and US label.

When to start picking mint
03 / WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Once the plant has settled in and stems reach about 3–4 inches, you can begin taking small cuttings.

Choosing and protecting a nursery start

A nursery start is the easiest way to keep the flavor true to the label. Protect newly bought tender growth from frost.

For regional planting windows, find your local Cooperative Extension office ↗.

Something looking off?

Can I put mint straight in my raised bed?+

It spreads aggressively. A separate container is the easier option if you do not want it competing with everything around it.

Does a pot stop it spreading forever?+

No. Watch for stems or roots escaping drainage holes, and move or divide the plant before it roots into nearby soil.

Which mint should I buy?+

This recipe uses spearmint. Peppermint and other mints have different flavors; buy a clearly labeled nursery plant.

Choosing and containing mint
Choose a named mint for its flavor

Mints are a varied group. Buying a named plant gives you a more predictable flavor than an unlabeled seed mixture.

Trim runners and divide a crowded plant

Check the pot edge for runners, trim what you will use, and remove damaged foliage. Divide an overcrowded plant rather than forcing ever more growth with fertilizer.

Sources, dates & detailed PDF

Editorial plans, not results from a Plant Care Steps growing trial. Compiled with AI assistance; they have not yet had an independent horticultural review. Editorial approach.

Something needs updating? Suggest a correction

Published · Updated

By jennyzhuang

Sources checked View sources ↗

Detailed PDF ↓

Full reference edition with expanded explanations and illustrations. Its publication dates appear in the file.

Was this helpful?

One vote on this page is saved in this browser. We store the vote, not your name.

Tried this?

Room for one more?

All plants →
Bright green basil leaves with new growth at the stem tips.Herbs

Basil

Sweet or Genovese basil
Nursery startWarm weather
See the growing steps
A clump of common chives with slender green leaves and round purple flower heads.Herbs

Chives

Common onion chives
Nursery clumpPerennial herb
See the growing steps
Fresh cilantro plants with bright green lobed leaves in nursery pots.Herbs

Cilantro

Slow-bolting leaf cilantro
SeedsCool weather
See the growing steps

Soil: Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix (US, feeds for up to 2 months)

By jennyzhuang

Sources checked View sources ↗

Published · Updated

Read the online Sources section for linked references and the full reference PDF.

Comments

Ask a question or share what worked for your plants.

New posts, replies and edits are reviewed before they appear publicly.

Accounts and community contributions are not available yet. You can keep reading and follow RSS.

Plant Care Steps · Care card

Mint

Mentha spicata

Water
Check each morning. Water when the top inch is dry; keep deeper roots lightly moist and drain excess water.
Light
Sun or part shade. A bright spot with morning sun is a useful starting place.
Temperature
Outdoor herb. A separate pot on a patio or porch
Common problems
Can I put mint straight in my raised bed. It spreads aggressively. A separate container is the easier option if you do not want it competing with everything around it.