Why should you plant Mint indoors? The taste and smell of the Mint is incredibly refreshing! Many people prefer to grow their Mint as a potted plant indoors. Wise choice! It’s a vigorous plant, thriving well in a potted environment indoors. You can benefit from enjoying fresh Mint year-round in the comfort of your home.
Begin with a starter Mint plant from a local nursery or a division root or stem cutting. For best results of growing Mint indoors from a seedling, choose a container or pot, suitable soil, plant your mint seedling – in the ground, in water, or hydroponically. Give attention to Location, sunlight, water, fertilization, humidity, pinch, prune, remove mint flowers, and harvest.
Growing Mint Indoors:
To be successful at growing Mint indoors, follow a few simple steps. Growing and planting such herb plants is easy. You could plant Mint indoors in a pot of soil or even in a water bottle.
Considering how to grow Mint indoors, your thoughts might first turn to obtaining Mint plants. You might have several options.
Here are the three methods for obtaining Mint plants for growing indoors:
1. To purchase a starter Mint plant from a local nursery. However, most nurseries carry herb plants only in the spring.
2. Obtaining an indoor Mint plant from a division root. This is one method of propagating your Mint plant. It is easy for you if you already have one growing in a pot or on the ground. Just pot it up, and then bring it indoors.
If there is a section of root attached to a stem, it is viable for division. Either way, you can start with a large division or a small one.
This herb grows fast; not to worry, even if you start with a small division. You will be surprised, and before you know it, the Mint plant will fill your pot.
3. Obtaining an indoor Mint plant from a stem cutting. This growing Mint indoors requires a mint stem about 3 inches long. This method of Mint cuttings quickly takes root and is the most common way of propagation.
- Cut the stem below a node, where a leaf grows in a plant.
- Remove the lowest leaves.
- stick a few cuttings into a pot with moist potting soil.
- Place it out of direct sunlight for about a week to allow it to root and adjust to its new environment.
- You can also use a rooting hormone as an option. It will speed up the rooting process if you want, but it is not necessary at all.
Indeed, the Mint plant practically grows itself and is a vigorous perennial grower. It is easier and more reliable to propagate a new Mint plant rather than to sow a new plant from seed.
Foremost, there are also 3 primary ways to grow Mint as an indoor plant. Keep reading as we further discuss these 3 ways or options:
1. In soil.
2. In water.
3. Hydroponically.
Most homes ideally are well suited for growing indoor plants and herbs. These houseplants prefer warm, sunny locations and thrive when given optimum conditions.
Top Growing Methods for Best Results to Grow Mint Indoors.
To maximize the growth of your indoor Mint plants, you have to provide them with these growing methods for the best results.
Buy your Mint seedling.
This kind of herb does best when grown into a new plant rather than planting a new plant from seeds. There are many varieties of Mint, and all of them are perfect for indoor gardening.
Some gardeners recommend the most popular varieties such as sweet Mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, lemon mint, apple mint, and peppermint.
You could choose which variety you like the most and buy it from your local nursery store. The best Mint seedling to start with is at least 4 inches tall.
Choosing a container or pot.
It is much better to choose a wide container or pot. A Mint seedling requires a container or pot at least 12 inches wide. Decorative ceramic pots are perfect but plastic pots do work well too. Just avoid using clay pots because they dry out too quickly.
A container or pot must have adequate holes to avoid root rot and promote the growth of your seedling.
Soil
Fill the container or pot with a well-draining high-quality potting mix. It is highly recommended not to use soil from your garden but rather use soil from your local nursery store. You could also use rich loamy soil with compost.
You can also make a soilless potting mix in two ways. Here is how:
1. A mixture of 4 – 6 parts peat moss with 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculite.
2. A combination of:
1 part peat moss or coco peat,
1 part perlite or sand, and
1 part compost.
Plant your Mint Seedling – in the soil.
This is the most familiar and common way to grow Mint inside. Use a pot at least 8 inches in diameter and has a drainage hole in the bottom. As mentioned earlier, ceramic pots are perfect, but plastic works well efficiently. Try not to use clay pots because they dry out too quickly.
Use a high-quality potting mix, either a regular commercial type or one with equal amounts of sand, peat, and perlite mixed in. Water it well after planting and place it in an area with indirect light with an indoor temperature of around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A potted Mint plant could live for years as an indoor houseplant.
Plant your Mint Seedling – in water.
This herb could also be grown indoors in water. The good thing about this method is the lack of soil, no mess, no watering, no fungus gnats, and other pests.
However, Mint plants don’t live forever in water. Moreover, the leaves will become yellow, and the plant will stop growing. Keeping a few water-rooted stems in a jar above the sink means you will be able to make the occasional harvest.
Start growing the Mint indoor plant in water:
- Take some stem cuttings from a mother plant
- Remove all the lower leaves and prop the stems in a glass or jar of water
- Wash the glass and change the water every five to seven days
- The Mint plant will quickly develop roots
It could be grown in the water-filled jar for a few weeks or months, depending on its growing conditions. Thus, allowing your Mint plant to thrive, place it in a sunny window for at least four to six hours each day.
Plant your Mint Seedling – hydroponically.
Eventually, it will be possible to grow Mint indoors by using hydroponics. Mint is a great plant to grow using commercially made or a DIY hydroponic system.
This way is more expensive than a soil-based growing of Mint.
Soilless Mint plants are less messy but more expensive. However, if you plan to grow lots of Mint, hydroponics is perfect.
There are some excellent inexpensive DIY hydroponic options.
Location
A Mint plant requires a very bright indoor location. So therefore, the best spot is a sunny spot where air circulates freely.
Either you could use your kitchen’s windowsill, which is a proper location for placing your Mint. Balconies are also an excellent and perfect location.
Sunlight
A growing Mint plant requires that you expose it to direct sunlight daily for at least 4 hours. Mint can tolerate shade outdoors, while it needs more light inside. Otherwise, the Mint plant will stretch out for light and become leggy and pale.
Consider purchasing a small grow light if you don’t have a sunny or north-facing window that could receive sun through the better part of the day.
Water
Water is one of the essential factors to consider when growing Mint indoors. Unlike other herbs and houseplants, Mint does not demand more watering. Yes, either you could over or underwater it. It could tolerate both wet feet and dry soils. Water the Mint plant only when the soil feels dry and the pot is light.
In watering your indoor Mint plants, move the pot to the sink or bathtub, then water. Let it flush through the soil to the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot.
Water thoroughly the pot three or four times and let it drain fully. Afterward, return the pot to its location on the windowsill.
Fertilizing
Growing Mint indoors does not require fertilizing to grow. These plants increase without a need for additional nutrients. Fertilizing a culinary plant could cause prolific vegetative growth and lose the leaves’ robust flavor.
Otherwise, if you wish to fertilize your plants to improve their yield, occasionally, you should use water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer. Always bear it in mind that over fertilizing your MInt will make them lose their flavor.
Humidity
Mints are not a fan of dry air. They maintain a humid environment with adequate airflow to keep their foliage healthy.
Another way to maintain humidity on your MInt plant is to group plants to increase the relative humidity.
Allow air movement and spacing between the plants. If it is an arid climate or is using direct sunlight, be diligent with your watering to compensate.
Pinch and Pruning
If you want your Mints to become bushy and develop more branches, you should pinch off the tips regularly.
Pruning the dead branches of your Mints will keep your plant in an attractive shape.
As much as possible, do not allow your plant to flower. Once you spot a bloom, pinch it off immediately.
Remove the Mint flowers.
Removing the Mint flowers prevents loss of flavor and prolongs leaf growth. Just pinch off the buds before they develop, encouraging plant resources to go towards creating new foliage.
Harvesting
Harvesting a Mint is the most straightforward task and does not need special requirements. You could harvest your plant whenever you feel into it or need it.
Usually, it takes 2 to 6 weeks for your Mint to be ready for harvesting.
Always remember not to pick more than 1/3 of your plant. Otherwise, it would not be able to grow again.
It also depends on your plant’s health. You can harvest Mint 2-3 times per growing season.
The Mint leaves are delicate enough that you can pull the leaves off as needed. Just make sure to take care of the Mint stem during harvesting.
Why Grow Mint Indoors?
Mint, a genus Mentha, is a perennial plant that produces new foliage. Its stems are not killed by frost, making it one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors. Unlike other herbs, Mint is easy to grow as a houseplant and hard to kill.
It makes it one of the best plants for beginners. It grows to its optimum capacity if you give the plant enough light and consistent moisture. Mint also makes a beautiful houseplant that blooms well inside of your home.
Mint is a beautiful plant. However, most of us don’t grow herbs for their good looks. We grow Mint for its flavor. Make a cup of fresh minted hot tea on a cold day.
What could be better than snipping your own fresh and homegrown mint leaves. This herb constantly produces new stems and leaves, so you’ll always have a few sprigs ready for harvest.
Another reason is the fragrance. You rub the leaf between your thumb and index finger and inhale. The aroma of this Mint is energy-boosting and invigorating.
One good thing about growing Mint indoors is the lack of pests. It has never been heard that any houseplant pests attack the Mint plants.
Final Thoughts on Growing Mint Indoors
Therefore, learning and following this guide on how to grow Mint indoors will ensure that you will have a constant supply of highly delicious and healthy Mint.
Not only is it a fragrant and easy to grow herb, but it also has a wide range of uses, which fall into either culinary or medicinal applications.
These herbs contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that offer many healing properties as a phytomedicine.
Mints have been used to treat various ailments throughout history, from gastric discomforts to skin irritations and pain relief.
So, hopefully, this guide could be of great help to you. Enjoy growing Mint!