by Brian Lamacraft

Created on: July 10, 2009

Mint is a wonderful herb to have in your garden and one of the easiest herbs to grow. There are many varieties of mint with peppermint and spearmint the two most common kids of mint grown.

Growing Mint

The first thing you need to know about growing mint is that it should have its own spot in the garden or a container to itself. Mint grows like wild and will take over the areas occupied by other plants. Keep mint to itself so it doesn't crowed out your other plants. Mint is best grown from small seedling at your local nursery but will grow from seed as well. Small cuttings are the easiest to grow and are your best option and it should be planted in early spring. If you want you can start seedlings inside earlier and transfer them outside once they have grown.

Make sure you use pots and containers that have drainage holes in the bottom, cut out your own holes if you need to. Mint likes soil with a little moisture and partial shade Even if your plant gets full sun you will still end up with a very good plant. If you are planting more than one seedling or plant, be sure each plant has enough space to grow in your garden without crowding each other. Since it can take over a garden, is best grown in a container and will grow very fast once it gets going. Water your plants periodically and keep the soil moist but don't give it too much water which can shock and kill the plants. Like most herbs mint doesn't require much fertilizer and grows well without it unless the soil is very poor.

You can cut off sprigs of mint as you need them or dry the mint for later use. Since mint can grow rapidly and crowd other plants it needs to be cut periodically, especially in a garden area. One trick to slow its invasion of other plants is to cut the bottom off of a container and plant the mint directly into the garden. This method will slow down the root growth into other areas of your garden but not stop it completely.

Caring For Your Plant

Remove any dried or dying leaves on your plant. If many of the leaves on your plant are dying this could be an indication of too much water so cut back on the water and see if the plant recovers.

Enjoying Mint

Mint can be used in teas, food dishes or to flavor beverages. It also works well in homemade bath products and potpourri mixes.

Conclusion

Growing mint is easy to do. This herb should be grown in a container since it can invade other plants ina garden area and become a problem. This herb would make an ideal plant to grow for a beginner gardener since it is easy to grow and requires little care and maintenance.

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