Growing Mint, also Garden mint

Mentha spicata : Lamiaceae / the mint family

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

(Best months for growing Mint in Australia - temperate 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

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18 Jan 16, Jennifer (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
What's the best form of fertiliser if any, for mint and other root running herbs? Thanks
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12 Nov 15, MANJU (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I PLANTED MINT AND CUCUMBER IN THE SAME TRAY. THE MINT IS NOT GROWING AS IT WAS BEFORE . IT IS MORE THAN 6 WEEKS BUT THERE ARE NO FLOWERS IN CUCUMBER PLANT. HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THE CUCUMBERS
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23 Dec 15, Mark (Australia - tropical climate)
Do you fertilise with pot ash?
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29 Jul 15, Apples (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grow you're everyday mint and chocolate mint.Smells great but no flavour,any ideas?
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03 Nov 14, (Australia - arid climate)
How do I stop the caterpillar from eating my mint?
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27 Oct 14, (Australia - arid climate)
Adelaide- I know the green grubs well....I've found that a gentle shake will dislodge the grubs making them easier to find. My question is......does anyone know the moth- butterfly responsible
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26 Jun 14, louisa (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
something is eating my mint. any organic bug killer available? thank you
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21 Jul 14, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
Dipel or catapiller killer, is certified organic, it works by rotting the gut of the catapiller. They stop eating the plant straight away and die within 3-4 days, also non toxic when the birds eat them after
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16 May 14, Andryan (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have a few pots of mint plants, and I notice since around Feb or March that my mint leaves have been very tiny and some of them even have a bare stalk closer to the ground. I water them almost everynight and they have access to plenty of sunlight. I didn't put any ferteliser on it because the last time I put ferteliser on it, they all flower and I have to pick and discard all the flowers (can I do something about the flower?). I was wondering what have I been doing wrong and what can I do to make remedy this situations? Thank you guys
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22 Feb 14, Rhonda (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been growing mint in a Grow Bag and it's flourishing but there are strange little silver-white streaks on most of the older leaves. I pick the good, young leaves but would love to know what is causing this. It doesn't look like a fungus. My local nurseryman says he thinks it's some sort of insect. Any organic solutions?
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Showing 31 - 40 of 64 comments
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I have a few patches of mint - in a garden bed and in pots. It thrives in spring and summer, but still grows quite well through winter. In the last two years, though, I have had a pest; a tiny fly that must lay its eggs in teh growing tips. This causes the tiny terminal leaves to stick together as the eggs hatch and teh larvae feed. If I prise the tip leaves apart I can (just) see tiny, tiny yellowish maggots. I took them to a lab and examined these under a microscope. Sure enough they are typical maggots - legless, hairless, pointed at one end and flat at the bum (spiracle) end, wriggling about. They are about 1 mm long. It kills the tips - they go brown and once the larvae change into adults the tips dry out and die. Does anyone know what the ID of this fly is? And what I should do? I'm guessing remove all tips, put out yellow sticky paper for the adult flies and maybe spray with spinosad? Or stop growing mint for a season??? Help! I do love mint in my mojitos!

- Sally

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