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How to Dry Herbs

How to Grow Mint Herb

Perennial, Mentha piperita

If you'd like to grow mint in your herb garden, there are plenty of varieties to choose from. Actually, there are about 3,500 varieties of mints. By far the most popular, are Peppermint and Spearmint.

Native to the Mediterranean area, aggressive mint plants are easy to grow. Mint plants produce bright green leaves on bushy plants. Flowers include white, blue and pink. Hardy perennials, they will thrive for years with little or no maintenance. Most varieties grow 12-24 inches.

Mints are commonly found in home herb gardens, in beds along the house, or in containers. Mints can be grown indoors as houseplants, too.

How to Grow Mint Plants:

Grow Mint in full sun to partial shade. They do well in average soils. Mint plants withstand droughts and heat.

Mint are grown from seed. Get an early start planting it indoors as a houseplant. Or, directly sow seeds into your garden in the spring. Space seedlings or thin plants to 12" to 18" apart

Established plants are prolific propagaters, producing suckers in the second and following years. They can also be grown from cuttings.

Mints are aggressive growers, crowding out other plants if given the chance. Give them plenty of space away from other plants in your garden. Border edgings to contain plants are a good investment.

Fertilizer is not usually required, except in the poorest of soils.

Water plants only during extended droughts.

The oils in mint are in glands in the leaves. Crush the leaves to release the oils, for a pleasant, strong, and soothing flavor. Once dried, store it in an air-tight container, away from other herbs.

Harvest leaves at any time. They can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. Pick them in the morning when the oils are strongest. Spread leaves out to dry in a cool and ventilated area. More information on harvesting and drying herbs.

Uses for Mints:

Mints and oils of mints are used for oils, used in cookies, herbal teas, candies, jellies, chewing gum, flavoring for medicines, toothpaste, ice cream, liqueurs, and much more.

Mint is often used to sooth upset stomaches and on occasion, for toothaches.

It has also been used for headaches.

Mints are a standard for breath mints.

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