Does Mint Need Sun Or Shade To Grow
Welcome to this post about whether mint plants need sun or shade to grow. The answer will depend a lot on the type of climate you are in. If you have pretty hot summers then it can be a very good idea to let it get some shade. If you on the other hand have a colder climate then it will need more sun. But follow along and we will discuss this further and also some other important stuff surrounding growing mint at home.
If you want to learn even more about what type of climates mint grows best in and also when the best time to plant is then we have put together a complete guide surrounding this topic. You can find the article here, When To Plant Mint In.
Does Mint Need Sun Or Shade To Grow
Like we hunted in the beginning of this article. The conditions that mint will require will differ depending on the climate that it grows in. But generally speaking it is better to have more sun than shade during the day. If it does not get enough sun it will become very leggy and grow tall faster than growing bushy. So you can pretty quickly see if something is wrong, and also identify why that is happening.
But in a warm climate during the summer it might be a good idea to keep the plant in the shade for a couple of hours during the day to let it rest a little bit. It can stress out the plant and the soil will also dry out very quickly. So if you are not keeping up then you might run into a problem of having the soil dry out quicker then it gets water replenished.
On the other hand, if the plant gets too much shade during the day or just not enough sun during the season. Then it will greatly affect the amount of harvests you can do on the plant. Grown without the necessary amount of sun can make it become scraggly and very leggy. It won’t bush out like it normally should. This problem usually occurs more often if you are growing indoors. Growing a herb inside can be a challenge because of the difficulty to get the proper amount of sunlight. As a reference, indoors you need it to get about 10 hours and outdoors it will only really need 6 – 8 hours.
Can Mint Grow Without Direct Sunlight?
Unfortunately it will be very hard to have the mint growing without any direct sunlight on it. It’s what gives it energy and makes it able to grow more. Although plants can grow without a great deal of direct sunlight, they will be pretty limited in growth. So making sure that the mint is getting enough sun is vital.
I feel like we have mentioned the pros and the cons of growing in either sun or shade now. I want to take this moment to also talk about the necessity of having good water drainage in the soil. If the water pools on either the top or the bottom then it can be difficult to have it grow properly. On top it does no good and on the bottom it will make the roots rot and eventually kill the plant.
So to reiterate a bit again on the question at hand, sun or shade for growing mint. The simplest answer is that you rather have it get more sun and shade during the day. More sun will equal a better proportioned plant and too much shade will make it scraggly and leggy, i.e. not enough harests to be worth it.
What are really the best conditions to grow mint in? Luckily we have an article to cover this very well. Find it here, What Are The Best Conditions To Grow Mint In?
