Mint Plant Stems Turning Brown
Welcome to this post about a mint plant that is having its stem turn brown. This can be caused by a number of things, all from diseases or pests attacking the plant or its just nearing the end of the season.
Nonetheless there are a few things we can do about it to once again have a happy and thriving mint plant that can grow in our garden. In this article we will be discussing just how you can bring your plant back to life and continue to harvest from it.
Mint Plant Stems Turning Brown
What we have found throughout the years being the issue with mint plants turning brown is the nutrition in the soil. The health of the soil is directly correlated with the health of the plant.
Since mint is an herb that likes to grow in a healthy soil, you need to make sure it has that as it will otherwise turn brown in color and wilt. Fertilizing the soil a few times during the year will usually do the trick. This includes using either organic fertilizers that you can get at the store or just simple manure. Note that the last one will be smelling quite a lot as it comes in a fairly natural state.
Other than the soil not being healthy enough we can look at where in the season we are. Mint is a perennial herb that will come back next year. So if we are in early autumn then it can be expected that the stem of the mint turns brown. The plant has marked that it has now grown enough and will reserve its energy for the next year instead.
When this happens we recommend just cutting the whole plant down, leaving just a few inches above the soil. It will have hopefully developed a strong enough root system to easily come back next year. We also make the most of the mint plant this way as nothing will go to waste.
Are you having problems with worms being near or attacking your mint plants. In this article right here we’ll be diving deeper into that topic, Mint Plant Worms.
Why Is My Mint Plant Stem Turning Black
The reason for your mint plant stem turning black is often due to the health of the plant. Might seem obvious but it’s a clear indicator of what it’s able to get from the soil.
A mint plant turning black is often caused by the soil being too watered. It will start to rot the roots of the plant and that will show above the surface in the shape of the plant turning black.
The best thing to do now is place the plant in a very sunny spot where the soil can more quickly start to dry out and hopefully mitigate the plant turning black. However, it must be said that the likelihood of saving a mint plant turning black is very small.
If you want to learn more about overwatering mint plants and what you can do about it then we have actually written an entire article about this. You can find it here, Overwatered Mint Plants.
How Do You Revive A Dying Mint Plant
Reviving a dying mint plant is easier said than done. If the plant is starting to turn black then it’s probably a lost cause. Since the roots of the plant have started to rot and that is what we refer to as the backbone of the plant.
But if it’s just starting to wilt, then re fertilizing the soil and perhaps watering it a bit will do the trick. Make sure you also keep it in the sun for at least a few hours during the day. That will give it energy and hopefully come back to life again.
A side note to this is that you can pick off the small leaves that have either dried up or are starting to wilt a lot. That will give room for new growth to come forth and make the plant flourish again.
