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Is It OK To Let Mint Flower

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Flowering Mint Growing Outside

Is It Ok To Let Mint Flower

Welcome to this post about letting mint flower. It is ok letting it do it and what are some of the benefits and the downsides of this. As you might know mint is one of the herbs that spreads the easiest. It is also a perennial so you won’t really notice the new seedlings popping up until the next season.

But the only way for the mint to spread to new parts of your grade is by letting it flower. Without flowers it won’t develop seeds. Follow along and we will talk more in depth about this.

If you want to learn even more about growing mint and even about growing new ones from your own seed, then we have written an article dedicated to that. Find it here, How Do You Collect Mint Seeds?

Mint Plant Growing Outdoors

Is It Ok To Let Mint Flower

Letting mint flowers can have both upside and downsides like we said in the beginning of this article here. The upside of having mint is that you are able to collect the seed and plant more mint at home. They also smell very nice and can contribute to making wonderful tea from them as they are very aromatic. In my household we like to use them both for tea but also to sprinkle and top a fresh salad with. They are just an all around nice ingredient to have at home.

The biggest downside with them is probably that once you start seeing them, new leaves won’t be so common. This is because the plant is now focusing more on growing out the flowers so it can develop seeds and eventually spread to other places. So if you want to have more mint growing on your plant and new growth to appear then you need to pick off the flowers as soon as you see them. You will definitely notice the slowing down of growth otherside.

But another big downside is that if they are growing outside they can go undetected and you might find mint seedlings popping up in other places of your garden the next year. Mint seeds travel very easily and establish themselves very easily too. Once they have started growing on a new spot of land they quickly take it over and dominate the other plants. It can take all the nutrients and space for itself, eventually pushing the other plants out.

Mint Plant Flowering Outside

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One of the best ways of preventing it from spreading like this is by just picking off the flowers and there will be no seeds growing. But you maybe want to have it bloom and use them but don’t want it spreading elsewhere. Then we highly recommend keeping it in a pot indoors instead. This will also limit the space it takes up and the likelihood of you seeing mint seedlings elsewhere the next year is very low.

Should I Cut Flowers Off Mint?

I want to reiterate a bit again on what we have been talking about. Mint is perfectly ok to let flower. It makes for a very unique and special ingredient to use. But it also has its downsides, in that seeds will develop and spread very easily. The overall taste of the plant will also be lesser once the flowers start to appear. This is because the energy goes towards them instead of growing out new leaves.

If you want to go even more in depth in how mint spread by seed then we have written an entire article dedicated to that. You can find it here, Does Mint Spread By Seed.

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Does Mint Spread By Seed

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Mint Plant In The Shade

Does Mint Spread By Seed

Welcome to this article about whether mint spreads by seed or not. We can quickly say that it does. It’s the most common way for mint to spread and overtake over plots of land. It produces quite a lot of seed during the season and these travel very easily to other places.

Either from insects, wind or other forces. As you might know, mint grows and establishes itself very easily and can quickly push out other plants. In this article we will discuss some of the ways to prevent this.

If you want to learn even more about growing mint and especially about how you might go about collecting mint seeds then we have put together a guide covering precisely that, find it here, How Do You Collect Mint Seeds.

Mint Spreading In The Garden

Does Mint Spread By Seed

We sort of already revealed the answer in the beginning of this article here. Mint spreads the most easily by seed. Once they have dried up they become a lot lighter and easier to move. They can travel both by small insects or by birds or other forces too like wind. Once they have just reached the surface of the soil they will start growing and establishing themselves in this new land.

You might have heard horror stories already about people having their gardens overrun by mint plants. But there are some good techniques to use to make sure that doesn’t happen.

One of the best ways of keeping mint from spreading is by simply picking the flowers of the plant once you see them. Without them there won’t be any seeds developing. But you might be growing a lot of mint at home or have other projects to take care of. Then one of the best ways is to keep it in a pot and grow. This will drastically limit the amount of space it has to grow on as opposed to growing on freeland.

Doing the last step will also let you keep your mint plant indoors during the colder months of the year and provide with even more harvests. You don’t have to worry about it spreading indoors, maybe only if you have something right next to the pot of mint. But otherwise you should be very safe.

Mint Plant Growing In The Garden

How Do Mint Leaves Spread?

It’s important to say that it’s not really the mint leaves that will spread. Instead it’s the seeds and the roots. The leaves only really serve the purpose of catching the sun’s rays and generate energy for the plant. So don’t worry if mint leaves are falling in other places of your garden. They can not spread this way.

Why is it so bad that mint can spread relatively easily? Well, the biggest reason is that it can out compete other neighboring herbs. It will steal the water supply and the nutrition from the soil once it has established itself. It is also a very hardy plant that can be difficult to get rid of. You could actually cut down the whole plant and maybe leave an inch above the soil. In about 3 months it will have grown back to about 1 feet tall at last. Goes to show the possibilities of this herb.

I want to reiterate a bit again on the topic we have talked about. Whether mint will spread by seed or not. It will basically only spread by seed. But one of the easiest ways of preventing it from doing this is by simply picking the flowers as soon as you see them. These will produce the seeds that travel so easily around your garden.

If you want to learn more about growing mint and precisely about letting it flower, we have an article that goes in depth on this topic. You can find it here, Is It Ok To Let Mint Flower.

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Why Is My Mint Scraggly

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Flowering Mint Plant Growing Outside

Why Is My Mint Scraggly

Welcome to this post about why your mint might be growing into a scraggly plant. The most common reason for this is actually lack of sunlight exposure. It can be difficult getting the necessary amount during some seasons, especially the autumn and winter. Like almost any plant, without the sun they just won’t grow properly. Now, too much sun can also harm it. Other reasons may include a lack of nutrition in the soil or proper watering. Follow along and we will discuss the issues further below.

If you want to learn even more about growing mint and especially how you can make it grow into a bushier plant then we have put together just the guide for you. You can find the article here, How Do I Make My Mint Plant Bushy.

Green Mint Outside

Why Is My Mint Scraggly

Like we said in the beginning of this article, the most common reason for having a mint plant that is growing scraggly or thin is because of a lack of sunlight during the day. If something like that keeps up then it won’t grow like it should. We usually say that if you are growing herbs indoors then they will need about 10 hours of sun each day. But if you are growing it outdoors then they generally only need between 6 – 8 hours of light.

You can see the difference pretty clearly. Since mint is a pretty hardy plant you can keep it outside during the season a bit longer than you might think. Where I live I usually bring it in when October comes around. At this point the weather is too cold and the sun is not out as much.

But we also said there are a few other reasons why your mint might be growing the way it does. Most commonly that will include it not getting enough nutrients from the soil. This can easily be fixed by making sure you fertilize the soil. We recommend doing this 4 times a year to keep it steady and not stress out the plant too much. If you want to use your mint for either cooking, or in any way consuming it we highly recommend using an organic fertilizer then.

Mint Plant Growing In The Sun

Why Is My Mint Growing So Slowly?

One of the reasons your mint grows slowly can be because of watering. Too little can hinder growth substantially. Much like it needs proper nutrition in the soil to keep healthy, almost as important is having it get water. Mint is a herb that will excel and grow the best if it can stay in a soil that is kept moist and damp at all times. The only way to know if that is the case is by looking and feeling the soil. Then you should know whether it needs water or not.

I want to reiterate again on the question that we started off with, why your mint might be growing into a scraggly plant. The most common reason is because of the sun. Even though the soil might be healthy and you make sure to water it properly, it can still grow this way. So if you are keeping it indoors then it will need about 10 hours of light per day. If grown outside however, then 7 hours is usually the sweetspot.

If you want to learn a bit about why it might be growing thin, then you can check out our article here, Why Is My Mint Plant So Thin.

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Why Is My Mint Plant So Thin

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Mint Growing In The Sunny Weather

Why Is My Mint Plant So Thin

Welcome to this post that will give a couple of reasons why your mint plant might be very thin. The most common reason for it growing this way is the access to the sun. If it doesn’t get enough during the day and it stays that way for many weeks then it will end up like this. Mint doesn’t have a lot of requirements for growing very well but sun is one that it definitely needs. Luckily we have written this article that will go over some stuff you can do to make sure you have a thriving mint plant. Follow along!

If you want to learn more about growing mint then we have written an article that goes over how to get a bushy mint plant, meaning more harvest and a prettier plant too. You can find it here, How Do I Make My Mint Plant Bushy?

Mint Plants Growing Outside

Why Is My Mint Plant So Thin

We hunted in the beginning of this article why it might be that your mint plant is growing the way it does. Most likely it’s because of too little sun during the day. We usually recommend that herbs growing indoors need to get about 10 hours of sun per day. But if you are growing outdoors they only need between 6 – 8 hours. During the summer these numbers are a lot easier to reach, but during the winter it can be more difficult. That’s why you need to adapt to the way it’s changing.

One of the ways you can adapt is by holding back on trimming the plant during these times. Since it’s not getting a lot of sun, the new off shoots coming out will mostly be thin and continue to grow thin. It is also more healthier for the plant to harvest during the summer as this is when it can regrow the fastest. It can handle being trimmed down almost 30 % at a time.

Mint Plant Growing In The Garden

Why Is My Mint Not Growing Well?

It might be that you sow the seeds during the winter time and then they will definitely grow thin. I have had that problem before as well. I wanted to get a headstart on the growing season and figured I’d start indoors. That just ended up with thin and scraggly mint seedlings that wouldn’t survive being put outdoors when the frost was over.

We recommend now that you start sowing mint indoors in about April. If you want to sow outdoors you can do that in May. These times can of course differ depending on where you live. But they act as a very good rule of thumb to use.

Another very good tip when growing mint is to do it in a pot. This will make it very mobile and you can now keep it wherever the sun is shining. Then it shouldn’t be a problem during the summer at least and probably not spring and autumn. If you go this route then you should definitely get a pot with small holes in the bottom. That will let all the excess water drain out and you won’t be left with drowned roots that otherwise will start to rot. 

I want to reiterate again on what we have talked about. Mint will mostly grow thin because of the lesser access to sun it might have during certain seasons. Make sure that it gets enough so that it will grow properly. 10 hours indoors and 7 hours outdoors is a good reference point to start from. A good tip is to grow in a pot so you can move it around to maximize the exposure.

If you are wondering why your mint plant might be growing scraggly then we have written a guide about that too, find it here, Why Is My Mint Scraggly.

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How Fast Do Mint Plants Grow

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How Fast Do Mint Plants Grow

Welcome to this post about how fast mint plants grow. The short answer is very quick actually. If you sow a seed of mint you can actually expect to make a pretty large harvest just 90 days afterwards. Mint is one of the quickest growing culinary herbs we have.

This is probably why it’s so popular to grow, because you can see the progress almost day to day. But there are a few things you need to make sure you have covered if you want to grow this herb successfully. Follow along and we will discuss them.

If you want to learn even more about growing mint, especially how long you can expect it to take and some other tips then we wrote an entire article dedicated to that. You can find it here, How Long Does Mint Take To Grow.

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How Fast Do Mint Plants Grow

We mentioned it in the beginning of this article a bit already, mint takes about 3 months to grow properly. At this stage it will be between 1 – 2 feet tall. So you need to get ready then to harvest when it reaches this point. Mint is thankfully a very hardy plant when it comes to cutting and harvesting from it. So don’t be afraid to take almost a third of it.

If you are curious about how long it will take until you first see a seedling after sowing then you will need to wait about 2 weeks. This is the time it takes for the seed to germinate completely. It will start developing a root system and the first sprout will come above the surface of the soil.

But we mentioned that there are some things that are very important for making sure you have the best possible environment and climate for your mint. Otherwise these types of timelines will not hold up and they might be delayed. One of the most important factors for good growth is access to the sun. If you choose to grow your mint indoors then you need to let it get at least 10 hours of sunlight each day.

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If you keep it outside then this number goes down to somewhere around 6 – 8 hours instead. If it gets less then this it will still grow, but it will be a lot less bushy. We want it to develop a lot of offshoots instead of being one long stalk.

Mint usually takes a pretty short time to sprout, but if you are feeling it takes too long you can read this article here, How Long Does Mint Take To Sprout?

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How Can I Make My Mint Grow Faster?

One of the best ways to have a fast growing mint is the soil condition. We want a healthy soil so you need to make sure you use fertilizers every 3 months or so. That’s about the amount we recommend here. It will help kickboost growth in the start of the season and make sure you have a healthy plant at the end of it.

Watering the mint plant properly is also very important. Mint is a herb that does not like when the soil completely dries out as it will just die off then eventually. Instead you want to keep the soil damp or wet at all times. We also recommend that you grow the mint in a pot that has holes in the bottom. Since we might be watering the plant a bit we want the excess water to drain out and not pool in the soil.

To reiterate a bit again on the topic, mint will take about 3 months for the first harvest. But you should be able to see the first sprouts above the soil within just a few weeks.

Are mint plants starting to appear in different places in your garden? Some mint plants do spread pretty easily. Here we discuss those ones, Does All Mint Spread?

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Does All Mint Spread

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Mint Plants Growing In The Garden

Does All Mint Spread

Welcome to this post about whether all mint will spread. It can be almost too easy sometimes to grow as it’s so quick but can also spread very easily. In this article we will cover whether some mint types will spread and what you can do to prevent them from taking over your entire garden at home. As you might know, mint is a very competitive herb that can once it’s established push out other plants growing nearby. It’s not a huge challenge for it to take both space and nutrients from the soil.

If you want to learn even more about growing mint then you can read one of our articles here that covers the specific on the speed that it grows. Find it here, How Long Does Mint Take To Grow.

Mint Plants Growing

Does All Mint Spread

We didn’t really give a clear answer whether all the mint could spread. So i’ll take the opportunity to say it now instead, yes all mint can spread. But they vary in the expense of how aggressive they can spread. For the most part mint seeds are easily transferred to other places where they can start growing.

If you have read up on mint before you would know that it is one of the easiest herbs to grow at home. But that’s a double edged sword. On one hand it’s really nice to have a herb that can show results really quickly. But on the other side it can be annoying having a herb that can quickly take over your entire garden if you leave it unhinged.

Mint Growing Outdoors

How Do You Grow Mint Without Spreading It?

But there are of course some precautions we can take to make sure this doesn’t happen. The first and easiest one is growing it in a pot. This is what we recommend you always do with mint. Like we said, it’s a competitive herb so moving it when it starts blooming and producing seeds is a good idea. Having it in a pot will make that task a lot easier. It limits the root system that it develops as well. Otherwise the roots can also be an annoying part for surrounding plants. Mint is very good at taking up nutrients and benefiting from it.

Have you seen some of your mint plants taking a long time to grow and you want to know what the supposed time is? In this article here we discuss just that. Find it here, How Fast Do Mint Plants Grow?

Another important step to take in keeping the mint contained is picking or cutting off the flowers once you see them. If you do this you will not only have more harvests throughout the year as the plant instead focuses on producing leaves rather than flowers. But you also hinder it from getting to the stage where it will produce seeds. These seeds are the real danger when you want to prevent mint spreading. They travel very easily and are hard to spot. You wont notice them until the next year when they have started germinating and small sprouts will begin to appear.

Mint Sprigs Laying Indoors

I want to reiterate again in the topic we are talking about, if all mint varieties will spread. Like we established, they probably will to varying degrees. The best way of preventing its rapid overtaking of your garden is to pick the flowers once you see them. Without them there will not be any mint seeds to start growing elsewhere.

Having it inside is also an option that reduces the risk. Lastly, growing it in a pot is something we highly recommend. It makes it very mobile and easy to take away once you fear it might start seeding.

Have your mint plants not sprouted yet and you feel enough time has passed for it? Here we talk about some of the reasons for this happening. Find it here, How Long Does Mint Take To Sprout?

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How Long Does Mint Take To Sprout

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Mint Plant Sprouting Leaves

How Long Does Mint Take To Sprout

Welcome to this post about how long mint will take to sprout. If you weren’t aware about the speed that mint grows at you might be in for a surprise. It is actually one of the fastest growing herbs we have. The first process once sowing the seed is called the germination process, this takes between 10 – 15 days only. At the end of this you should actually see some signs of life above the surface of the soil. Which is when it sprouts technically. So about two weeks is the mark. But follow along and we will talk about the stuff you need to do to keep this on track.

If you want to read even more about growing mint at home with great success then we highly recommend you check out one of our articles here on this site. It covers the speed of growing mint, find it here, How Long Does Mint Take To Grow.

Mint Leaves In The Garden

How Long Does Mint Take To Sprout

We sort of already revealed the answer to this question on the time it takes for mint to sprout in the beginning of the article. About 2 weeks is the amount of time you will have to wait. So definitely not an eternity. Mint is one of the fastest growing culinary herbs you can have at home. But it is also one of the herbs that can expand and outcompete other ones growing nearby very quickly. This is why we recommend only growing mint in a pot for the entire duration of its lifespan. With time you won’t have any other stuff growing in your garden except for mint only.

We said there are a few things you need to be good at to have your mint grow fast and to promote future growth. There are basically three things that can really make or break your mint plant. These steps are also very important when you want to first sow your mint seeds and get sprouts. The first one is watering properly. Mint is a herb that really likes to have the soil be wet and damp at all times.

So we recommend that you always keep an eye on it. The only real way to know if it needs more water or not is to look and feel the soil. Good drainage is also important. That is when the water doesn’t stay in the soil and can instead disperse and go away.

Are you concerned with your mint spreading or are you in the process of choosing one and want to know which one does? In this article here we will discuss just that. Find it here, Does All Mint Spread?

Growing Mint In The SUn

How Long Does It Take For Mint To Sprout Roots?

Generally speaking we say that the time for mint to sprout is between 10 – 15 days. Although very small roots will be present then. Instead at the 1 month mark you will be able to see clear root development. Keeping the soil well watered and in the sun will increase and secure these timelines.

Having a healthy soil is also very important when growing mint. We recommend that you fertilize the soil about 4 times a year to keep it healthy and our plants happy. If you want to grow your mint to eat it then you need to use an organic fertilizer. If you can get your hands on manure then that is really the ultimate fertilizer. But be aware that it might smell a bit.

The steps before the last one now are that which you need to have covered even before sowing the mint seeds. Otherwise you won’t get any sprouts. The last step is making sure it gets enough sunlight during the day. Growing any herb indoors, the rule of thumb is that it will need 10 hours of sunlight. Outdoors however about 6 – 8 hours will be plenty enough.

So to reiterate again on the question we had, how long can you expect until your mint will sprout. We usually say that the time is about 2 weeks, at the end of the germination process. This is when you will see the first signs of life above the soil.

Are you having issues with your mint plant growing and want to know how fast they are supposed to grow? In this article here we discuss just that. Find it here, How Fast Do Mint Plants Grow?

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Can Mint Grow In Water Forever

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Mint Sprigs Laying Indoors

Can Mint Grow In Water Forever

Welcome to this post about whether mint can grow in water forever. Unfortunately for us, it can’t. At one point it will get overwhelmed as the root system starts to develop. But it can certainly survive longer than you might expect. In this article we will explore the possibilities of growing mint in water and making the most of it. It can be a powerful tool when you want to propagate new mint plantings and continue on one of the plants you might already have thriving at home.

If you would like to learn even more about growing mint and especially about growing it from cuttings then we have put together a complete guide just for that. You can find the article right here, How To Grow Mint From Cuttings.

Mint Plant Flowering In The Garden

Can Mint Grow In Water Forever

We already revealed the answer in the beginning of this article. Unfortunately mint will not grow forever in water. But it can survive for quite some time. Much of the reason why it won’t live on is because the roots system will at one point start to drown and won’t grow properly. Drawing the root system is something that can also happen when you are growing mint in regular soil, either in a pot or on freeland. It’s an event that occurs when the water won’t go away and stays sticking to the roots.

But growing mint in water can be a very good technique to make use of it if you want more mint growing at home. We use it all the time when we take cuttings and want them to thrive straight away. It is actually a lot better growing mint cuttings or any type of herb cutting for that matter in water straight away. It will help develop roots quickly and safely. I can’t say I have had any success growing cuttings in soil straight away. They never seem to grow properly or at all.

Mint Plant Growing In The Sunny Weather

How Do You Keep Mint Alive In Water?

Okay, we tested a bit about how long you can grow mint in water, and we said it might be longer than you would think. When we grow cuttings in water we usually leave them for at least 2 weeks before replanting them in soil. But they could probably manage at least 2 months without issues.

But then you will need to top up the water content in the container you are growing in. Otherwise it will dry out quickly. We like to recommend that you only fill about an inch or so up with water to make sure that the only root developments that happen will be in the bottom.

Mint is a herb that grows the best in proper soil and good exposure to the sun. It can’t really produce these amazingly fragrant leaves otherwise. It will grow bushier and look a lot more beautiful as well if grown in soil.

I want to reiterate a bit again on what we have been talking about here in this article. Mint can’t unfortunately grow in water forever. You might find ads showing this but it is really not possible, at least for the long term. About 2 months is the limit for us here. But since we use it for propagating cuttings then any more than 2 weeks is necessary for us. Investing in good soil and a good pot with holes letting the excess water leak out will always be the best choice. It’s the only way to produce fantastic and thriving mint plants at home.

Are you having issues with your mint growing roots and you wonder how long it will take? In this article here we discuss just that. Find it here, How Long Does Mint Take To Root?

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How Long Does Mint Take To Root

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Mint Sprig And Roots Indoors

How Long Does Mint Take To Root

Welcome to this post about how long mint will take to root. Fortunately for us, mint is one of the fastest growing culinary herbs out there. It can root in less than 2 weeks if all the conditions are right and it’s grown in the correct environment. They are not very hard to get right though, but it’s a good idea to be aware of what it likes. The part where the mint roots is also called the germination process. But more on this further down in the article.

If you would like to learn more about growing mint, and especially growing it with cuttings then we have put together a complete guide covering this. You can find the article here, How To Grow Mint From Cuttings.

Mint Plant Growing In The Sunny Garden

How Long Does Mint Take To Root

Like we said in the beginning of the article, mint will take about 2 weeks to root. A very quick process but at this stage it is still incredibly fragile and will require a lot of attention still. Making sure it has the best possible environment to grow in is crucial if you want success. But more on that further down. For the actual time when it has rooted and is stable, is more around the 3 month mark honestly. This is also when you would usually do the first meaningful harvest of the plant. I wouldn’t really consider the plant established before this point.

Like we said, you need to cover all the bases to promote the best possible growth for the mint. What are some of these important steps then? Well the first one and the one that probably needs the most attention is the condition of the soil. Is it dry or is it very damp or almost soggy from watering? Mint is a herb that excels when the soil is kept slightly damp and wet at all times. So making sure it stays that way is important. The best way and only way to know if that is the case is feeling the soil and looking at it.

Good water drainage is also very important to growing mint successfully. This means that all the excess water will leak out and not pool at the top of the soil or stay in the bottom where the roots are. If we want good root development then this is a priority. Too much water will make the roots rot and all that patience and attention to the plant was wasted. The best way of preventing this is to make sure there are small holes in the bottom of the pot, so that the excess water we talked about can escape somewhere.

Mint Leaves In The Garden

How Long Does Mint Take To Root In Soil?

I want to reiterate a bit again on the question, how long does it takes for the mint plant to develop roots in soil? We said that once you sow the seed it will begin a process of germinating. This lasts about 10 – 15 days and is also when it first starts to develop any form of roots. But when we consider it to have an established root system it is usually at the 3 month mark. Since this is when we can make the first harvest, the plant has developed enough that it can withstand both pruning and cutting.

Have you heard about people growing mint in water forever? In this article right here we discuss that precise topic. Find it here, Can Mint Grow In Water Forever?

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Does Mint Need Sun Or Shade To Grow

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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.

Mint Plants Growing Outdoors

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.

Mint Sprigs Indoors On A Plate

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?

Mint Flowering In The Garden

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