Why can't I grow mint?

April 10, 2017 6:16 PM

People say (& the internet confirms) that mint is easy to grow, but I have never ever been able to have even minimal success with growing it from seed. I have tried to start mint in small pots, in large ones, by sowing it directly in the earth, and by scattering it wily nily around and nothing has worked. What am I doing wrong? Gardeners of mefi: please hope me.

I live in Louisville, Kentucky. I would like to plant it outside in the backyard, which is full sun right now, although I could probably put it near a bush or something if I need partial shade. I could start it inside first if you all think that is best, and can help me navigate when and how to effectively transplant it to the garden outside. To head this off: the soil has been tested and is in fine shape for growing vegetables & herbs, and I have generally had good results with every climate-appropriate vegetable and herb I have tried by just following the instructions on the packet or googling tips in a pinch. Mint escapes me somehow.

The closest I have ever come was last year when I got a bunch of tiny seedlings, but they all died in transplant, well before getting anywhere with establishing root systems.

Is there a particular kind of mint seed I should purchase? I know that it can be invasive when it gets going so to be careful what is planted near it, but is there anything else I should know or try to have better success? Is there a particular size pot I should use to start (individual seedling versus a group of seeds together)? Is there a particular potting soil that would be beneficial to try? Fertilizer? Has the time come to give in and just purchase a small already-grown mint plant?

posted by likeatoaster to Home & Garden (29 answers total)

Has the time come to give in and just purchase a small already-grown mint plant?

The mint we bought as lil plant and planted in a pot definitely had a longer and more fruitful life than stuff we've grown from seeds.
posted by griphus at 6:42 PM on April 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I bought one of these for Christmas: Aerogarden

The mint is growing like wildfire!
posted by jenh526 at 6:45 PM on April 10, 2017

I have always grown mint from existing plants or cuttings. I have literally cut mint plants in pieces with a knife, and all the pieces live. I think mint just likes to reproduce via suckers and roots rather than from seed (my mint plants only set seed when they are under extreme stress (super root-bound, usually).
posted by mskyle at 6:49 PM on April 10, 2017 [24 favorites]

Just buy a plant! I don't know if mint is particularly tricky to start from seed, but I wouldn't bother.
posted by O9scar at 6:55 PM on April 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

I've had the same problem in Atlanta. Had great success with putting one of those $2 mint plants from the grocery store into a huge planter, which it soon took over. That little plant lived for YEARS - i had more than I could give away.

I look forward to reading any actual solutions in this thread (sorry this isn't one!), but yeah, an already established plant is probably the way to go, and a cheap experiment.
posted by jessicapierce at 6:57 PM on April 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I've always started mint from cuttings or live plants. A cutting will root easily; keep it in a cup of water until little white roots form and then bury it. This means if you know anybody with mint plants, or patronize a market which sells mint cheap (e.g. some of the East Asian markets down south on Preston or 3rd Street), you can get rootable mint fairly easily.
posted by jackbishop at 6:59 PM on April 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Just buy some cut mint at the store and put a couple stalks in a glass of water. When they sprout roots, plant. Done.
posted by Don Pepino at 7:00 PM on April 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Mint tends to like filtered sunlight, and fairly damp soil, so you might want to look at where you're trying to grow it. Make sure it's got plenty of mulch and keep it watered would be my best suggestions and it should do just fine.
posted by ninazer0 at 7:04 PM on April 10, 2017

we planted mint under our lemon tree and it did well. I think mint definitely prefers some shade.
posted by supermedusa at 7:25 PM on April 10, 2017

Mint needs a lot of water. Much more than most herbs. It's almost a bog plant. I've always found that it grows well in pots with a deep saucer (or a plastic pot inside a non-draining outer pot) so that the plant can have 'wet feet' the majority of the time. It also needs regular trims to stop it getting too scraggly.
posted by embrangled at 7:28 PM on April 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

It would be kinder to allow a friend to unload some of their mint plants on you. Just find someone who is already growing mint, and I'm pretty sure they'll have too much :)
posted by amtho at 7:35 PM on April 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

It grew like a weed when I planted it in New Jersey (just plain old seeds from seeds) but it wouldn't grow for love or money when I was in Texas. I think it was just too hot too often.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:35 PM on April 10, 2017

Also in Louisville! All my mint has always been in mostly shade. It needs a LOT of water to thrive, as others have mentioned.
posted by pecanpies at 7:46 PM on April 10, 2017

I agree about lots of water. My mint was always a bit meh but then we had about a month of daily torrential rain and it has grown like crazy. The other plants are all, eek enough with the water already but the mint is all WOO HOO! So water it way more than you'd think and then water again. Mine also gets shade.
posted by kitten magic at 8:01 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here in hot and muggy Louisiana I've had excellent luck with the method others mentioned above - cuttings in water until roots form. After that you can plant it. Just keep it wet wet wet and you're done.
posted by komara at 8:59 PM on April 10, 2017

Nthing that mint seeds are fiddly, but young plants go bananapants.
posted by desuetude at 9:00 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mint should never be grown from seed if you can help it, cuttings are best for propagation. That's why it sprawls all over sending up wildlings via root. Also some commercial varietals are hybrids. If the seeds are even viable they won't grow true to form.
posted by fritillary at 9:28 PM on April 10, 2017

Yes, buy a small starter plant. We keep ours out of direct sun even when it takes hold and is growing well. But like others say, keep it contained (in a pot or raised bed) as it will spread quickly and a pain to control.
posted by artdrectr at 9:40 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, mint loves soggy soil. A great place to plant it is near your air conditioner. If you have the kind that leaks water, it'll turn it into never-ending delicious mint, plus the mint will smell good when the air conditioner kicks on.
posted by congen at 10:41 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

In my family, we've always planted it near an outdoor hose faucet, so that it got wet anytime anyone used the faucet.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:18 PM on April 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Just north of you in Cincinnati and our outdoor mint just recently made its appearance. Mrs. mmascolino had some of it in her bourbon last night. Ours gets a mix of sun and shade. We don't go out of our way to water it but it is at the bottom of a retaining wall so that might focus rainfall to it.
posted by mmascolino at 6:59 AM on April 11, 2017

I'm in NC. I planted a herb garden with several mints(lemon mint,spearmint,apple mint, peppermint) along with chives, thyme, rosemary. Well the mints took off and spread, the rest of the stuff petered out. The mints favorite places are near the foundation of my house, which I suppose is quite damp and partial shade. Comes back every year in a major way especially the lemon mint. Makes everything smell so good when I run the weed eater!
posted by PJMoore at 7:50 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you are on Facebook or other local forums just ask for mint and ye shall receive (though maybe wait until late spring/early summer when it's really gotten going and people are trying to keep it under control). It also prefers loose, loamy soil that holds moisture.
posted by drlith at 8:54 AM on April 11, 2017

You need partial shade and lots of water.

Starting it outside will give you more robust roots, but I'd go with the suggestions of others here and start from cuttings or established seedlings. Once it's established somewhere it will keep coming back pretty much forever.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:00 PM on April 11, 2017

Just buy some cut mint at the store and put a couple stalks in a glass of water. When they sprout roots, plant. Done.

This definitely works! Literally get the cheapest fresh mint bundle you can find at the grocery store, stick the stem ends in water, and plant some when they sprout roots. I'd either get a move on or wait until next February, as it grows like mad in the spring until about June, and then more or less hibernates over the hot summer and through the winter.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 2:12 PM on April 11, 2017

Just to reiterate snickerdoodle, mint can be really invasive and hard to get rid of. I'm still trying to get rid of mine. I recommend a planter.
posted by lab.beetle at 4:40 PM on April 11, 2017

I'd just buy a plant. They're so easy to root and they should take off on their own. According to wikipedia, mint seeds are often sterile or not true to seed so that could be part of your problem. But I'm wondering if you've tried sticking them in the refrigerator for a few months? To be clear I haven't read anything that suggests they need it, but some seeds need cold stratification. Since my mint is green even in the winter I'm wondering if that isn't something worth trying. Obviously you'd be out of luck this spring though.
posted by Bistyfrass at 7:18 PM on April 11, 2017

Nthing the advice to start with a plant. I have mine in a container with a watering globe and it has doubled in size in four weeks. You can practically hear the thing chortling with joy as it sucks down 3 cups of water every week through the terracotta spike. Slow, steady, plentiful water seems to be the ticket.
posted by corey flood at 8:34 PM on April 11, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I am trying just putting some cuttings in water first to see how that goes, and I'll get a small plant if it doesn't. I really appreciate all the creative suggestions for getting the plant-to-be enough water and not too much control :)
posted by likeatoaster at 5:56 PM on April 12, 2017