Spearmint: Plant Care & Growing Guide

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Growing spearmint is not hard. In fact, sooner or later, if you plant your spearmint in the wrong place you will ask yourself how do I stop the mint from growing? The most important thing to consider when planting most types of mint is placing it somewhere that it does not encroach on other plants in your landscape.

Mint spreads by rhizomes and stolon. This growth makes the plant an excellent candidate for a container garden, but if you choose to plant in a bed or in the ground it should be spaced carefully allowing for spreading. Three feet apart is a good rule for spearmint which will allow time for your plant to mature to a sufficient height to harvest.

Harvesting is best done before the plant goes to flower as the flavor will be concentrated in the leaves. If you harvest consistently you can get numerous hauls of leaves throughout the season and can then dry your mint for use throughout the year. 

Mints prefer full sun to partial shade. Spearmint can also be grown indoors under a grow light or on a bright windowsill.

Mints prefer a rich, moist, and well-drained soil. If potting, use a rich organic soilless mix.

Water regularly, being careful not to overwater. Allow soil to go almost dry between watering, then soak thoroughly.

Spearmint thrives in USDA zones 4a to 11 and does not tolerate the cold. It does well indoors on a window or under a grow light.

No need to fertilize, spearmint grows well on its own. But adding some additional nutrients post-harvest will rejuvenate for another haul.

Plants and seeds are both are readily available and equally easy to grow. Of course, seeds do take more effort, but they are more cost-efficient.

Mint also grows easily from cuttings taken in the early spring using rooting hormone.

If you choose to start from seed start the process indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost. Indoors, seeds will germinate in about two weeks. Keep the soil moist till there is germination and then mist daily, but take care not to saturate the soil. Having a fan next to your seedlings is a good idea to strengthen them. You can also sow directly outdoors in partially shaded, moist soil.

With care, spearmint can be distinguished from its close relatives. Apple mint, Mentha suaveolens, is easy to identify. It has softly rounded leaves, and its stems and leaves are covered in fine fluffy hairs called trichomes. The flowers of Apple mint are white or light pink, and the taste is less minty and almost fruity. 

Chocolate mint, Mentha x piperita ‘Chocolate’, has dark green leaves, is very fast growing and has rich reddish-brown stems. The smell and flavor are reminiscent of mint chocolate liqueur.

Lavender Mint, Mentha x piperita 'Lavender', is as ornamental as it is aromatic. This beauty has large purple blooms and can reach heights to 36 inches. There is also a tricky version of spearmint known as curly-leaf mint, Mentha spicata 'crispa'. This tall growing mint has all the traits of spearmint but with tightly curled leaves.