How to Grow Mint Indoors? One herb I can’t live without is mint. Although I occasionally love a mojito, my preferred way to consume mint is in herbal tea. I brew hot and iced tea using dried mint leaves, and during the summer, I make a pot of sun tea every week with fresh mint leaves.
How to Grow Mint Indoors?
I grow my mint in patio containers because it has a reputation for wild growth and can easily take over a garden. I also cultivate mint indoors all year long. This implies that I have access to fresh mint leaves throughout the entire year. I’d like to share three different methods for growing mint indoors with you today.
Why Plant Mint Indoors:
Mint (Mentha species) is one of the simplest herbs to grow indoors because it is a perennial that produces new foliage all year long if the stems are not damaged by cold. Mint comes in a huge variety of species, hybrids, and cultivars. When it comes to flavour and appeal, some are more popular than others.
Mint is much simpler to grow indoors than many other herbs, provided you give it ample light and regular watering (more on both of these in a later section). Mint also grows remarkably well indoors. I adore the way some species of mint have stems that hang over the sides of the container and have crinkly, green leaves. Even indoor mint plants have bloomed in the dead of winter, according to me.
Yes, mint has a lovely appearance, but the majority of us don’t grow herbs for their beauty. We cultivate them for their flavours, and on a chilly day, what could taste better than a cup of hot tea made with fresh, cultivated mint leaves? You’ll always have a few sprigs of mint ready for harvest since mint continually produces new stems and leaves.
The scent of mint is another motivation to learn how to cultivate it indoors. On a gloomy day, all I have to do is pinch off a leaf, rub it between my thumb and index finger, and take a deep breath. Mint has an energising and enlivening scent. Even better, add a few leaves to the water of your bath for a fragrant, relaxing soak. Another advantage of growing mint indoors is the absence of pests. My mint plants have never been attacked by any houseplant pests, besides the occasional fungus gnat.
Sourcing Mint Plants for indoor Growing:
If you’re wondering how to grow mint indoors, your first idea could be where to get the plants. You have a number of choices. The simplest option for me is to buy a starting plant from my preferred neighbourhood nursery. However, if you’re just starting to learn how to grow mint indoors in the fall or winter, you might discover that your neighbourhood nursery is sold out. Herb plants are typically only sold in nurseries in the spring. If this applies to you, think about growing a new mint houseplant from a stem cutting or a root division.
1. Obtaining a root division of a mint Plant for Indoor use
It’s simple to dig out a division of a mint plant, pot it up, and bring it indoors if you already have one growing in a container or in the ground, or if you have a friend or family member who does. It is a feasible division as long as there is a segment of root linked to a stem. You have the option of starting with a big or small division. Mint spreads quickly, so even if you start with a little division, the plant will soon fill your container.
2. How to grow a stem cutting of a mint plant Indoors
Only a severed mint stem measuring about 3 inches long is needed for this method of cultivating mint indoors. Mint cuttings grow quickly. Simply remove the lowest leaves, insert the cut stem’s bottom inch into a pot of fresh potting soil, water it in, cover the pot and cutting with a plastic baggie, and set it on a windowsill for three weeks. If you choose, you can use the rooting hormone to hasten the rooting process, although it is not required. After three weeks, take the baggie out to reveal a fresh mint plant that can be grown indoors. Mint can also be rooted in water; this is covered in a later section.
How to Grow Mint Indoors:
You’ll need to provide your indoor mint plant with a few items in order to boost its growth.
Sunlight
Mint needs a highly bright indoor environment. Mint can withstand some light shade while growing outside. However, the more light there is, the better. In the absence of light, the plant will squint and grow leggy and pallid. If you don’t have a window that faces north and gets daylight for the majority of the day, think about buying a tiny grow light to put over your mint plant.
Water
Watering is one of the simplest things to think about while learning how to grow mint indoors. Mint is a very low-maintenance plant, unlike several other herbs and indoor plants. Yes, you can drown it or submerge it, but neither is simple. Both “wet feet” and dry soils are acceptable to mint. But I try to strike a healthy balance between the two. Only water the plant when the pot seems light and the soil feels dry to the touch.
Move the pot to a sink or bathtub, turn on the water, and allow it to flow through the soil and out the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot to water indoor mint plants. I fill the pot with water three or four times, let it drain completely, and then put it back on the ledge.
Indoor Mint Fertilisation
When it comes to cultivating mint indoors, this is yet another simple task. Fertilize your indoor mint plant with a liquid organic fertiliser every three weeks from mid-spring to late summer. Follow the directions on the label while mixing. If you want to harvest from your plant all winter long, fertilise it once every six weeks from early fall to early spring. Indoor mint will continue to grow throughout the winter, unlike other houseplants, therefore it is a good idea to feed it. Simply don’t go overboard.
How to Prune Mint Plants Inside:
Your mint plant needs regular “haircuts” to stay bushy and promote new growth. Trim the stems regularly, ideally once every few weeks, with a pair of needle-nose pruners or herb scissors.
Each stem will branch in two when a cut is made immediately above a group of leaves because two new stems will grow from the leaf nodes. In the kitchen, use the trimmings.
3 Ways to Grow Mint Indoors:
As a houseplant, there are primarily three ways to grow mint. Let’s go over each choice one at a time.
1. How to grow mint indoors – in Soil:
The most popular method for growing mint indoors is this one. Select a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom that has a minimum diameter of 8 inches. While plastic works just as well, I like attractive ceramic pots. Clay pots should be avoided as they deteriorate too quickly. Your mint plant should be potted in top-notch general potting soil with about a half inch of head space between the soil’s surface and the pot’s rim. This serves as a reservoir and slows the rate at which irrigation water drains. Mint plants in pots can survive as indoor plants for many years.
2. How to grow mint indoors – in Water
Additionally, mint can be cultivated inside water. The absence of dirt is the fundamental advantage of this technique. There is never any mess, watering, or fungus gnats. Mint does not, however, float in water indefinitely. The plant will eventually stop growing and its leaves will turn yellow. You can, however, occasionally harvest by keeping a few water-rooted stems in a jar over the sink.
Simply take some stem cuttings from a mother plant, trim all the lower leaves, and place the stems in a glass of water to begin growing mint indoors in water. Every five to seven days, replace the water and wash the glass. Depending on the growing conditions, they can be grown in a water-filled jar for a few weeks or months after they swiftly form roots.
3. How to grow mint indoors – Hydroponically:
Hydroponics can also be used to understand how to grow minds inside. In fact, mint is a fantastic crop to grow in a hydroponic system that is either purchased or created at home. Although there is less mess because there is no soil involved, hydroponic systems are more expensive than soil-based cultivation. The cost of the nutrient solutions is higher than that of conventional fertilisers as well. However, hydroponics is something to look at if you intend to grow a lot of mints. I suggest Tyler Baras’ book DIY Hydroponic Gardens for some great low-cost DIY hydroponic solutions and more information on this growing technique.
Best Mint Varieties for Growing Indoors:
Any variety of mint can be grown indoors. Try apple mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, and peppermint (Mentha x Piperita, M. spicata, and M. suaveolens Variegata) (M. suaveolens). In addition to having a distinct appearance, each has its distinctive flavour. I adore pineapple mint’s striped leaves!
Harvesting Mint indoors:
Trim off entire stems for drying or fresh usage, or pluck individual leaves as needed, to harvest your indoor mint plants. Don’t be scared to severely prune the plant a couple of times a year. This promotes bushy growth habits and the growth of tasty new growth. In the middle of April, I usually trim my plants all the way back to the ground. A few weeks later, this forces the growth of brand-new, delicious, deep green leaves. Just before the plant’s most active development period, it revitalises the plant.
A productive and enjoyable project is growing mint year-round indoors. Mint is genuinely one of the simplest herbs to cultivate indoors, as you’ll quickly discover. I suggest Susan Betz’s gorgeous book Herbal Houseplants for more information on growing herbs as indoor plants.
