Growing Mint Outdoors Winter

Dig up the plant and bin it.

Growing mint outdoors winter.

It s best to grow them in pots to keep them from taking over your garden even if you re planting in the ground. Use a runner from an existing outdoor mint plant. Mint is a vigorous plant that will spread all over the place if planted straight into the ground. Hardiness will depend on the variety you are growing but mints are widely adaptable.

This fast growing herb can grow just about anywhere and makes an excellent addition to indoor and outdoor gardens. It is best to buy mint as young plants in spring. Runners are long stems that grow away from a mint plant. Runners set their own roots in the ground which means they can be carefully removed and transplanted into a new pot.

The colder your climate the more your plants run the risk of not surviving the winter. Where to plant mint. Check plants regularly for mint rust. 13 15 c at night.

Plants thrive in zones 3 11 depending on the variety. You ll also want to locate your mint plant in an area with an indoor temperature of around 65 70 f. In areas with frost they grow as perennials going dormant in the winter and coming back with new growth in the spring. One or two plants will easily cover the ground.

Mint should grow to be 1 or 2 feet tall. Don t cut at this one too much just allow it to make good growth and keep it trimmed to about 6 inches 15 cm this way you will have lots of stems for winter use the cutting back will make other stems shoot up and stop the flowers growing. If you have a friend with an existing outdoor mint plant you may be able to use one of their runners. Plant mint in spring after the last frost.

Pot up a plant in the spring use a 4 inch 10cm pot of good compost. Quick guide to growing mint. When growing in pots rejuvenate congested clumps by upturning the container removing the rootball and splitting it in half. Space mint plants 18 to 24 inches apart.

Mint rust remains in the soil for at least three years so don t plant other mints tarragon or chives in that spot after infection. Look for swollen stems with orange spots on the leaves. Some cold hardy herbs mint thyme oregano sage and chives are very well adapted. Repot a portion in the same container using fresh compost.

18 21 c during the day and 55 60 f. That said mint isn t picky. Water the mint plant well after planting and place it in an area with indirect light preferably an east facing window during spring and summer or a west or south facing one in fall and winter. Growing mint likes well drained nutrient rich moist soil with a ph between 5 6 and 7 5.

Temperature and humidity.