Planting mint: location, sowing & planting neighbors

Mint is a popular, refreshing herb that no garden should be without. Planting mint also doesn't require your thumb to be quite as green as it is for other plants.

the mint (mentha) is, once established, relatively undemanding as a horticultural crop, yet very productive. In addition, with the large selection there is one for every taste mint style included. How to plant mint, what location to pay attention to and much more, you will learn in this article.

Plant mint: the right location

Mint plants generally enjoy a sunny to partially shaded location. In direct sunlight, especially at midday, the water requirement naturally increases. The optimal location of mint depends on the species. Overall, mint is highly adaptable and will thrive in many locations.

Whether you are looking for a mint location in your garden or want to grow mint in a pot - the perennial herb can do a lot.

Plant mint in the garden

If you want to plant mint in your garden, it is best to do so in the spring. Ensure a humus-rich, nutrient-rich, moist and loose substrate. If the soil is too heavy or too sandy, loosen it before planting and enrich it with nutrient-rich soil such as ours Plantura organic universal soil at.

Find a suitable location in the garden. If possible, choose a spot where the mint has room to spread - because that's where they like to do it, and quickly too. If you don't want this, use a root barrier such as a flower pot.

Plant mint in the pot

If you plant mint in a pot, you should choose a suitable planter with a diameter of at least 20 cm. Fill this at the bottom with a drainage layer made of coarse components such as gravel or expanded clay and then give a suitable soil like ours Plantura organic universal soil added. Optionally, you can mix in about 30 percent expanded clay to avoid waterlogging in the pot.

If you cultivate mint in a pot, the plant roots through the container relatively quickly. You should rejuvenate and repot the plant after 3 years at the latest. As mentha To continue cultivating after planting, see our article on how to care for mint.

The right soil for mint

Since mint is very adaptable, it gets along well with different soils. However, mint prefers its substrate to be rich in nutrients, loose and moist, but not wet. Our Plantura organic universal soil has several advantages. It is already pre-fertilized with mainly organic fertilizer and also contains no peat, which results in less CO₂-emission in production leads.

Does mint need a root barrier?

Whether mint needs a root barrier is very much up to the gardener and the garden. Since mint forms creeping runners - so-called stolons - it can spread quickly around the planting site. For example, if you plant mint in a bed where spreading is not desired, you can set up a root barrier about 50 cm deep or regularly cut out the resulting offshoots.
If you use a root barrier, you have to consider that the soil is quickly penetrated at this point. This can lead to stunted growth after a while and you will need to rejuvenate or transplant the plant. If at some point during the summer you find it too much mint, you can Preserve mint by drying or freezing and thus also enjoy in winter.

Does mint help against spiders or snails?

Since the scent of intense mints is said to repel spiders, the herb can be placed on doors and windows - but a bug screen should be more effective in most cases.
The mint can be used as a mulch layer against snails. Here, too, the mint forms a scent barrier, but this is only partially successful. It would have to be applied very regularly and accurately to achieve a sufficient and lasting effect.

Sow mint and grow it yourself

If you want to propagate mint by seeds, we recommend pre-cultivating them first. Mint can be preferred in early spring. To do this, put the seeds on nutrient-poor seed soil such as ours Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil, which is also peat-free, and only lightly cover the seeds with soil. After good watering and at around 18 °C, the seeds will germinate within 2 weeks. You can separate the plants from a size of 7 to 10 cm. Alternatively, sow the seeds directly from the beginning of May.

Tip: Sowing mint is easy with our Plantura herb growing set. It contains not only seeds for mint, but also for 4 other aromatic types of herbs. In addition, you will find everything else you need for growing in the set: growing pots, substrate, plant labels and a reusable mini greenhouse.

Planting procedure

The best time to plant mint is from mid-May, after the last late frosts. Because although mint is generally considered hardy, young mint is a little more sensitive. When planting mint do the following.

Plant mint:

• Thoroughly water the root ball
• loosen soil
• Dig a planting hole: About twice the size of the root ball
• Put mint in the planting hole
• Planting depth as in the pot
• Fill the planting hole with soil and compact it slightly
• Water thoroughly

Since mint spreads very quickly, you can also integrate a root barrier. The planting distance should be about 50 cm.

Which plant neighbors go well with mint?

Mint gets along well with the vast majority of plants in the vicinity. One thing to consider, however, is the rapid spread of mint if left unchecked. It therefore likes to compete with other plants for water or nutrients.

Good Mint Neighbors:

• chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
• coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
• cabbages (Brassica)
• carrots (Daucus carota)
• tomatoes (solanum sect. Lycopersicon)

Bad Mint Neighbors:

• Other types of mint
• basil (Ocimum basilicum)
• celery (Apium)

Of course, if the mint cultivation was successful and the green herb sprout in your garden, it also needs to be cut. As Harvest and cut mint, we have summarized for you in another article.