How to grow Mint indoors
Especially in the UK and the USA mint is a very popular herb, especially with gardeners.
It is very easy to grow outdoors and indoors – and the growing methods are very similar.
In this article we will cover:
- The different types
- Where & how to grow it indoors (or outdoors)
- How to use it for cooking and in recipes
How to grow mint indoors
Below are quick links to the main types and below them is our guide on how to grow mint and further down the page example recipes and cooking advice:
The Top 4 Mint Varieties
Mint is very easy to grow, but each variety has a distinct flavour and is a very fast growing plant.
- Apple Mint – Strong flavour great for tea or adding to salads
- Spearmint – Ideal for recipes like roast leg of lamb or pasta meals, etc
- Peppermint – With a stronger flavour it’s ideal for lamb recipes.
- Orange Mint – Ideal for salads and mexican recipes like Salsa
Apple Mint
Peppermint
Spearmint
Orange Mint
How to grow Mint indoors
Whether you want to grow mint outdoors or indoors the system is very much the same.
But if you grow it outdoors it is important to realise that it is a very fast growing plant that will grow using a network of runners.
Which is why you need to be very careful when planting it next to other plants, as there is a real danger it will take over.
And which is why we also don’t recommend it for aquaponics – and if you want to grow it using hydroponics then the best option is to use a system like the indoor hydroponics one (with separate pots)
I prefer planting mint in a pot so that it is easier to look after – which is why it’s the same method used to grow mint indoors.
Total Time Needed :
10
Minutes
Total Cost:
£12
GBP
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
Steps on how to grow mint indoors:
Decide on the type of mint to grow.
There are over 600 different types of mint, each with their own flavour.
However the 4 most popular types for cooking are Apple Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint and Orange mint.
There is more info further down the page or have a look at the
Decide if you want to use seed or use a ready made plant, cutting or a plug plant.
The reason is that mint is a highly variable herb – and even using seeds from a reputable supplier you might still end up with a different type then the one you were hoping to grow.
In addition using a plant or plug plant is a lot quicker.
For example Amazon sell a variety pack of different mint plug plants
Add some rich compost or soil into a pot and add the plug plant.
Mint likes sunshine and the optimal growing temperature is 15 to 20 º
If you want to grow mint indoors then try to find a sunny window or a lot easier is to use growing light.
For example the standing grow light (on the right) is ideal as you can point it at the plant.
Water and trimming is very important.
Especially indoors you need to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out – water on a regular basis.
Linked to this do make sure you trim the mint regularly to encourage growth and fresh leaves.
When trimming cut just above a leaf node (where two stems grow) to encourage new leaves.
With enough water, heat & light your mint will grow very fast and you will have plenty of ingredients.
If it’s growing to fast then it’s easy to freeze mint.
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The different mint types
There are very many different types, For example water mint, asian, corsican, forest one, etc.
Which is why (especially if you want to use it for cooking & in recipes) it is very important to carefully select the right type to grow.
When it comes to recipes the most popular ones will be:
Spearmint
This is the type (if you live in the UK or USA) that you will be most familiar with, as it’s the type most often used in many recipes.
Typical recipes:
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Peppermint
Peppermint will have a stronger flavour than spearmint and is often used in desserts or in tea.
Typical recipes:
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In addition there are also many different types ideal for specific uses, such as
- Apple – Great for tea and adding to salads
- Orange – Also great for salads but ideal for mexican recipes like salsa
- Chocolate – Especially good for desserts
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How prepare mint for cooking and in recipes
If you want to use it then the first stage is to cut it from the plant. The video below provides ‘step by step’ advice.
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Once you have the leaves then the key is to ‘stack & roll’ the leaves:
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How to start
Hopefully our guide showing how to grow mint indoors has helped.