How to Grow Mint at Home (And Stop It Taking Over)
Mint is one of the easiest, most useful herbs to grow — but it's also one of the most invasive. Here's how to grow abundant mint while keeping it contained.
Why Mint is Both Amazing and Dangerous
Mint (Mentha) is incredibly easy to grow, incredibly useful in the kitchen, and incredibly aggressive in the garden. Plant it directly in a bed and within two seasons it will have colonised half your garden. The solution is simple: always grow mint in containers.
Growing Mint in Pots
Any pot with drainage works. Mint isn’t fussy about compost — it will grow in almost anything. Plant in a spot with partial shade (mint actually prefers cooler, slightly shaded conditions to the full sun most herbs prefer). Water moderately — mint likes moisture but not waterlogging.
Varieties Worth Growing
Spearmint — classic flavour, excellent for cooking and tea. Peppermint — stronger and more menthol, best for teas and medicinal use. Chocolate Mint — genuinely smells of chocolate, beautiful in desserts. Apple Mint — softer flavour, better for salads and drinks. Moroccan Mint — the traditional mint tea variety, very aromatic.
Preventing Takeover in Garden Beds
If you want mint in a garden bed rather than a pot, plant it in a container buried in the ground with the rim 2–3cm above soil level. This contains the underground runners. Check the rim monthly and cut back any runners that escape over the top.
Harvesting and Using
Harvest regularly by cutting stems back by one-third. This encourages bushy, compact growth rather than tall, straggly plants. Before flowering (which makes leaves bitter), cut the plant back hard and it will regrow fresh, flavourful foliage within weeks.