source: Planting Indoors
Anytime you plant mint in garden beds, it has the tendency to spread rapidly, sending out runners to quickly take over any space it can access (not limited to garden soil, it often creeps into cracks between pavers or in concrete). Mint’s prolific nature makes it a great option for growing indoors, controlled in containers. It requires little care other than keeping it watered, providing the grower with a plentiful year-round supply of fresh, aromatic mint leaves.
Best indoor growing conditions
The environmental conditions (temperature, lighting, and humidity) found within most homes are well suited for growing houseplants and herbs alike. Most indoor plants prefer warm, sunny locations and thrive when given optimum conditions. The right sunlight exposure, ambient temperature, and relative humidity encourage vigorous plant growth and the best tasting foliage.
Indirect sunlight exposure
Unlike many herbs and houseplants, mint thrives in indirect sunlight versus full sun and thrives in partial shade. Choose east-facing windows in spring and summer, and west-facing windows in fall and winter.
If you’re using grow lights, do your best to imitate the effects of indirect sunlight. Be sure to use mild intensity lights in scheduled periods.
Ambient Temperature
For the healthiest plants, keep mint containers in rooms where the temperature is between 65 - 70℉ during the day and 55 - 60℉ at night. Protect plants from cold drafts to prevent negative responses from environmental stress. Be sure to keep your hardiness zone in mind when scheduling and planning your herb garden.
Relative Humidity
Indoor plants are not a fan of dry air, and herbs are no exception. Maintain a humid environment with adequate air flower to keep foliage healthy. Plants can be grouped together to increase the relative humidity, but be sure to allow some spacing between plants for air movement. If you live in a very dry climate or are using direct sunlight, be sure to be diligent with your watering to compensate.
Basic care for growing mint indoors
Keep the growing substrate/soil moist. Don’t let the surface of the growing media dry out between waterings as you do with other plants. Mint likes moist, but not waterlogged, conditions around its roots due to its Mediterranean stream bank origin.
Rotate plants every few days to prevent them from bending towards the light. This phenomenon is known as phototropism – where plant growth hormones are laterally redistributed to the shade side of the plant, triggering cell elongation, encouraging the plant to grow towards the sunlight (Whippo, & Hangarter, 2006).
Avoid fertilizing plants (this recommendation is from Park Seed). Mint plants grow quickly without a need for additional nutrients. Fertilizing plants can cause them to lose their robust flavor.
Pinch plants regularly to keep them from getting leggy. This removes apical dominance and enhances the growth of lateral branches (Beura, Mtaita, Mutetwa, & Masaka, 2016), creating bushier plants.
Remove flowers to prevent loss of flavor and prolong leaf growth. Pinch off buds as they develop, encouraging plant resources to go towards developing new foliage.
The leaves are delicate enough that you can simply pull the leaves off as needed.
Mint, Sweet Mint and Peppermint available - we also carry FoxFarm soils & fertilizers.