How To Grow Mint Indoors – The Easy And Simple Way

Want to try your hand at gardening, but don’t have any outdoor space? Perhaps you’d love to grow your own herbs, but think this is impossible in an urban living environment?

Never fear! Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors.

So even if you live in an apartment block without so much as access to a patio area, you can still exercise your green thumb.

You just have to get creative with your space.

If you have a sunny windowsill or two (and room for some containers) you can grow tasty, fragrant mint at home. Self-sufficient living isn’t just for people with plenty of space! 

Read on to learn how to grow mint indoors.

Growing Mint Indoors: What You Need

• Mint seedlings
• Potting soil, rich compost, or coconut coir
• Containers with drainage holes (as large as your space will allow)
• Trays to place your containers on (baking trays work well)
• Fertilizer (optional)
• Windowsill space to grow your mint

When choosing a space to grow your containers of mint, try to select a windowsill that gets several hours of indirect sunlight throughout the day. A south facing location works well!

How to grow mint indoors in 6 simple steps

Growing and harvesting mint at home couldn’t be simpler. As long as you have some mint seedlings, soil, and the correct containers – you’re good to go!

1. Plan Your Space

Before you even begin to plant your mint containers, it’s worth taking a look at the space you’re working with.

Ideally, you will need to place your containers somewhere that gets adequate sunlight, with room for drainage trays (you don’t want water leaking all over the windowsill).

2. Select Your Containers

When it comes to growing mint, you need to give the plant adequate space to grow.

Opt for rectangular containers so that you can fit them easily on the windowsill, and make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom.

Place them on trays so that the windowsill surface is protected (and remember to tip excess water away regularly).

3. Choose Your Mint Seedlings

There are plenty of mint varieties to choose from (1).

Spearmint is a popular choice, but you can also opt for pineapple mint, chocolate mint, apple mint or peppermint.

Note, however, that it is very difficult to grow peppermint from seeds – so you’ll need to use cuttings if you opt for this variety.

Another thing to note is that different types of mint plants grow differently. Spearmint grows upright; while peppermint tends to spread outward, so keep this in mind when deciding which type you will grow.

Check out the mint plants for sale at your local gardening store, and see which you prefer.

4. Prepare Your Planters

Fill each of your planters with potting soil or rich compost. It is recommended to use potting soil here, as the soil is often pasteurised to protect against pests and fungi.

If you’re looking for a sustainable alternative to commercial or store bought potting soil, try using coconut coir (2). 

Related: Do you want to learn how to make your own compost? It’s easy and will save you time and money in the long run!)

5. Plant Your Mint

Plant one seedling in a 10-inch (or smaller) container. The mint will spread as it grows. But if you’re planting more than one seedling in a container, make sure to give them at least 4 inches of space.

Next, dig a hole in the soil by sticking your index finger in it, and then place your seedling in the hole.

Lastly, pack the soil around the seedling so the mint stands up on its own.

6. Water and Fertilize

Water the mint seedling until the soil is moist (not too wet).

Use fertilizer if you wish. You can use fertilizer sticks or liquid fertilizer as per the packet instructions. Just note that too much fertilizer can affect the flavor of the mint.

Seedlings vs Cuttings

While the above will work just fine, it should be noted that there are other methods for growing mint indoors. For example, you don’t need to grow mint from seedlings.

Some people grow mint from cuttings. They simply take a cutting of mint from an established plant, and pop it in a container of water.

When placed in sunlight, the cutting will start to grow new roots and can then be planted in soil. 

Check out the video below to see how to grow mint indoors from grocery-bought stalks using this method:

Final Thoughts

Now you’ve learned how to grow mint indoors year round!

In 90 days or less, you can reap the rewards of your labours and enjoy this delicious, fragrant herb.

It’s perfect for seasoning and great for flavoured tea, so will be a welcome addition to your kitchen.

Just because you don’t have the outdoor space to keep your own chickens or reap the advantages of aquaponics, doesn’t mean you can’t develop eco-friendly habits. Why not even try growing cilantro, lettuce, wheat grass and avocado indoors too?

If you plant a mint crop in your kitchen, bedroom or even on your bathroom windowsill, you can experience the fun and satisfaction of gardening, no matter where you live!

Have you had any success with growing mint indoors? Let us know in the comments section!

---