ADVERTISEMENT
Sourcing an indoor mint plant from a stem cutting:
This method of growing mint indoors only requires a severed mint stem about 3 inches long. Mint cuttings easily take root. Simply remove the lowest leaves, stick the bottom inch of the cut stem into a pot of new potting soil, water it in, cover the pot and cutting with a plastic baggie, and put it on a windowsill for 3 weeks. You can opt to use rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process if you want, but it’s not necessary. When 3 weeks have passed, remove the baggie and you have yourself a new mint plant for growing indoors. You can also root mint in water, which is discussed in a later section.
The basics of how to grow mint indoors
To maximize the growth of your indoor mint plant, you’ll need to provide it with a few things.
Sunlight: Mint requires a very bright indoor location. Outdoors, mint can tolerate a good bit of shade. But inside, the more light, the better. Otherwise, the plant will stretch for the light and become leggy and pale. If you don’t have a sunny, north-facing window that receives sun through the better part of the day, consider purchasing a small grow light to install over your mint plant.
Water: One of the most straightforward factors to consider when learning how to grow mint indoors is watering. Unlike some other herbs and houseplants, mint is far from demanding. Yes, you can over- or under-water it, but neither is easy to do. Mint tolerates both “wet feet” and dry soils. However, I aim for a good balance between the two. Water the plant only when the soil feels dry to the touch and the pot is light. To water indoor mint plants, move the pot to the sink or bathtub, turn on the water, and let it flush through the soil and exit the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. I flush water through the pot three or four times, let it drain fully, then return the pot to its spot on the windowsill.
Fertilizing indoor mint
ADVERTISEMENT
