Spearmint

Spearmint: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Perennial, 30–60 cm tall, that spreads rapidly by underground runners.

Leaf

Lance-shaped, 5–9 cm, bright green, toothed and almost stalkless; usually smooth.

Flower

Slender, upright spikes of small lilac, pink or white flowers, from July to September.

Scent

Sweet and fresh, less sharp and cooling than peppermint.

Roots

Creeping rhizomes and runners that can travel several metres.

Flowering: July–September · Harvest and fruit: May–September · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• The classic mint for tea, cocktails, salads and sauces.
• Grows effortlessly, in sun or partial shade.
• Flower spikes in July–September for bees and butterflies.
• After cutting back it quickly produces fresh, tender leaves again.
• Fully hardy: it comes back every spring.

Spearmint: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; in full sun it needs more water.
• Humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moderately moist to moist: it dislikes drying out.
• Ideally in a sunken pot or a separate bed, away from the border.
• Allow 30–40 cm between plants, or one plant per pot.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Chives: An easy neighbour in the herb garden, also in partial shade.
• Parsley: Together the basis for tabbouleh and fresh salads.
• Lemon balm: A second herb for tea; keep it separate too, as it self-seeds freely.
• Pot marigold: Colour and extra nectar in the herb garden.

Spearmint: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant in March–May or in September.
2. Sink a bucket or large bottomless pot at least 30 cm deep, with the rim 3–5 cm above the soil: this keeps the runners in.
3. Fill with garden soil mixed with compost and set the plant at the same depth as in its pot.
4. Allow 30–40 cm between plants, or one plant per pot.
5. Water in well and keep the soil moist for the first few weeks.

Care

Water

Likes moist soil: water generously in dry spells, especially in a pot.

Feeding

A little compost in March. In a pot, give fresh compost every spring.

Harvesting

Pick the tips regularly: the plant stays compact and the leaves tender.

Cutting back

After the first flowering, cut back to 5–10 cm: fresh new leaves follow within a few weeks.

Renewing

Every two or three years, lift the clump and replant a young piece: old clumps go bare in the middle.

Tip: Plant spearmint in a sunken bottomless bucket with the rim just above the soil: that keeps the spreading roots in check without the plant drying out.

Spearmint: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: In August, after the first flowering, and in March to remove last year’s dead stems.

How:

• After flowering, cut all stems back to 5–10 cm above the ground.
• In March, remove the dead stems just above the new shoots.
• Cut off any runners creeping out of the pot or bed straight away.
• During the season simply pick the tips: every harvest is a small prune.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September, lift a clump and split it into pieces with roots and shoots.

Runners

Lay a 5–10 cm piece of runner with a few nodes flat, 5 cm deep, in a pot of compost.

Cuttings

In May–June, stand an 8–10 cm tip cutting in a glass of water; it roots in one to two weeks.

Spearmint: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: the top growth dies back and the rhizomes overwinter.
• In a pot on the terrace: stand the pot against a wall, as the root ball in a small pot can freeze solid.
• For fresh mint in winter: pot up a piece of rhizome in autumn and put it on a bright windowsill.

Diseases and pests

• Mint rust: Orange to brown pustules under the leaves and distorted shoots. Cut everything down to the ground and dispose of it, not on the compost; if needed, replant a healthy piece elsewhere.
• Spreading: Runners pop up all over the border. Grow it in a sunken pot and pull up runners at once.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer, especially in dry weather. Cut back and water.
• Mint beetles: Small, shiny green beetles and holes in the leaves. Pick them off by hand.
• Bare centre: Old clumps go bare in the middle. Renew them by dividing every two or three years.

Through the year

• March: Cut away dead stems. Add compost. Planting.
• April: Planting or dividing. First pickings.
• May: Planting. Harvest tips. Root cuttings in water.
• June: Harvest freely. Keep an eye on runners.
• July: Flowering begins. Harvest and dry.
• August: Cut back to 5–10 cm after the first flowering. Water in dry spells.
• September: Harvest the new leaves. Planting or dividing.
• November: Pot up a piece of rhizome for the windowsill.

Edible and useful

Leaves (May–September)

Cut the tips of the stems from May to September on a dry morning, ideally just before flowering, when the flavour is freshest. Always cut just above a pair of leaves so the plant branches again. Spearmint is milder and sweeter than peppermint: ideal for fresh mint tea, tabbouleh, mint sauce, lemonade, or a salad with watermelon or peas.

Storing

Fresh sprigs keep for a few days in a glass of water or wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge. To dry, hang small bunches upside down somewhere airy and shady, or spread the leaves on a rack. Dried, they keep for a year in a closed jar in the dark. Chopped mint with a little water also freezes well in an ice-cube tray.

Caution: Mint spreads by underground runners: grow it in a pot, or in a bottomless container sunk into the ground. Different mints grown side by side cross and lose their flavour. Do not confuse it with pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), a mint with a sharp, resinous smell that is poisonous in larger amounts. People with heartburn sometimes tolerate a lot of mint poorly. Never eat anything you have not identified with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Fresh mint tea (Tea · 1 teapot (± 1 litre) · 10 min)
• Mint cordial (Syrup · ± 1 litre · 20 min + overnight steeping)
• Classic mint sauce (Dish · 4 people · 10 min + 30 min resting)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• Spearmint’s fresh scent comes mainly from carvone; peppermint owes its cooling taste to menthol.
• Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint and water mint.
• Spicata means ‘with spikes’, after the slender flower spikes.