Mint Growing Guide

5 Steps to Mint Planting Success

• Choose a sunny or shady spot in the garden or in pots and containers. 
• Prepare your soil with organic matter like compost and sheep pellets.
• Add a layer of herb mix to plant into. Mint can be planted in spring and summer in New Zealand. 
• Feed mint regularly to promote green leafy growth. 
• Prune mint regularly to keep it contained and to stimulate new leaves.

Follow our full guide below to a bumper crop of homegrown mint.

Mint is the quintessential herb – every home should have at least one plant. It is so easy to grow that you don’t even need a garden, it’s adaptable enough to grow in pots, hanging baskets and window boxes. 

Prepare

Mint is one of the few herbs that grows well in both sunny and shady areas. It’s happy to grow in pots and containers as well as the garden and as long as it’s in moist soil it will thrive.

Choose a mint variety that suits your tastes and needs. Popular varieties include Apple mint, Chocolate mint, Common mint, Corsican mint, Pennyroyal mint. Peppermint and Spearmint.

Shop Tui Seeds - Mint Common, an easy to grow herb with versatile flavour for cooking, preserves and drinks.

Like building a house a good foundation is the key to success in your garden. The better the soil, the better your plants will grow. If you are starting with an existing garden bed dig in organic matter like Tui Sheep Pellets and Tui Compost to your soil.

Then you can add a layer of Tui Herb Mix, a free draining planting mix, rich in nitrogen to promote green, leafy growth and continuous harvesting. If planting in pots and containers, fill with Tui Herb Mix.

Plant

If you’re a first time gardener you may find it easier to grow from seedlings, rather than seeds, although seeds are a more economical option. 

Mint can be grown from seed in spring, but the quickest way to grow is from cuttings. These root easily in water, and within a matter of weeks they’re ready to be transplanted directly into the garden or pots. Sow seed outdoors in late spring or start indoors about 8-10 weeks before the last frost. Keep the soil moist until seeds germinate.

The best times to plant are early in the morning or late in the day, so the plants aren’t exposed to the hot sun straight away.

Planting in garden beds

• Soak seedlings in a bucket of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic and allow to drain. This will help prevent transplant shock and give your plant a healthy boost.
• Add a layer of Tui Herb Mix to the planting area.
• Dig a hole, approximately twice the size of the root ball of your plant.
• Gently loosen the root ball of your plant and position the plant in the centre of the hole.
• Fill in with Tui Herb Mix.
• Press soil gently around the base of the plant.
• Water your plant well and continue to water regularly.

Planting in pots and containers

• If your container has no drainage holes, add stones to the bottom of the container to act as drainage.
• Soak your seedlings in a bucket of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic before planting and allow to drain. This will help prevent transplant shock and give your herbs a healthy start.
• Half fill your container with Tui Herb Mix.
• Gently take the plant from the current container, loosen the root ball and remove any loose or dead plant material and roots.
• Position the plant in the centre of the new container and fill with Tui Herb Mix up to 3cm from the top.
• Gently firm mix around the base of the plant. The mix should be at the same level on the plant as it was in the previous container.
• Water your plant well and continue to water regularly.

Nourish

Feed your herb and they will feed you. Plants use nutrients from the soil as they grow, so replenishing the nutrients ensures your plants grow to their full potential.

Feed your mint with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser. Well watered, well nourished herbs will have a better chance of keeping insect pests and diseases at bay.

Regular feeding and applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will help keep your mint healthy.

Tui Tips:

• Pick fresh leaves and stems as required. Leaf stems will keep well in a glass of water for a week or more.
• Mint grows too well in some gardens (like a weed!) and can be a challenge to control once established, so if you'd prefer it contained, make sure you plant it in pots and prune regularly.
• Rust can appear under mint leaves, remove infected leaves and prune back to remove all traces.