Mastering Indoor Mint Plant Care: Watering Tips and Beyond

I once thought growing mint indoors would be a piece of cake. Seriously, how hard could it be? People say mint grows like a weed, practically taking over entire gardens with its relentless ambition.

So, I grabbed a cute little spearmint plant from the local nursery, plonked it in a sunny spot on my windowsill, and waited for the mojito-making magic to happen.

A few weeks later, I was staring at a sad, leggy, and distinctly unhappy-looking plant. Where were the lush, fragrant leaves I’d dreamed of? What went wrong?

It turns out that while mint is prolific, it’s also a bit of a diva indoors. It has specific needs that aren’t always obvious.

My initial failure sent me down a rabbit hole of research, trial, and (lots of) error. The good news? I’ve since cracked the code. I now have several thriving pots of mint that perfume my kitchen and provide endless sprigs for teas, salads, and yes, the occasional cocktail.

 If you’re struggling to keep your indoor mint happy or you’re just starting out, you’re in the right place. I’m going to share everything I’ve learned the successes, the failures, and the secrets to growing an endless supply of glorious, fragrant mint right in your home.

Getting Started: Choosing Your Mint and the Perfect Pot

Before we even talk about water or sunlight, let’s set your mint up for success from day one. This starts with picking the right type of mint and giving it a proper home. Believe me, the pot you choose makes a world of difference.

Which Mint is Right for You?

Did you know there are over 600 varieties of mint? It’s wild. While they share similar care needs, their flavors and growth habits can vary. You don’t need to know all of them (thankfully), but here are a few popular choices for indoor growing:

• Spearmint (Menthaspicata): This is your classic, go-to mint. It has a sweet, mild flavor that’s perfect for drinks and desserts. Its bright green, spear-shaped leaves are what most people picture when they think of mint. It’s a great beginner’s choice.
• Peppermint (Menthapiperita): A hybrid of spearmint and watermint, peppermint has a much higher menthol content. This gives it that potent, spicy, and cooling kick. It’s fantastic for teas and is often used for its soothing properties. The leaves are a bit darker and more rounded than spearmint.
• Chocolate Mint (Mentha x piperita ‘Chocolate’): Yes, you read that right. This variety genuinely has subtle undertones of chocolate and mint, like a certain famous after-dinner treat. It’s a personal favorite of mine for adding a fun twist to desserts or even just sniffing for a little pick-me-up.
• Apple Mint (Menthasuaveolens): Also known as woolly mint because of its slightly fuzzy leaves, this one has a mild, fruity aroma and flavor. It’s less aggressive than other mints, making it a well-behaved indoor companion.

My advice? Start with one or two that appeal to your taste buds. I started with spearmint and later added chocolate mint because, well, chocolate. You can usually find starter plants at garden centers, nurseries, or even your local grocery store.

The Great Pot Debate: Why Size and Drainage Are Everything

Here’s where I made my first big mistake. I put my tiny starter mint in a massive pot, thinking it would have plenty of room to grow. Wrong. A pot that’s too large holds excess soil, which in turn holds excess water. This can lead to the dreaded root rot, the silent killer of many an indoor plant.

Conversely, a pot that’s too small will constrict the roots, stunt growth, and dry out way too fast. So, what’s the sweet spot?

Choose a pot that is about 1-2 inches wider in diameter than the pot the plant came in. This gives the roots enough room to expand without overwhelming them. As your mint grows, you can repot it into a larger container, following the same 1-2 inch rule.

Even more important than size is drainage. Mint absolutely despises “wet feet,” which is a cute way of saying it hates sitting in stagnant water. Ensure your chosen pot has at least one, preferably several, drainage holes at the bottom.

No drainage holes? That’s a deal-breaker. Seriously, put that decorative pot back on the shelf unless you plan on using it as a cachepot (a decorative outer pot that holds the less-pretty plastic one with drainage).

I personally love terracotta pots for my mint plants. They are porous, which allows the soil to breathe and helps prevent waterlogging. Plus, they have a classic, earthy look. Whatever material you choose, just prioritize those drainage holes.

The Main Event: Watering Your Indoor Mint Like a Pro

Watering is, without a doubt, the area where most people go wrong with indoor mint. It’s a delicate dance between too much and too little. Mint loves consistently moist soil, but as we’ve established, it will throw a fit if it’s waterlogged. So, how do you find that perfect balance?

The “When” and “How” of Watering

Forget a rigid watering schedule. Saying “water your mint every Tuesday” is terrible advice. Environmental factors like light, humidity, temperature, and pot size all affect how quickly the soil dries out. Instead, you need to learn to “read” your plant and its soil.

Here is the only method you need to follow:

1. The Finger Test: This is your new best friend. Stick your index finger about an inch deep into the soil.
2. Assess the Moisture:

1. If the soil feels damp, hold off on watering. Your mint is still happy.
2. If the soil feels dry to the touch at that depth, it’s time to water.
3. Water Thoroughly: When it’s time to water, don’t just give it a little sip. Take the plant to the sink and water it until you see water freely running out of the drainage holes at the bottom. This ensures that the entire root ball gets hydrated, not just the top layer.
4. Let it Drain: This is a crucial step! After watering thoroughly, let the pot sit in the sink for 10-15 minutes to allow all excess water to drain away. Never let your mint plant sit in a saucer full of water. This is a one-way ticket to root rot city.

By following this method, you give your plant exactly what it needs, when it needs it. It might mean watering every few days in the summer when it’s actively growing and getting lots of light, or maybe only once a week in the winter. Let the soil tell you what to do.

Top-Watering vs. Bottom-Watering

You might have heard people talking about bottom-watering their plants. What’s that all about?

• Top-Watering: This is the traditional method described above. It’s simple, effective, and helps flush out any mineral buildup in the soil.
• Bottom-Watering: This involves placing the pot in a saucer or tray of water and allowing the soil to soak up moisture through the drainage holes. It encourages deeper root growth and ensures the soil is evenly moist.

I alternate between the two methods. Most of the time, I top-water because it’s quick and easy. But every month or so, I’ll give my mint a good bottom-watering session. I just fill a tray with an inch or two of water, set the pot in it for about 20-30 minutes (or until the top of the soil is moist), and then remove it. This is a great way to ensure even hydration, especially if you suspect the soil has become hydrophobic (when it gets too dry and starts repelling water).

Light, Food, and Haircuts: Beyond the Watering Can

Perfect watering won’t matter much if your mint is sitting in a dark corner. Mint is a sun-worshipper and needs plenty of light to produce those flavorful, aromatic oils.

Let There Be Light!

For lush, bushy growth, your indoor mint needs at least 6 hours of bright, direct sunlight per day. The absolute best spot is a south-facing windowsill.

East- or west-facing windows can also work, but you might notice the plant getting a bit “leggy” meaning it grows long, spindly stems with sparse leaves as it stretches towards the light source.

What if you don’t have a sunny window? Are you doomed to a mint-less existence? Not at all! This is where grow lights come in.

A simple full-spectrum LED grow light can be a total game-changer, especially during the darker winter months.

I have one clamped to a shelf above my less-sunny kitchen counter, and the mint under it is just as happy and robust as the one in my sunniest window. Keep the light about 6-12 inches above the plant and run it for 12-14 hours a day.

Pro-tip: Rotate your plant every few days. Plants naturally grow towards their light source, so rotating them ensures they grow evenly on all sides instead of leaning over like they’re trying to whisper secrets to the window.

To Feed or Not to Feed?

Mint isn’t a particularly heavy feeder, but since it’s confined to a pot, it will eventually use up all the nutrients in the soil. To keep it thriving, you’ll want to give it a little snack now and then during its growing season (spring and summer).

Use a balanced, all-purpose liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength. I fertilize my mint about once a month from April to September. It’s important not to overdo it. Too much fertilizer can actually burn the roots and, ironically, diminish the flavor of the leaves.

During the fall and winter, when the plant’s growth naturally slows down, you can stop fertilizing altogether.

The Importance of a Good Haircut

This is the fun part! Harvesting your mint is not just about getting to enjoy it; it’s essential for the health of the plant. Regular pruning encourages the plant to grow bushier and fuller instead of tall and gangly.

Don’t just pluck off individual leaves. This does very little to promote new growth. Instead, prune your mint regularly by snipping off the top stems, right above a set of leaves. When you snip a stem, the plant will send out two new stems from that point, effectively doubling its bushiness over time.

I make it a habit to prune my mint at least every couple of weeks, even if I don’t need it for anything. My rule of thumb is to never harvest more than one-third of the plant at a time.

This ensures it has enough foliage left to continue photosynthesizing and recovering quickly. Regular pruning is the secret to a compact, dense mint plant and, of course, a constant supply for your kitchen.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (Trust Me, I’ve Made Them All)

We all make mistakes, especially when we’re learning. But hopefully, you can learn from mine and skip the heartache of a sad, dying mint plant.

1. Using Garden Soil: Never, ever dig up soil from your backyard and put it in a pot. Garden soil is heavy, compacts easily, and doesn’t drain well. It can also harbor pests and diseases. Always use a high-quality, all-purpose potting mix for your indoor plants.
2. Letting It Flower: Mint flowers are actually quite pretty little purple or white spikes. But you should snip them off as soon as you see them. Once mint flowers, it has entered the final stage of its life cycle. The plant will put all its energy into producing seeds, and the leaves will lose their potent flavor and aroma. Pinching off the flower buds tells the plant to keep focusing on leaf production.
3. Ignoring Pests: Indoor plants are less prone to pests, but they aren’t immune. Spider mites and aphids are two common culprits that can infest mint. They are tiny and hard to spot, so make it a habit to inspect the undersides of the leaves regularly. If you see fine webbing (spider mites) or tiny green/black bugs (aphids), you can usually get rid of them by spraying the plant with a simple solution of water and a few drops of dish soap or by using an insecticidal soap.
4. Fearing the Repot: Mint is a fast grower, and its roots will eventually fill the pot. This is known as being “root-bound.” You’ll know it’s time to repot when you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, or when the plant seems to dry out almost immediately after watering. Don’t be afraid to move your mint to a slightly larger home. It will thank you with a fresh burst of growth.

Conclusion: Your Indoor Mint-Growing Journey

Growing mint indoors is an incredibly rewarding experience. There’s nothing quite like the fresh, vibrant scent that fills the air when you brush past the leaves, or the satisfaction of snipping off a few sprigs to liven up a glass of iced tea. It’s a plant that gives back tenfold.

The journey from a struggling plant parent to a confident mint-master has been so much fun for me, and I know it can be for you too. Don’t be discouraged if you hit a bump or two along the way. Every sad-looking leaf is a learning opportunity.

Now I want to hear from you! Do you have any indoor mint-growing tips to share? Or are you just starting out and have a question I didn’t cover? Drop a comment below—let’s talk all things mint!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why are the leaves on my indoor mint plant turning yellow?

Yellow leaves are a classic sign of overwatering. When the soil is constantly saturated, the roots can’t breathe, leading to root rot and preventing the plant from absorbing nutrients properly. Check your watering routine!

My mint plant looks tall and skinny with only a few leaves. What am I doing wrong?

This is a condition called “legginess,” and it’s almost always caused by a lack of sufficient light. Your plant is literally stretching itself thin trying to reach for more sun. Move it to a sunnier spot (like a south-facing window) or invest in a grow light.

Can I grow mint indoors from seeds?

You absolutely can, but I’d say it’s the more difficult route, IMO. Mint seeds are tiny and can be slow to germinate. It’s much easier and faster to start with a small plant from a nursery or even to propagate a cutting from a friend’s plant. If you want a challenge, go for it, but if you want mint fast, buy a starter plant.

How often should I repot my indoor mint?

Mint grows vigorously, so you’ll likely need to repot it every year or so. A sure sign it’s time is when you see roots poking out of the drainage holes or when the plant seems to stop growing despite good care. When you repot, choose a container that’s just 1-2 inches wider in diameter than the current one.

Is it safe to use any type of mint for cooking and drinks?

For the most part, yes. The common culinary varieties like spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, etc., are all delicious and safe to consume. However, there is one variety to be cautious of: Pennyroyal (Menthapulegium). It was historically used in folk medicine but is toxic in large doses and should be avoided for culinary purposes.