16, May 2025
How to Grow Mint Plants that Just Keep Giving
Imagine having an infinite supply of fresh mint! We're here to show you how. Whether you're thinking of growing mint in pots indoors or outside, this simple hack could provide you with more mint than you can imagine. It’s easy, fun and rewarding – and it all starts with a simple supermarket plant...
HOW TO GROW MINT FROM CUTTINGS
Our step-by-step guide to propagating mint is based on taking cuttings from a mint plant from the herb section of the supermarket, but you can also try it with healthy sprigs taken straight from a packet of pre-cut mint. If you choose this method, skip straight to step 2!
STEP ONE: SNIP YOUR SPRIGS
Choose strong, healthy-looking sprigs. Cut them with scissors, just below a node (that’s the bit where the leaf grows out of the stem).
STEP TWO: PREPARE TO PLANT
Remove any leaves from the lower part of your sprigs, so you’re left with a bare stalk with leaves at the top.
STEP THREE: POP SPRIGS IN WATER
Fill a glass with water (empty jam and pesto jars also work well – and help reduce waste) and pop your sprigs inside. Leave them in a bright spot with indirect light. Change the water every day to keep your baby mint plants fresh!
STEP FOUR: BE ON ROOT WATCH
Keep an eye out for roots! After around 7-10 days, they should start to sprout out of the bottom of your sprigs. If you look closely, you’ll see teeny-tiny roots growing out of our sprig. You should plant your sprig when the roots are more developed than this. When they’re a few centimetres long, get excited: it’s time to plant!
STEP FIVE: PLANT IN A POT
Fill a plant pot (or a repurposed yogurt pot!) with a thin layer of gravel for drainage and top up with compost. Use a pencil or your little finger to make a hole in the centre of the compost and put your sprig in the hole. Water well and again, place in a spot with bright but indirect light.
STEP SIX: WATER REGULARLY
Remember to keep your new mini plants hydrated: water them regularly, making sure the compost stays moist.
STEP SEVEN: TIME TO DIVIDE – OR PLANT OUTSIDE!
You'll know your new mint plants are thriving when they have lots of sprigs and leaves. At this stage, you can divide them into smaller plants or put them in one big container, either inside or outside. You'll be amazed to see how much your mint has grown from its humble beginnings. Here’s some we grew earlier!
GROWING MINT IN POTS: THE BENEFITS
Mint is a vigorous grower that can quickly take over flowerbeds, which is why many gardeners prefer to grow it in pots. The plant spreads via rhizomes, which are underground, horizontal shoots. If you don't mind mint for miles, let it grow wild, but most people prefer to keep their mint in check to give other plants a chance!
You can grow mint in pots indoors all year round. If you’re growing it outside, you’ll notice it disappears in winter – don’t panic, it’ll be back soon! After the first frosts, mint leaves and stems die back, but under the ground, the rhizomes stay alive and in spring, you’ll see new regrowth.
Mint is a wonderful herb to grow outside because of its bee-friendly flowers. Bees and other pollinators will flock to its clusters of small, nectar-rich flowers, which bloom in summer and can be white, purple or pink, depending on the type of mint.
WHAT TO DO WITH MINT LEAVES
If you’re wondering what to do with all that fresh mint (apart from feeding the bees!) there are plenty of uses for it. Of course, fresh mint is called for in lots of food and drink recipes. But beyond the kitchen, there are lots of things you can do with mint.
Try crushing the leaves and leaving them in a small bowl to freshen the air. You can also dry your mint leaves out and hang them in a cupboard to keep things smelling clean. Or hang a bunch of mint in the shower for an ultra-refreshing experience.
If you really can’t enough of the zingy smell of mint, try our invigorating Mint Body Wash, made with English peppermint oil. And our blog, Clever Peppermint Uses for Your Home, is packed with ideas for how to use peppermint essential oil around the house.
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