Of all the herbs, mint is super easy to grow. You don’t need to be an expert on this. It can be grown both in containers and grounds. If you want to grow Mint as a fragrant ground cover, follow our guide on Planting Mint Bed for Ground Cover. 

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Planting Mint Bed for Ground Cover

Most gardeners prefer to plant mint in containers to save land space as it covers patches aggressively. But if you plant it with precaution, it can become an excellent ground cover. In this article, you’ll learn how you can plant a fragrant mint bed without letting it spread to unwanted parts of your garden.

Ever pass a field where mint is growing, heavenly breeze waft from it, refreshing and mood booster? Grow a mint bed in your garden and enjoy its fruity-lemony odor.

Tips before Planting

  • Find an enclosed separate space in your garden to create a mint bed. Raised beds of 5-6 6 inches in height are perfect for this.
  • If you are not growing Mint in a raised bed, wrap its spreading by a lot of mulching around it or you can plant it in a confined space.
  • Mint spreads vigorously and it is highly advisable to restrict its area. Planting it in flower beds or vegetable plots is not a good idea as it’ll soak up all the nutrition from the soil and invade your garden like a weed.
  • Use landscape barriers or borders to restrict Mint from spreading in your garden beyond d the desired space.
  • Install a screen to provide a light shade from the afternoon sunlight to the space where you want Mint to grow.

Choosing the Right Variety

Did you know that Mint has around 2,000 different cultivars that you can find to grow in your garden? Though, some of the most popular varieties of Mint for home gardens are Peppermint, Wild Mint, Spearmint, and Scotchmint.

There are many types of mint varieties you can choose from. For colder parts peppermint, orange mint and apple mint are perfect. Pineapple mint and spearmint grow better in subtropics and tropics, other popular varieties are chocolate mint and lemon mint.

Check out our article on 27 Types of Mints You Should Grow At Least Once | Best Mint Varieties here.

Pick the Right Spot

A weed-free spot, rich with organic content and compost in soil that receives full sun, but shade in the afternoon is ideal for healthy growth. Pick an open windy area where you can sit by to enjoy the aroma when the wind blows through it.

Planting

Grow mint from cuttings or buy a plant or two from a nursery instead of sowing seeds as growing mint from seed can be challenging. Mint is a hardy perennial in Zone 3-11 and comes in varieties for every zone and climate, so choose accordingly.

*Spring is the best season to grow it in colder parts.

Read our article on 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Growing Best Mint Ever here.

Caring

Do regular watering, mint hates getting dried and loves moist soil. Pinch to make it bushier and remove flowers to extend its growing time. An Occasional fertilizer meant for Mint once a month is enough.

Soil: Mint loves rich, moist soil with a pH level of 6-7. You can cover the soil with a little layer of mulch to keep the soil moist.

Sun: Mint loves sunlight. Grow your mint in a spot that receives at least 5-6 hours of sunlight every day. You can provide a screen or light shade to allow 12-14 hours of filtered sunlight.

Water: Mint needs regular watering and the soil needs to be moist at all times.

Spacing: You only need to plant 5-8 mint plants in your garden as it is prone to spreading up quickly. Choose to plant them at least 2-3 feet apart as they will start growing vigorously fast.

Find out more information on Growing Mint In Pots here.

Harvesting

You can harvest mint leaves at any stage and use them in making mint tea, in salads, with yogurt, and in a lot of cuisines. The quality of the oils that makes mint unique in its flavor is best during the hotter days of summer when the herbs receive 12-14 hours of sunlight every day.

  • Clip away up to 2/3 of the length of the Mint’s stems.
  • Only trim away the number of fresh leaves you need.
  • For the best flavor, harvest only before the plant starts to flower. The fragrance is always at it’s peak at this moment.

All Mint species are known to be resistant to rabbits, rodents, and deer. It is a low-maintenance plant with just a few pests and disease problems. Keep an eye out for insects like aphids, and spider mites. Look for diseases like Anthracnose, Powdery Mildew, and Mint Rust.

Pests and Disease

Conclusion

Raise a mint bed in your garden in a confined space; you’ll love its fragrance. You can also make an herbal lawn of mint (which needs regular mowing) so when you walk over it, it’ll release the fragrance.