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How to Grow Spearmints | Planting & Establishment

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Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

A dense mat of spearmint leaves — “Mentha spicata L.” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

7 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Site
soil pH 5.5–6.5
Biggest risk
Powdery mildew

Spearmints (Mentha spicata) — perennial.

Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Soil & Growing Conditions

A mass planting of spearmint — “Mentha spicata Jammu India” by Vikramaadityasumbria is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Mentha spicata Jammu India” by Vikramaadityasumbria is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

5.5 6.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A dense mat of spearmint leaves — “Mentha spicata L.” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Mentha spicata L.” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Propagation 0 Propagate by seed or division in spring or autumn; water newly planted mint until established (RHS).
Vigorous spread 3 Spreads vigorously by rhizome, potentially becoming a nuisance in damp soil unless contained (RHS).
Flowering 6 Flowers, after which plants are cut back to 5cm from the base (RHS).
Mature clump 9 Reaches full maturity over 2-5 years, 0.5-1m in height and 1-1.5m spread (RHS).

Quick Facts

Close-up of a spearmint leaf — “JfSwissMint8037Menthaspicatafvf 03” by Judgefloro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“JfSwissMint8037Menthaspicatafvf 03” by Judgefloro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 5.5 - 6.5
Optimal growing temp 15-25C
Minimum survivable temp -8C
Drainage Moist but well-drained (tolerates poorly-drained)
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts leaves

At a Glance

A mass planting of spearmint — “Mentha spicata Jammu India” by Vikramaadityasumbria is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Mentha spicata Jammu India” by Vikramaadityasumbria is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Mentha spicata Spearmint Powdery mildew Mint rust Sage leafhopper (leafho… Caterpillars Blue mint beetle DISEASES PESTS

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of a spearmint leaf — “JfSwissMint8037Menthaspicatafvf 03” by Judgefloro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“JfSwissMint8037Menthaspicatafvf 03” by Judgefloro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: RHS: "Harvest young sprigs regularly to encourage bushy growth" and "cut back to 5cm from the base after flowering". UMD: fresh leaves harvested "at any time"; for drying, "best to cut leaves just as flowering begins".

Storage

Best used fresh; can be dried at flowering stage

Diseases

Spearmint growing in a labelled garden bed — “Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, Spearmint” by Michael Rivera is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, Spearmint” by Michael Rivera is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Mint rust
low

RHS names this directly.

Pests

A dense mat of spearmint leaves — “Mentha spicata L.” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Mentha spicata L.” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Sage leafhopper (leafhoppers)

Eupteryx spp.

RHS spearmint plant page: "May be susceptible to sage leafhopper, blue mint beetle and caterpillars."

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

RHS spearmint plant page names caterpillars among susceptible pests.

Blue mint beetle

Chrysolina coerulans

RHS spearmint plant page names blue mint beetle among susceptible pests.

References

  1. country=INTL

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=UK

  4. country=UK

  5. country=UK

  6. country=UK

  7. country=USA

7 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What soil pH do spearmints need?

A pH of about 5.5–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect spearmints?

Our data links 2 diseases and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

Science-based growing guides · Thresholds that hold in any climate

This guide states the conditions the plant itself responds to — soil temperature, frost tolerance, day length — rather than dates, because the same calendar month means opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. Anything genuinely restricted to one part of the world is named as such rather than presented as universal. Written and maintained by our editorial team against international horticultural research and extension sources.

Vegetable Growing Guides

Last verified 2026-08-29

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