How to Grow Spearmint UK
On this page
In the UK, spearmint goes in the ground early March to early April.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early March, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Plant
- Early March to early April
- Site
- soil pH 5.5–6.5
- Biggest risk
- Powdery mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
7 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Spearmint in the UK
When to plant spearmint in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to early April. Find your area in the table below.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Spearmint, a Vigorous Spreading Herb
Plan your Spearmint planting
When to sow and plant Spearmint depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Spearmint in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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Perennial herb hardy USDA zones 4a-9b, 1-2ft tall with a similar spread. Full sun, though it tolerates partial shade. Prefers organically rich, moist, well-drained soil at pH 6.0-8.0 and struggles in dry conditions. Propagate by division, seed or stem cuttings. BEST GROWN IN A CONTAINER because it spreads rampantly by rhizomes and rooting stems; a soil barrier is the alternative, though the same habit makes it useful as ground cover. Leaves and flowers are used fresh or dried; shear after flowering to stimulate new growth. Diseases are mainly fungal, chiefly rust and leaf spot.
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
When should I sow spearmint in the UK?
In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow spearmint?
Sow early March to early April.
What soil pH does spearmint 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 spearmint?
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
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-09-02
Plan Spearmints by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
More from the same group (herbs & aromatics):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.