Mint
Mentha
A vegetable, planted at any time of year, or sown March to June.
In September: lift and divide the mint and harvest the crop. It can be planted now.
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Mint, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Sow outdoors. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none |
| Plant a pot-grown mint. | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut back the mint. | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Lift and divide the mint. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Harvest the mint. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut the mint back hard after flowering. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover March to May, 5mm deep. Strong sources: RHS and Mr Fothergill’s.
Sow outdoors May to June, 0.5cm deep, 30cm apart. Moderate source: Mr Fothergill’s.
Plant out May to July, 30cm apart. Moderate source: Mr Fothergill’s.
Plant a pot-grown mint at any time of year, 30 to 45cm apart. Strong source: RHS. Weaker source for the spacing: St John’s Garden Centre.
Cut back the mint
Cut the old stems back to ground level, then mulch with well-rotted compost. From Gardeners’ World.
Usually November to May. Strong source: RHS.
Lift and divide the mint
Every 3 years, not every year.
Usually March to May, and September to November. Strong source: RHS.
Harvest the mint
Usually May to November. Strong source: RHS.
Cut the mint back hard after flowering
Gardeners call this the Hampton hack.
Almost to the ground, straight after its first flowers. Fresh leaves follow, and often a second flush of flowers.
Usually June to July. Moderate source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.Weaker: a blog, a forum, a small website or a page from outside the UK. Treat it as a guide.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Mint” comes from.