Gadenin日本語Get the appThe year in outline
Mint dies back to the runners over winter and comes up again in spring. The work is concentrated into a few moments: a hard cut before humid weather, removing flower buds, and dividing in spring or autumn.
| Season | What the plant does | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Shoots from the runners and spreads fast | Divide and repot, check the barrier, start picking |
| Early summer | Grows dense, buds start | The hard cut back. Remove buds as they appear |
| Late summer | Slows in the heat, base gets humid | Cut for airflow. Keep it watered |
| Autumn | A second flush of growth | Divide, cut back, dry the last harvest |
| Winter | Dies back to the runners | Clear the dead top. Note where it has spread |
Spring
This is when the runners travel fastest, so it is when a barrier gets tested and when a pot needs checking underneath. It is also the best time to divide, because the plant recovers immediately.
Picking can start as soon as there is enough growth. Early leaves are among the best of the year.
Early summer: the cut that matters
Before the humid part of summer, cut the whole plant back to about a third of its height. It prevents the base rotting, it gives you the largest harvest of the year, and the regrowth is better quality than what you removed.
From this point, watch for flower buds and cut two nodes below any you find. Left to flower, the leaves toughen and the aroma drops.
Late summer
Growth slows in the heat and the risk is the base of the clump staying damp. Keep it watered, because mint suffers quickly from drying out, but keep the plant open enough for air to move through it.
A cut back to half height late in the summer brings on soft autumn growth and extends the picking season by weeks.
Autumn and winter
Autumn is the second window for dividing and repotting, and the last good harvest for drying. Once the top has died back, clear it away so disease does not overwinter in it.
Winter is also the easiest time to see where the plant has spread and to reset a barrier, because there is no top growth in the way.
Mark how far it has reached before the top dies back. In spring you will not remember, and by the time you can see the shoots it has already moved.