How to prune mint plants is a question often asked by people who have recently purchased one or two plants from a local nursery. Mint plants are actually quite easy to maintain and have a long life, even with minimal upkeep! The plant itself does not require a lot of maintenance, especially if it is grown indoors. The most important factor in the breeding of mint plants is making sure that they do not get too much or too little sun, as well as that they are properly watered.
Learn when and how to prune mint in this article.
When to Prune mint?
The ideal time to prune mint is when the plant is dormant in winter. During that period, the outer leaves should be cut back. There should be no new growth, and the older leaves should be withered and dropped.
Pruning mint can also be done all year round, but pruning at the wrong time will result in nutrient deficiencies.
Three Important ways how to prune mint
The mint plant is a vigorous grower, which can quickly become out of control. Although it is rarely necessary to remove it completely from your garden, it is possible to prune it to keep it under control and to encourage bloom.
Harvesting a large mint plant
It’s probably easiest to prune mint early in the season when it hasn’t yet started flowering yet. Simply snip off about one-third of the length from the end of each stem with a pair of pruning shears.
- You don’t need to worry about pruning your mint plant because it is a fast-growing, hearty herb.
- To prune mint, remove the leaves that are growing on the outside of the plant and any that are hanging over from the interior.
- Prune the plant back, removing any branches or leaves that cross each other. This keeps the plant tidy and encourages growth.
Tools for Pruning:
- Prune mint in the garden with sharp scissors. It is also OK to pinch with your fingertips, but it’s more cleaned using a knife.
- The technique is to use a knife or scissors to trim the stems down to the branch. Once the stems are pinned together, use your fingernail to pinch them tightly.
- When pruning mint, it’s often a good idea to remove some of the leaves, too.
Trimming a Small Amount of Mint
Trim the branches of the plant, but not so much that you damage the leaves. The branches should be trimmed just above a leaf node.
- Trim mint plant by holding the stem between two of your fingers
- Cut plants about 2 inches above a set of leaves
- Trim when it’s cool outside, not in direct sunlight or in the middle of the day
Growing New mint plant
Due to their rapidly growing root system, mint plants need to be planted in pots. Without a container, mint will quickly spread to your whole garden.
You should dig a hole at least five inches deep. You should then plant your mint inside the container and cover it with dirt. In this way, the roots will not spread over the entire garden.
You must purchase a pot to plant the mint indoors if you want to grow it indoors. Make sure that the pot is near a window that gets plenty of sunlight. Avoid putting the plant near a heat source
Mint needs very little care: good drainage, a sunny spot, regular watering and feeding in the summer, and a little pruning in the spring. It is as hardy as you can get.