Herbs
How to Grow Mint in a Pot
Give mint its own pot before it becomes part of a mixed herb planter. That makes its spreading growth easier to manage and lets you water and harvest it without working around neighboring herbs.
- Starting pot
- 2–5 gallons for a small mint planting
- Planting
- One named plant, separate from other herbs
- Harvest
- Cut sprigs; leave healthy foliage
Start with a named plant and a separate pot
Choose culinary spearmint or peppermint for the flavor you want. A labeled young plant or division is the simplest start when a particular variety matters; seed-grown mint may not match its parent.
Maryland Extension places mint among the smaller herbs suited to 2- to 5-gallon pots. Start with one plant in a draining pot within that range, using container potting mix. The nursery pot is not its permanent growing space.
Keep the boundary intact
Plant into moistened mix with the root ball at its existing level, leaving space at the rim for watering. Keep this pot separate from other herbs: mint spreads, and sharing a planter makes its roots harder to manage.
Check trailing stems and the drain openings during routine care. A pot confines the root system only while growth stays inside it. Keep stems from rooting in neighboring planters or soil beneath the pot.
Water for moist roots and free drainage
Check beneath the surface and water the root area when needed. Mint prefers moist conditions, but a full saucer is not a substitute for checking the mix. Let surplus water leave and remove collected runoff.
If the pot repeatedly dries before you can return, reconsider its size and position. If it remains wet, inspect drainage before adding water or fertilizer. Follow the mix and fertilizer labels for feeding.
Take sprigs without stripping the plant
Use clean scissors to cut usable stems from established growth, leaving healthy foliage. Harvest a small kitchen amount first; a large cut for drying needs more regrowth than a few leaves for a meal.
An exposed container needs its own winter plan. In-ground hardiness does not guarantee that roots in a pot will survive the same conditions. Before moving mint indoors, inspect it and choose a position with sufficient light; do not expect its summer harvest pace in a dim room.
Sources & further reading
University and public-agency guidance used to check this article. Follow local recommendations when conditions differ.
- Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Mint in Your Garden ↗
- University of Maryland Extension: Growing Herbs in Containers and Indoors ↗
- University of Maryland Extension: Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables ↗
Sources checked October 10, 2026. This guide is a research-based explanation, not a report of a Porchleaf growing trial. Our editorial approach.