How to Plant Mint Herb Seeds
Fast Facts
- Planting season
- Fall, Spring
- Life cycle
- Annual, Perennial
- Sowing method
- Direct Sow, Start Indoors
- Seed prep
- Requires Light, Stratification
- Light
- Full Shade, Full Sun, Partial Shade
- Water needs
- Average
- Planting depth
- Varies by variety
- Spacing
- Varies by variety
- Mature height
- 1 to 2 inches, 12 to 14 inches, 12 to 24 inches
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 11
- Bloom season
- Late Spring through Early Summer, Summer
- Days to maturity
- Varies by variety
Ranges cover every variety in this group. Check the product page for the exact figures.
About Mint Herb Seeds
Mint Herb Seeds grow in full shade, full sun, partial shade positions. Flowering runs late spring through early summer or summer. The figures below are the ones on the packets in this group; each product page carries the exact numbers for that variety.
When to plant
Plant in fall, spring. Seed can be started indoors ahead of the season or sown straight into prepared ground once it has warmed. The seed needs a cold, moist period before it will break dormancy: sow in late fall and let winter do the work, or chill it in damp medium in the refrigerator first. Hardy in zones 3 to 11 — your local frost dates decide the exact week.
Where to plant
Choose a site in full shade, full sun, partial shade. Water needs are average once the plants are established. Free-draining soil matters more than rich soil; seed sown into ground that stays wet rots before it germinates.
How to plant
Follow the depth given on the product page; it differs between the varieties in this group. This seed needs light to germinate, so press it onto the surface and firm it in rather than burying it. Water gently to settle the soil, then keep the surface evenly moist until seedlings or shoots appear. Indoor starts do best in warmth and bright light; harden the seedlings off over a week before planting out.
How to care
Keep watering average, at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves. In zones 3 to 11 these come back each year: let the foliage die down naturally after flowering, since that is what feeds next season's growth. Flowers appear late spring through early summer or summer; cutting or deadheading regularly keeps more coming.




