When to sow Mint in the UK
Mint is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Mint is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| East Anglia | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Northern England | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Northern Ireland | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to mid April | early May to early October |
Growing notes
Mint is invasive: its rhizomes run through a bed and regrow from the smallest fragment, so always grow it in a container, or sink a bottomless pot into the border with the rim above soil level. It is a herbaceous perennial that dies back over winter - cut the old stems any time from late autumn to early spring and repot or divide every few years.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 11
- Yield per plant
- 0.3 kg
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
How long until it crops
Expect the first worthwhile pick about 1 year after planting.
What usually goes wrong
- mint rust
- blue mint beetle
- mint moth
- aphids
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
- parsley
- chamomile
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for mint.