Spearmint

Spearmint has a sweeter, smoother, more mild taste compared to other mints. Use fresh or dried, and harvest the leaves before it flowers. Used traditionally for herbal tea, flavoring gum and toothpaste, mojitos, and mint juleps. It does spread, and if you don’t want it to wander, it is recommended to plant it in a container. 

100 seeds

PLANTING

Mentha spicata

Perennial, Zones 4-10

Germination: 10-21 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 60-70ºF

Seed Planting Depth: Sow on the surface, seeds need light to germinate

Starting Indoors:  Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Provide 60-70ºF soil temperature for germination. Transplant 12-18” apart after the last frost. 

Sowing Outdoors: Direct sow 2 weeks before the last frost or in autumn. Sow seeds close together in a row and when thinning out the seedlings transplant them to other places in the garden or containers. 

Growth Habit: Upright branching

Height and Width: 36” x 24-36”  

Spacing: 12-18” apart

Light Needs: Full sun, part shade in hot climates

Soil Needs: Rich, moist, and well-drained

Approximate days to harvest: 65-75 days or earlier, when the plant has grown large enough, harvest individual leaves or branches frequently or the entire plant before it blooms. 

Uses: Medicinal, culinary, ornamental, deer resistant, ideal for containers, attracts bees and beneficals

Tips: Grow in a container to discourage spreading. Pruning back tips in spring to encourages more branching. To prolong the growth of leaves remove the flowers. Drying the leaves or branches- place out of direct sunlight, in a warm, well-ventilated area.