How to Grow and Care for Spearmint in Containers
Intro: Spearmint is easy to grow and does well in plant containers in shady balcony gardens. Mint leaves (fresh or dry) can be used in mint teas that taste great and aid in digestion (mint tea on a hot day is a wonderful refreshment). The spearmint plant has purple flowers that attract butterflies, wild birds and beneficial insects.
Scientific Name: Mentha spicata
Plant Type: Herb
Light: Spearmint will thrive in any light, but it prefers full sun.
Water: When it comes to watering the spearmint plant, keep its potting soil moist.
Propagation: Use seeds, or propagate the spearmint plant with cuttings or rootball division. The easiest way is to find or purchase an existing spearmint plant, and then cut some away and plant it. The spearmint plant propagates so well by cuttings that you can literally rip it out of the ground (which is not recommended), and it will survive.
Misc. Info: Keep spearmint in its own plant container because it can become weedlike and take over any close-by plants. It grows so well and so rapidly that it’s actually considered an invasive plant species in many areas. No matter how much you try to cut the spearmint plant down, it will most likely grow back, so prevent this plant from spreading by keeping it in its own plant container separate from other containers. If the spearmint plant's leaves start looking thinly spread out, cut it down by one-third to promote good, bushy growth. Use the cut leaves to make spearmint tea.
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