The heat has arrived in Fresno County, so how about a glass of mint-infused water to quench your thirst on a hot summer day! And it's so much more convenient if that mint comes from your garden, right? Before you plant that mint, read on. If you're not careful, that little pot of mint you bought could soon take over your garden plot. But before we get to planting this hearty herb, let's take a closer look at mint, or Menthus, a culinary herb known for its strong flavor, which comes from menthol.

There are hundreds of varieties of mint. The two most common are peppermint (Mentha piperata) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). Peppermint is used mostly for cooking, flavoring, and oils — for example, in gum, soaps and candy. Spearmint is often used fresh, such as in teas, other drinks and sauces (mint sauce, anyone?).

Other mint types that are usually easy to find include apple mint, pineapple mint and chocolate mint. And yes, chocolate mint, a type of peppermint, really does smell like a chocolate mint when you rub a leaf between your fingers!

Mint is a hardy perennial, meaning the plant comes back every year, and it can handle temperatures well below freezing. Depending on the variety, mint plants grow about one- to two-feet tall. They can grow in lots of different types of soil but prefer rich soil. Mint grows in full sun to part shade and needs moderate water. Its ability to thrive in part shade is a plus for many gardeners.

Although mint is often disease and pest free, it can be susceptible to rust and powdery mildew, two diseases caused by fungi. Some insects can also cause damage to mint, including aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, spider mites, mint caterpillar and mint root borer. See the University of California IPM (integrated pest management) mint page, linked below, for more information and tips on controlling these diseases and pests. 

How do you grow mint? Mint spreads naturally by runners, by what we call “layering” — where the mint begins rooting where the horizontal stems you see growing above the soil surface touch the soil. You can also grow mint from seed, by dividing the plant and with root cuttings — mint roots in water quite easily and you might even have luck with rooting it by sticking a stem of mint directly into the soil. Which brings us to the biggest point to consider when deciding to grow mint: its tendency to spread easily and fast!

Mint is vigorous and will spread rapidly if there is no physical barrier to stop it. To help prevent mint from becoming a nuisance, the solution is to plant it in a container. The pot should be at least six inches deep, and placing a saucer or some type of paver between the pot and the ground will prevent the mint from eventually escaping through the drainage hole. You will want to give it a good watering when the soil is dry, especially during the heat of the summer. The smaller the pot, the faster the soil will dry out.  But even if you wait too long and the mint wilts, chances are it will come back. It is one hearty (and hardy) herb!

Or you can grow mint in the ground but in a large pot buried in the soil. When burying the pot, do not bury it flush with the soil, but make sure to leave a one- to two-inch lip sticking out of the ground. This will help keep the mint contained. Even then, be on the watch for mint runners trying to escape over the lip since it really, really wants to spread! Also, if planting mint in a container in the ground, make sure it's a sturdy pot. Terra cotta is okay but may disintegrate over time. Five-gallon-size paint buckets are the perfect size, deep enough that the roots of the mint cannot easily escape. Be sure to add drainage holes on the bottom if you go this route.

Now that you've planted your mint, you'll soon be ready to harvest! It's best to wait to harvest after the plant has reached three to four inches. Young leaves will have the best flavor although you can harvest at any time. To conserve the flavor in the leaves, pinch off any flowers that form.

And you're set! On our next 100-degree day, go out in the morning, pick some of those mint leaves — spearmint and apple mint are two of my favorites — steep them for a few hours in a pitcher of ice water and get ready to be refreshed!

Read more:

UC IPM. Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Mint — Mentha ssp.

UCANR Cooperative Extension–Sacramento County. Environmental Horticulture Notes: Culinary Herb Profiles. EHN 70.