Mint is a favorite herb to grow when you are just starting out with your herb garden. They are easy to care for, low maintenance, and can be pretty invasive when grown in optimal conditions.

However, even though they are low maintenance, they are also water-hungry so getting the correct watering routine is the key to ensure they thrive well.

Now let us answer the most pressing question a new mint gardener has. That is, how often should I water this herb?

Knowing the soil conditions and the right environment mint plant thrives in are the keys to ensuring that they grow well and produce healthy leaves.

Mint loves their soil moist and well-drained. Keep it that way, and that makes them happy. But, on the other hand, they don’t like to sit on soggy and waterlogged soil, or their roots will start to rot. Underwatering them kills them quickly as well.

Do You Water Mint Every day?

Mint thrives in constantly moist, well-draining soil, as established earlier. Let this be your guide in watering your mint. First, check the soil and make sure to maintain its moist condition.

This means that the watering schedule will depend on the weather condition at your place. Once a day will suffice for some, but if you live in a scorching and humid environment, you must water twice a day to keep the soil condition damp.

For others, every other day is sufficient. This is why I didn’t give out a watering schedule but instead described the optimum soil condition to produce a healthy mint plant.

Also, when watering your mint plant or any plant for that matter, make sure that you water deeply until the water runs out the bottom of the pot.

Does Mint Need Full Sun or Shade?

Like most herbs and vegetables, mint flourishes under full sun. Based on personal experience, it is best to keep them under the full sun for the best possible growth. However, if you are growing them in partial shade, allow them to enjoy and bask under the morning sun for up to 6 hours of sunlight, and they will do just fine.

More: Why Is My Mint Plant Flowering?

How Do You Care for Potted Mints?

Caring for a potted mint is easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Here are the steps on how you can grow mint in a pot.

For beginners or first-time planters of mint, it is best to buy mint seedlings from the gardening store instead of growing them from seeds.

Then comes the time when you need to choose the pot where you’ll grow the mint plant. First, buy a pot that is at least 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. Mint needs a lot of space to grow, so you will need all that space because this herb can be pretty invasive. I like to grow mine in pots too because they grow so fast.

Second, ensure that the plant pot that you’ll purchase has drainage holes. A saucer to catch the water will also be an excellent additional purchase to avoid staining the windowsill if you want to keep them indoors at the sunny window.

Third, it is now time to shop for gritty soil from a local gardening supplies store. Rich compost and potting soil are great combinations for mint to grow well. This soil combination is quite porous and drains well.

Fourth, fill the lower one-third part of the pot with potting soil and compost.

Fifth, set the mint seedling in the pot while making sure to pack the area around its root just enough to support the mint to stand up on its own. You may also insert dowels just right next to the mint plant to support it.  The dowels can be removed once the plant is growing well.

What Does Overwatered Mint Look Like?

As we all know, overwatering kills plants, so it is imperative to look for the signs if your mint is suffering from this.

The first sign of an overwatered mint plant is that it starts being susceptible to diseases because the plant grows weak.  These diseases are powdery mildew, verticillium wilt, black stem rot, leaf blight, white mold stem rot, and mint rust. Then, it would have yellowing leaves, weak stems that look droopy.

To prevent the mint plant from completely dying, remove the damaged areas. Then, let the plant redirect its energy to growing more leaves. If this persists, allow the plant to completely dry out before watering again. Reduce the amount of water given if your plant shows signs of overwatering.

Also check: How Often to Water Basil?

Why is My Mint Dying?

Like most plants underwatering or overwatering can be the cause of a plant’s untimely demise. Always check the soil before watering the plant.  If your mint plant shows signs of overwatering

We have discussed the physical signs of an overwatered mint earlier. Now, let us talk about what do we do to save if the mint plant is overwatered.

First, make sure that all the affected leaves and stems are removed so that the plant will have the energy to recover. Once the damaged areas have been removed, apply an anti-fungal fungicide to kill fungi and bacteria. Finally, expose your mint plant under a sunny spot to help it regain its health. Water when the top 2 inches of the soil is dry.

Unlike other plants, underwatering your water-loving mint can kill it in a short time. But first, let us talk about the signs of underwatering. The bottom leaves also turn yellow and wilted. Finally, the plant’s roots will start showing at the surface because of its search for moisture.

Now that we know what an underwatered mint looks like, let us consider how to remedy it to nurse them back to life.

So now, how do we correct underwatering before your mint plant dies on you? First, increase the watering schedule, especially if they are placed under full sun. Next, ensure that the roots are thoroughly watered and that water runs through the pot’s holes. Finally, give the leaves a good sprinkling of water, too. If you find some roots exposed, be sure to cover them with soil to avoid them from drying out and dying.

How Often Do You Water Mint Indoors in Summer?

NewGardeners prefer to keep mint in pots, and they can be kept indoors. During summer, you can keep your mint pot on the sunny window. You can water it once a day every morning because during this time, the water evaporation is still low, and you can maintain the soil’s moisture.

Now maybe you are asking about the watering schedule during winter. Keep reading and find out.

How Often Do You Water Mint Indoors in Winter?

Now, we can ease back on the watering schedule to once a week during winter or the colder seasons.  Again, check the top 2 inches of the soil using your finger to see if the soil is dry and crumbly.

This is the best indicator to make sure that the soil is not too dry and that the mint plant is underrated or dehydrated. Some may not need watering at all.

Conclusively, checking the soil condition of your mint plant is a great way to determine if it’s time to water it or to hold off on the watering can. A suitable soil condition will enable you to achieve this.

Remember that your mint plant constantly needs moist soil, which drains well. In addition, properly watering your mint plant allows the root system to flourish.

This ensures that the plant will give you healthy mint leaves that you can use daily for your cooking or garnishing.