Exposure Full-sun to partial shade
Season Cool season
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Tagetes minuta. Also known as Huacatay, this Andean native is more closely related to the marigold than to mint. But its complex herbal aroma immediately reminds one of mint. Notes of cilantro, licorice, and citrus can also be detected. It is said to make an excellent alternative for those who dislike the flavour of cilantro. The leaves will be familiar to anyone who has grown marigolds, but the Latin species name refers to its sparse and diminutive flowers. Yet the plants can reach 2m (6') tall, so they are a striking addition to the herb garden. The roots of Peruvian Black Mint are known to kill many perennial weeds, including Ground Elder, Couch Grass, and Field Bind Weed. This herb is a staple ingredient in a number of Peruvian dishes.
Annual.
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Latin
Latin
Mentha sp.
Family: Lamiaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Zone: Hardy to Zone 4
Timing
Timing
Sow indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow in late spring. Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.
Starting
Starting
Sow seeds no more than 5mm (ΒΌβ) deep in moist soil. Space plants 45-60cm (18-24β³) apart.
Growing
Growing
Mint spreads in the garden with gusto via a vigorous root system, so it may be preferable to confine it to planters on the balcony or in a raised bed. Prune plants back hard in early summer to promote good top growth. Bring some inside to grow in a small container over winter to grow on a brightly lit windowsill.
Harvest
Harvest
Clip leaves or branches as needed throughout the year. Mint is so hardy and tough that it will grow right back. Dry the leaves and flowers for peppermint tea, or use them fresh. The flowers are edible andΒ bring distinctive character to salads and sweets.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting
Mint attracts earthworms, hoverflies and predatory wasps, and repels cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles. Mint can spread aggressively, so it may be better to use cut mint as a mulch around Brassicas, or to restrain it in containers around the vegetable garden. Avoid planting near parsley.
More on Companion Planting.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
Weβre a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We donβt just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what weβve learned with others.
Gardens donβt just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact β always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earthβs stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Sow indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow in late spring. Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.
Sow seeds no more than 5mm (ΒΌβ) deep in moist soil. Space plants 45-60cm (18-24β³) apart.
Mint spreads in the garden with gusto via a vigorous root system, so it may be preferable to confine it to planters on the balcony or in a raised bed. Prune plants back hard in early summer to promote good top growth. Bring some inside to grow in a small container over winter to grow on a brightly lit windowsill.
Clip leaves or branches as needed throughout the year. Mint is so hardy and tough that it will grow right back. Dry the leaves and flowers for peppermint tea, or use them fresh. The flowers are edible andΒ bring distinctive character to salads and sweets.
