How To Grow Mint Indoors?

Mint is one of the plants you cannot live without!  When you think of it, it reminds you of mojito cocktail and the summer fun. It is also a great addition to meals and gives a nice fresh flavor to roasted lambs, grained salads, and is used in dips such as tzatziki.

Mint can help you with digestion and relieve abdominal pain and I use to make fresh mint tea when I feel stomach pain and usually after a heavy meal. That is why I have chosen to grow it indoors and I have fresh mint every time I need it and you must admit the taste of fresh mint is so different from the dry one!

Mint Plant At Home

It is one of the easiest plants to grow indoors and is constantly making new leaves as it grows quickly, so you will harvest new springs all year round.

Plus, the fragrance boosts your energy and stimulates your brain, and can easily pick you up on a depressive day.

It is an attractive plant and blooms even in the middle of the winter, and it never gets pests, on the contrary, it keeps them outside!

When you think of growing mint at home, the first thing to come to your mind is sourcing the mint plant and you have different options to source this plant such as:

• Purchase it at the local nursery
• From a root division if you have it at home already or from a family member or friend who has it. You can even try it even with a small root, as the plant grows very fast
• From a stem cutting and mint, cuttings take easily the root. Therefore, all you need is to stick it into a pot, water it and cover the pot cutting with a plastic baggie. You will have a new plant after 3 weeks, you just need to remove the plastic baggie.

How To Grow Mint Indoors?

To get the best results you need to fulfill several requirements:

• You need to balance with the watering as this plant is not very demanding and it can easily tolerate dry soil.
• It needs a bright indoor location, but if you keep it outdoors you can put it under a shade.
• You might fertilize it with a liquid fertilizer every 3 weeks from mid-spring and all the summer, but mint plants do not need usually additional nutrients.
• It needs regular trimming and you should trim the stems back on regular basis, once every few weeks, in the best possible way.

They grow very quickly, so the best thing is to grow them indoors in containers.

There are 3 ways to grow this plant indoors:

1. You can grow it in water, but it will not last for a long time as the leaves will turn yellow in time and it will stop growing. To grow it in the water you need stem cuttings from a mother plant and you need to change the water every 5 to 7 days. The main benefit from this growth is that you do not have soil and no fungus gnats.
2. The other way is growing it in soil, which is the most common way and all you need is good quality potting soil and a pot that has a drainage hole in the bottom. When you pot your plant, leave a small space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot.  When potted this way,  this plant can live for years.
3. Hydroponically by using a hydroponic system that is more expensive than soil, and it is a better choice if you need to plant a large amount of this herb.

Reasons Why You Should Grow Mint At Home

The benefits of this plant for your health are incredible:

• Clears The Digestion

Drinking mint tea can clear your nose, lungs, throat and respiratory channels it will help you with inflammation of the respiratory channels as it has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. One study showed that when combined with caraway oil has similar effects as medication for the treatment of indigestion. (1)

• Helps With The Body Weight and Improves Indigestion

Mint is a household remedy used for upset stomachs for generations.

It stimulates the digestive enzymes that absorb nutrients from food and alter it into energy that you can use. If you stop drinking sweet beverages and start drinking sugar-free mint tea you will lose weight as mint tea is very low in calories compared to sweet beverages. For example, there are 240 calories in one bottle of Coca-Cola.

It stimulates bile secretion and has a calming effect on people with stomach pain, IBS, and indigestion. One placebo-controlled study from 2019, showed positive results, and appears that mint is a metabolic plant that helps in soothing muscle relaxation. (2)

• It Can Treat Asthma

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, mint can reduce the throat’s swelling and inflammation of the bronchioles. It has a compound called rosmarinic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant and it has anti-inflammatory properties and has antiviral and antibacterial, and potential anti-cancer properties, and can prevent allergies.  (3)

• It Ameliorates The Oral Health

Mint is a synonym for toothpaste and fresh breath as it is refreshing and contains menthol, which is related to oral health in general.  This herb, as mentioned has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and it can prevent spreading the bacteria in your mouth. Chewing mint leaves is great for killing all harmful bacteria and it has one other oral-friendly effect as it stimulates saliva production. It can mask bad breath and alleviate gum bleeding.

• Boost Your Immunity

It is rich in many vitamins and minerals and you can use it for fighting colds and infections.  It is a rich source of antioxidants as well, which can help your body to fight oxidative stress, the damage of your cells by free radicals. It is especially rich in vitamin A, which is essential for eye health and night vision. (5)

Actually, 1/3 cup (14 grams) contains:

• Calories: 6
• Fibre: 1 gram
• Folate: 4%
• Manganese: 8%
• Vitamin A: 12% of the RDI
• Iron: 9%
• Folate: 4%

• Helps In The treatment of Cancer

It contains perillyl alcohol, which is scientifically proven to kill cancer cells. It is also very helpful in treating nausea, vomiting, and anorexia in cancer patients. (6)

• Improves Memory And Brain Function

One study showed that smelling mint for 5 minutes improved students’ memory prior to their exam testing. (7) 

It also can increase alertness, and levels of stress, anxiety, and fatigue. (8)

• It Can Relieve The Breastfeeding Pain

Breastfeeding mothers experience sore and cracked nipples, which makes breastfeeding a painful experience and can cause a premature breastfeeding cession.  One study showed that women who received peppermint water experienced less areola and nipple cracks compared to women who did not use it.  So, it showed to be effective in the prevention of nipple pain. (9)

You should start growing mint at home, even plain water turns into something special when you add it!