MintPermascaping
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Mint growing

Cool-season produce

Mint

Mentha spp.

Also known as Spearmint · Peppermint

Give morning sun and afternoon shade as Phoenix heats up. Confine runners and keep roots consistently moist; mint is not a drought-tolerant desert shrub.

EdibleCool-season crop
Growing spaceVegetable bed
Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b
Crop familyLamiaceae (mint)
Life cyclePerennial herb
Phoenix planting windowOctober–November or February–April for establishment.
How to plantTransplant or divide rooted runners; seed does not reliably reproduce named types.
Plant spacing12–18 in, preferably in a contained bed or pot
FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.
Time to harvestClip stems after establishment; no fixed maturity
SuccessionCut repeatedly; divide established clumps.
Special categoriesEDIBLE
Typical harvestClip stems through the mild season.

Right plant, right place

Will Mint grow at your Arizona property?

Give morning sun and afternoon shade as Phoenix heats up. Confine runners and keep roots consistently moist; mint is not a drought-tolerant desert shrub.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Irrigation

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Mint thrive

  1. 1

    Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.

  2. 2

    Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.

  3. 3

    Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.

  4. 4

    Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.

Keep exploring

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