Growing Mint in Australia: The Complete Guide

Mint is an easy (can be invasive) perennial herb to grow, needing part –shade sun with regular, doesn't like drying out watering.

Mint is one of the easy (can be invasive) additions to a home garden, and this article walks through everything behind our one-page printable guide in a good deal more depth than a single card allows.

It's worth being clear about why mint is worth the bed space before getting into how to grow it. At a glance, it's rated easy (can be invasive), with a sun of part sun–shade; water of regular, doesn't like drying out; soil ph of 6.0–7.0 — details that matter more once you're actually planning around them than they do on a first read. The rest of this article works through exactly what each of those means day to day, in more depth than a single printable card has room for, and with the reasoning behind each recommendation rather than just the recommendation itself.

Climate and Timing Considerations

Australia's climate zones change growing timing more than most general advice accounts for. Cool temperate zones (Tasmania, the Victorian highlands, southern NSW) have recurring frost risk well into what other zones call spring, which compresses the safe planting window for frost-tender plantings. Warm temperate zones (Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth) sit closest to what general advice assumes by default. Subtropical zones (Brisbane, northern NSW) rarely see frost at all, and the growing calendar shifts earlier and later as a result. Our site-wide zone setting adjusts the advisory note shown on the Planting Calendar for exactly this reason — worth setting once if you haven't already. The same zone setting also feeds the Harvest Calendar, so both ends of the growing cycle reflect wherever you actually garden, rather than a generic Australia-wide average.

• Cool Temperate (TAS, VIC highlands, southern NSW, ACT): shorter frost-free window — lean toward the later end of any spring planting window shown on the guide above.
• Warm Temperate (Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, coastal NSW/WA): closest match to the general timing shown above; frost is occasional but rarely severe.
• Subtropical (Brisbane, northern NSW, coastal QLD): minimal frost risk — often plantable a few weeks earlier and later than the general window shown above.

Contain the roots

Mint spreads aggressively by runners and will take over a garden bed. Grow it in a large buried pot or a dedicated contained area to keep it in check.

Planting Mint

Method. Plant a nursery seedling, or strike a cutting in water — mint roots very easily.

Soil. Rich, moisture-retentive.

Timing. Plant any time in mild weather; establishes quickly.

Taken together, these are the details that separate a smooth result from a frustrating one.

Keeping It Growing Well

Worth paying attention to:

• Keep well watered — mint wilts fast if it dries out.
• Cut back hard periodically to keep growth fresh and bushy.
• Contain the roots in a pot, even if planted in the ground.
• Divide and repot every couple of years to keep it vigorous.

Getting these details right matters more than it might seem — keep well watered — mint wilts fast if it dries out. Divide and repot every couple of years to keep it vigorous. Treat this list as a routine to build rather than a one-off checklist, and it becomes second nature within a season or two.

What Can Go Wrong

Keep these points in mind:

• Rust — orange spotting on leaves; remove affected stems, improve airflow.
• Spreading out of bounds — the main risk; keep roots contained.
• Powdery mildew — humid, crowded conditions; thin out growth.
• Aphids — occasional cluster on tips; hose off.

Each of these compounds over a season — small misses early tend to show up later — rust — orange spotting on leaves; remove affected stems, improve airflow. Aphids — occasional cluster on tips; hose off. Treat this list as a routine to build rather than a one-off checklist, and it becomes second nature within a season or two.

Harvest and Storage

Signs. Usable once the plant is established, virtually year-round in mild climates.

Method. Snip stems as needed; regular picking keeps it bushy.

Curing. Air-dry or freeze in ice cube trays with water.

Storage. Fresh in the fridge about a week; dried, airtight for months.

It's worth reading these as a set rather than in isolation; they reinforce each other.

Preserving. See Dehydrating for drying woody herbs for storage.

Companions & rotation

Our printable card above lists specific plants that pair well nearby and others best avoided, along with a rotation note: Cabbage, Tomato, Anywhere roots aren't contained. Getting this right matters more over multiple seasons than it does in any single one — the benefits and the risks of poor rotation both compound over time rather than showing up immediately.

Related Guides

If mint suits your garden, these related guides in the same category are worth a look too:

• Bay Tree
• Curry Leaf
• Lemongrass
• Oregano

For the condensed, printable version of everything above, head to the main mint guide page. Companion planting and bed rotation both make a measurable difference over a season, and our Companion Planting Checker takes the guesswork out of both. As with every guide on this site, this is general information based on our own research and experience, not professional advice — your specific soil, climate, and circumstances will always vary from ours to some degree.

Beyond the printable card, our Planting Calendar and Harvest Calendar tools will show a zone-adjusted note for mint specifically, and the Companion Planting Checker covers the specific pairings mentioned above in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ View the printable A4 guide for mint