How to Make a Mint Plant Fuller
Mint (Mentha spp.) provides you with a perennial supply of fragrant leaves while only requiring basic maintenance. It grows in outdoor containers and garden beds throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.
Keeping the plant full and compact improves its appearance and ensures that the leaves develop the best flavor. Mint tends to spread quickly, which can result in weak stems and a leggy, scraggly mint plant. Pruning mint and providing the right growing conditions help to keep the plant attractive and control its size.
Pick a Sunny Location
Grow mint in a location that receives six hours or more of direct sunlight every day, whether in a garden bed or a container. Lack of sufficient sunlight over time may result in leggy growth as the plant sends out long, weak stems in search of adequate lighting, while enough sun helps the plant to produce full, compact growth.
Give It a Drink
Water your mint plant when the top inch of soil feels dry, suggests Bonnie Plants. Supply garden mint with 1 to 2 inches of moisture weekly in the absence of a similar amount of rain. This is enough to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Water potted mint until the excess drips from the bottom of the pot. Even soil moisture results in fuller growth and healthier leaf production.
Feed Your Mint
Fertilize your mint plant annually in spring when it begins putting on new growth. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of a balanced fertilizer, such as a 16-16-16 blend, around each plant and water it in. This minimal replenishment of nutrients supplies just enough for healthy mint growth.
Harvest the Tips
Pinch back or use pruning shears to harvest the tip of each stem every one to two weeks during the growing season. Pinch back to the second or third leaf set from the tip beginning when the plant reaches the height of 6 inches or taller. Frequent pinching encourages branching, which results in a fuller plant.
Remove the Buds
Cut or pinch off any flower buds you see before they open. If the mint flowers are allowed to bloom, the mint may become open and leggy, whereas prompt bud removal helps the plant to stay more compact. Prune the buds off throughout the growing season as they appear.
Cut It Back
Cut mature mint plants back to within 1 inch of the soil two or three times during the growing season just before the plant blooms, advises the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Don't be afraid that you'll overprune and kill your plant; it's challenging to prune mint too much. Cutting the plant back forces a new flush of more compact growth and supplies plenty of mint for freezing, drying or immediate use. The Utah State University Cooperative Extension suggests cutting mint back to the ground before winter to deter diseases and pests.
Things You Will Need
Mint has invasive tendencies and can quickly take over your garden. Growing mint in pots or in a bed surrounded by a root barrier helps to prevent the unwanted spread of the plant.
- Cut back the entire mint plant to within 1 to 2 inches of the ground if it becomes overgrown or leggy. This forces a new flush of more compact growth.