{"id":6388,"date":"2021-09-09T18:20:35","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T18:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/?p=6388"},"modified":"2023-01-16T05:36:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T05:36:11","slug":"should-mint-be-cut-back-in-winter-mint-pruning-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/garden\/should-mint-be-cut-back-in-winter-mint-pruning-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Mint Be Cut Back in Winter? | Mint Pruning Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mint should be cut back and pruned in winter to remove any dead leaves and stems and keep it looking neat. This will also encourage lots of new growth in the Spring when the weather warms. In Winter the mint will go dormant and the leaves and stems will turn black. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The healthy root system will stay protected under the soil ready to grow new stems and leaves when the weather warms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it may look like the mint plant has died over winter, it will be safely saving its roots under the soil to grow back large and healthy in the warmer weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This mint is going dormant for the winter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to cut back mint in winter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cut the mint back to 2 inches from the ground to tidy up a scraggly looking mint plant<\/a>. While in winter mint can seem to disappear in the garden in Spring it will grow new stems from the healthy, white roots under the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mint can be dug up and transplanted in the cooler months. Individual pieces of root can be taken and turned into new plants and placed in potting soil to re-sprout. I moved pieces of root and placed them in my front garden bed and they grew back in Spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These are the new mint sprouts that grew from single roots planted in Winter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to care for mint after pruning in winter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a few easy stems to follow after you cut back your mint plant to keep it healthy and prepare it for Spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Get rid of the old stems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After cutting back mint it might be tempting to put the old stems in your compost bin. While this can be done there is actually a risk that the stems can grow back and take over your bin. Healthy stems, particularly those with some root system left on can sprout again in soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I always cut my mint back hard in winter so there’s very few stems left abovethe ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Fertilize in spring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once the plant has been cut back to short stems of 2 inches above the ground the plant can be fertilized once the weather warms up. When you see new leaves pop through the soil, throw on a handful of pelleted chicken manure<\/a> to encourage lots of leaf growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A liquid nitrogen fertilizer like fish emulsion can also be added to the mint to give it an extra boost and feed soil bacteria to help break down the nutrients. Healthy soil will give you healthy mint plants so take care of it with some mulch and a dose of seaweed solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This mint has grown huge in spring after growing from just stems in winter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Check out these easy tips to keep mint growing well over winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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