Growing mint
Mentha spp. · also called pudinaA spreading perennial herb grown from runners and rooted cuttings for its fresh leaves. It does well in pots and beds; menthol mint is also a large field crop for oil.
North-west plains: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh
At a glance
Mint in the North-west plains
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
Wait until January
The next sowing here is Mid-January to mid-February.
- Sow
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Today
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North-west plains | Mid-January to mid-February | April, for a transplanted crop | June, first cutSeptember, second cut | |
| Temperate Himalaya | March to April | Late May to early October | ||
| Cold desert | May to early June | July to September | ||
| Sub-tropical foothills | Late January to early March | Late April to October | ||
| Gangetic plains | Mid-January to mid-February | April, for a transplanted crop | June, first cutSeptember, second cut | |
| North-east hills and valleys | Late February to early April | May to early November | ||
| Arid west | October to NovemberLate January to February | December to early May | ||
| Central plateau | January to FebruaryOctober to early November | Late March to September | ||
| Deccan plateau | June to JulyOctober to November | September to early May | ||
| South interior | June to July | |||
| West coast | Late September to early November | Late November to May | ||
| East coast | June to July |
From seed to harvest
One season, day by day
Days from sowing
Before sowing
Well-rotted farmyard manure2
10 to 15 t per acre · Work it into the soil during land preparation. · Before planting
Day 0
Sow
Consortium biofertiliser
4 kg per acre · Apply to the soil before planting, with the other recommended inputs.
Day 140 to 150
First picking2
Two cuts a year, in June and September.
Mint needs frequent light watering. Every 10 days until the end of March, then every 5 or 6 days until the monsoon arrives; in the rains, only as needed.2
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1,2
6.5 to 7
Well-drained loam or sandy loam with plenty of organic matter; free from acidity, salinity, alkalinity and waterlogging.
Sunlight2Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
At least 4 hours a day
Full sun and bright weather for strong growth. Culinary mint also grows in light shade, which helps in hot summers.
TemperatureNo published guide covers this for the North-west plains, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Grows best at 18 to 30 °C
Takes hard frost.
Monthly temperatures for the North-west plains aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
Watering2
Mint needs frequent light watering. Every 10 days until the end of March, then every 5 or 6 days until the monsoon arrives; in the rains, only as needed.
Weeding2
Keep the crop clean of weeds at every stage; use a wheel hoe while the plants are small.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before planting | Well-rotted farmyard manure | 10 to 15 t per acre | Work it into the soil during land preparation. |
| At planting | Consortium biofertiliser | 4 kg per acre | Apply to the soil before planting, with the other recommended inputs. |
Varieties and yield
100 to 125 quintals an acre
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Punjab Spearmint 1
Spearmint; tall, vigorous plants with purple-green stems; the herb is rich in carvone.
Russian Mint
Green stems and hairy leaves with a woody flavour, sought by the flavour trade.
Kosi
Menthol mint (Mentha arvensis) for oil; plant end January to mid-February.
CIM Kranti
Menthol mint for oil; ready 140 to 150 days after planting.
CIM Unnati
Menthol mint for oil; plant end January to mid-February; cut about 145 days after planting.
Good neighbours2
Grows well with
Pests and diseases2
Organic and cultural controls only.
Termite (Odontotermes obesus)
Signs
Attacks the roots and the underground stems.
Cutworm (Agrotis spp.)
Signs
Cuts young plants at ground level; the larvae hide near the plant base by day.
Jassid and whitefly
Signs
Sap-sucking pests that slow growth and lower the oil in the herb.
Hairy caterpillars
Signs
In bad years they eat leaves and tender stems; young larvae feed in groups and older ones move from field to field.
What to do
- Use light traps to catch the moths.
- Pluck leaves carrying groups of young larvae, or pull out the infested plants, and bury them.
- Crush the grown caterpillars.
Root rot and stem rot (Rhizoctonia bataticola)
Signs
Brown patches on the affected parts darken and spread; the leaves wither and die.
What to do
- Pull out and destroy infected plants.
Prevention
- Do not take planting suckers from an infected field.
- Do not grow mentha in the same field year after year.
Seed and the season's end
Saving seed2Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Mint is grown from suckers, not seed. Dig fresh suckers from a healthy bed; do not take them from a field with root or stem rot.
When the seed is ready
Use firm, white or pale runners that have not yet sprouted; sprouted suckers mostly die.
Plant them soon after digging. Keep them cool, shaded and moist for a day or two if needed.
After the last picking2
Do not grow mentha in the same field year after year. It fits rotations such as mentha followed by potato, toria, fodder oats or basmati rice.
Compost the old stems after the last cut, or after lifting an old bed.
Rotation
Do not grow mint in the same field year after year. Field rotations include mentha with potato, toria, fodder oats or basmati rice.
Sources
Where this comes from
Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.
These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.
- Mint (Horticulture: aromatic crops)TNAU Agritech Portal, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, CoimbatoreRead the source
- Package of Practices for the Crops of Punjab, Kharif 2026 (Mentha)Directorate of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, LudhianaRead the source
- AESA based IPM package: MintNational Institute of Plant Health Management, Hyderabad, and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Faridabad (Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India)Read the source
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