Mint is among those invincible species that will pop up and die out of nowhere. Indeed, it’s trying to crawl out of its container one minute; then it’s dying in the next one. And sometimes, it causes us to wonder “Why is my mint plant dying?” and how to handle the situation.
If you want to know more, read on.
5 Reasons Why Your Mint Plant Is Dying (With Solutions)
1. Overwatering
Whenever we face a dying potted plant, it’s nearly always due to overwatering. Providing the plant with a lot of water may appear to be nurturing, but in reality, you’re killing it. Plants require oxygen in their grounds; the root systems die and decay without it.
Indications of overwatering:
- Wilting leaves.
- Thin, drenched roots.
- Mushy potting soil.
- A damp smell.
Soggy soil breeds a slew of fungal infections that eat your mint’s base. If you’ve kept overwatering for a long time, you’ve certainly washed all the nutrients out of the soil as well.
Our only bet for a wholly flooded mint is to simply re-pot it. This will pump in new minerals and allow evaluating the mint’s base. Moreover, always choose a container having at least 1 drainage hole, preferably more!
Ensure that your container is large enough to accommodate your mint. A little pot is all that is required for a small plant. Large pots channel water away from your plant, causing the mix to get soggy.
Darkened, smarmy roots indicate that your plant suffers root decay and requires special care. Snip off dark, rotting roots using sharp scissors or clippers in mild cases.
Reduce your watering to avoid this situation in the future! Your mint prefers moisture but not soaked conditions. Therefore, your plant will only require water once a week at most.
2. Underwatering
Mint that has been underwatered is brittle, brown, and crumbly. The soil in the container is loosened, and the whole mint seems to be unsecured.
If the entire plant moves around when you lift the container, your little mint has probably dried up from top to toe.
Fortunately, underwatering is far simpler to address than overwatering. Indeed, refresh the underwatered mint to bring it back to life.
Dry soil, strangely, does not keep the water well, and water sprayed from above is prone to go out from the base. Thus, spraying from underneath thoroughly moisturizes the soil and delivers water deep into the soil.
To water your dry mint, follow these steps:
- Put your container in a bowl or tray that is about half the size of your container.
- Cover the tray halfway with filtered, purified, or freshwater up to the level of your container.
- Once the water enters the soil in your container, the amount of water in the tray should lessen. However, to keep the level stable, add more water routinely.
- Allow your mint to bathe for 10 mins after the water level has stabilized.
- Take your mint out and let it dry for about 30 minutes before putting it back to its previous spot.
We suggest setting a reminder on your smartphone to assess your houseplants once a week if you have a lot on your plate. You might not have to water it; however, it is a good idea to check your plant to detect potential issues.
3. Lack of Nutrients
To thrive, your plant will call for a steady feed of nitrogen, phosphate, and additional nutrients.
Without them, mint’s development will be stunted, and whatever little your plant produces will be weak. Your delicate mint will finally cease developing and die. Excessive watering, poor soil, and root degradation are all issues that impede nutrition supply.
Re-potting the mint (as previously stated) is a method to supply your plant with additional nutrients. However, if your mint is in relatively new soil, adding a wet fertilizer while watering monthly is a smart way to start.
Mint doesn’t need too many nutrients and isn’t picky about fertilizer; thus, a regular mixed wet fertilizer should suffice.
you can also add nutrients in other methods, such as:
- Introducing organic compounds in your potting soils. Coir, peat moss, compost, and worm castings are excellent choices.
- Adding slow-release grains to the soil’s layer. When you water them, they send nutrients to plants.
4. Frostbite and Cold Injuries
Mint is a robust plant that can withstand a slight frost. In reality, mint could survive sub freezing conditions and long periods of snowfall in outside gardens before resuming its weed-like exuberance in the springtime.
Houseplants, on the other hand, face some difficulties. An unexpected quick-freeze might completely ruin your mint.
If your temperature drops drastically in the wintertime or your mint is put in a cold and damp room in the house, you might frost it to death or shock it into hibernation with exorbitantly harsh surroundings.
If your mint has no signs of damage but is losing healthy-looking leaflets, it is too frigid and is about to go dormant. Although it might seem to be death, it is quickly recovered by gently reheating your plant.
To bring your dead mint back to life, move it to a warmer house spot. Prevent direct sunshine at first, but after a duration of acclimatization, leaving your plant under direct sunlight for short amounts of time is OK.
5. Heat Stress
Although mint is adaptable to cold conditions, it’s not so in hot settings. Being a plant acclimated to moderate regions, your mint will grow weak and dry if overheated.
It’s also simple to “fry” a mint plant by placing it in a black container and then under the sunshine, notably if the container is made from plastic. In this case, the stems will become overheated and die, bringing the whole plant down with them.
Minimize placing darkish containers under direct sunshine to avoid overheating, especially in summer. Stay updated on surrounding temperatures throughout the day if you live in a hot region, notably in western-facing apartments.
If you’ve accidentally cooked your mint, the simplest treatment is to transfer it to a colder place of the home.
Water with caution as watered soil has a darker shade and absorbs more heat radiation. For the same reason, only water in the wee hours or late at night. Thicker-walled, lighter-colored containers help keep your plants from burning. Ceramic pots are very beneficial in this situation.
Wrapping Up
There you have it – the 5 most common reasons why is my mint dying and their quick fixes. Although mint is pretty robust, it’s best to keep certain factors in mind for fewer troubles. Good luck!