Repotting guide

When & how to repot Moroccan Mint (Mentha spicata 'Moroccan')

Also called Tea Mint.

More about moroccan mint

About Moroccan Mint

Mentha spicata 'Moroccan' · also called Tea Mint · herb

Moroccan Mint is a clean, crisp spearmint cultivar with bright green crinkled leaves, the classic mint for Moroccan tea. A hardy, vigorous perennial, it spreads by runners and rewards moist rich soil and sun. Its low-menthol, sweet spearmint flavor stays best with frequent harvesting and containment in pots or sunken beds.

Mature size: 30-60 cm tall, indefinite spread if uncontained

Watch for — Aggressive spreading: Runners colonize beds fast. Grow in containers or a sunken bottomless pot to keep it in check.

How to tell moroccan mint needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For moroccan mint, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot moroccan mint on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot moroccan mint

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Moroccan Mintis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Spreading herbaceous perennial that runs vigorously on rhizomes and stolons to form dense green mats; upright stems carry spearmint flower spikes..

What size pot to step moroccan mint up to

Pot moroccan mint on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot moroccan mint

Pot moroccan mint on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting moroccan mint

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check moroccan mint regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh rich, moisture-retentive loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water moroccan mint in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for moroccan mint

Moroccan Mint wants rich, moisture-retentive loam. Fertile, humus-rich, moisture-holding soil with good drainage, pH 6.0-7.0. Enrich garden soil with compost; use a moisture-retentive potting mix in pots. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting moroccan mint — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot moroccan mint?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for moroccan mint. Moroccan Mint is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into rich, moisture-retentive loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does moroccan mint need?

When is the best time of year to repot moroccan mint?

Can you put moroccan mint straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing moroccan mint should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise moroccan mint after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting moroccan mint. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.