When to Plant Mint in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Mint guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Mar to Sep
- Days to harvest
- 30 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Vigorous, versatile, and INVASIVE. Always grow in containers. Spearmint (M. spicata) is standard culinary. Peppermint (M. x piperita) for teas.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar P
- Apr P
- May P
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Start from runners or potted plants and keep in a container in part shade. It picks all year once established.
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How to Grow Mint in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, moist soil with plenty of organic matter.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Part shade to full sun. Morning sun, afternoon shade in hot zones.
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular, generous watering. Daily in pots in summer.
- Good companions
- Tomato, Cabbage, Garden Cress, Apple, Galangal
- Keep away from
- Banana, Cherry, Lemongrass, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme
Tropical Growing Tips for Mint
Recommended Varieties
- Spearmint
- Vietnamese mint (Persicaria odorata, technically not mint but thrives here)
Key Challenges
- True mints struggle in extreme heat/humidity
- Rust disease
Pro Tips
- Vietnamese mint is the star for this zone
- True mints need morning sun only
- Repot every 6 months
Pests and problems for Mint in Tropical
Harvesting Mint
When ready: Harvest once stems 10cm+ tall.
How to harvest: Cut stems to 5cm above soil. Entire plant can be cut to ground. Regrows in 2-3 weeks.
Storing and preserving mint
How to keep it
- Freezing in ice cubes. Chop leaves, freeze in ice cube trays with water. Keeps: 6 months.
- Drying for tea. Bundle stems, hang in dark dry place 1-2 weeks. Mint dries well, retains good flavour. Keeps: 12 months.
- Mint sauce/jelly. Chop mint, combine with sugar, white wine vinegar, boiling water. Classic with lamb. Keeps: 6 months (jelly), 2 weeks (sauce).
- Mint syrup. Simmer 2 cups mint in 2 cups sugar + 2 cups water 10 min. Strain. For mojitos and desserts. Keeps: 4 weeks refrigerated.
What mint costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Mint
When do you plant mint in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr, Aug to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Apr, Aug to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Aug to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to May, Aug to Nov
When should I plant Mint in Cairns?
Start from runners or potted plants and keep in a container in part shade. It picks all year once established.
What soil temperature do Mint need?
Mint germinate best when soil temperature is between 21°C and 24°C.
How do I know when Mint are ready to harvest?
Harvest once stems 10cm+ tall.
What are the best Mint varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Spearmint, Vietnamese mint (Persicaria odorata, technically not mint but thrives here).
What grows well with Mint?
Good companion plants for Mint include: Tomato, Cabbage, Garden Cress, Apple, Galangal.
Are mint salt tolerant?
Only a little. Mint are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.