How to grow Vietnamese Mint in Australia
A vigorous spreading herb for full sun to part shade in moist, rich soil. Keep it well watered, as it wilts fast when dry.
At a glance
- Sun: Part shade
- Water: 6 litres a week, watered every 2 days
- Spacing: 30 cm
- Time to harvest: 60 days
- Time to germinate: 14 days
- Soil pH: 6 to 7
- Frost tolerance: Frost tender
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | September to April | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | September to April | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | September to March | Reliable perennial on the frost free coast; grow from cuttings in a damp spot. In the west keep it in a pot you can shelter from frost. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | October to December | Plant Oct to Dec from cuttings or a nursery pot, in part shade with the soil kept wet. Frost kills the tops, so grow it in a pot you can shelter over winter, cut it back after the last frost and it reshoots in spring. |
| Adelaide & SA | October to December | Plant Oct to Dec in a pot kept wet, in part shade. Cold kills the tops, so move the pot under cover for winter. |
| Perth & WA | September to December | Plant Sep to Dec in a pot standing in water, in bright shade. It sulks in the cool wet winter and reshoots in spring. |
| Tasmania | Not suited | Unsuitable outdoors. Frost kills it. A pot moved indoors over winter is the only way. |
| Canberra & ACT | Not suited | Not suited outdoors. It is a tropical herb and Canberra frost kills it. Keep it as a pot plant moved indoors before the first frost, or grow common mint or coriander instead. |
| North Queensland | All year | Grows all year in the tropics. Plant cuttings any month in a damp spot or a pot; use free draining mix so wet season downpours do not rot it, and water often through the dry. |
| Darwin & Top End | All year | Grows all year in the tropics. Plant cuttings any month in a damp spot or a pot; use free draining mix so wet season downpours do not rot it, and water often through the dry. |
Harvest and storage
Harvest tip
Pick the leafy tips once the plant is established and spreading. Pinch or snip stems and it bounces back fast with more growth.