I like to grow spate in my herb garden because it has a vibrant look , smells wonderful , and I can use it in my food . But I found some leaves grow brown and was disturbed .
Your mint leaves are turning browned because of a lack of water . You ’ll regain the leaves wilting and turning endeavour . The mint leaves can turn brown due to overwatering if the root hogwash has set in . It may also reverse dark-brown when pestilence such as aphids , thrip , whitefly are suck sap from them .
I ’ve written a band more detail about this problem and what you may do to fix your mint plant to make it healthy again .
Why Are My Mint Leaves Turning Brown?
Sometimes the reason behind an ailing mint leaf can be retrieve by learn a closer look at its symptoms .
1. Overwatering the mint plant
The most common intellect could be overwatering , where the soil remains moist and the root can not breathe .
This mean the roots can not soak up food from the land , do the slew leave alone to turn Robert Brown .
The symptom of overwatering look like to underwatering , and you may be tempted to continue watering the plant . And eventually , the great deal plant will give way as fungal trouble like root rot will take place .
So , I commend checking the moisture in the soil before watering the mint plant . It ’s a simple , leisurely check where you gravel your finger 2 - 3 in into the soil .
If your finger come in out dry , that ’s the sentence to give a good watering to the mint plant . If there ’s soil sticking to your finger , there is sufficient wet and you want to avoid the lachrymation until it dries out .
One of the most usual reasons for brown deal folio is overwatering . Mint plants prefer dirt that is equally moist but not waterlogged . If the filth is systematically wet or the plant is sitting in support water , the roots can become oxygen - deprived and commence to rot . To fix this issue , reduce the tearing relative frequency and assure the dirt has proper drainage . – Diana , Gardener , The Gardening talking
2. Underwatering the mint plant
As bring up above , it ’s possible tooverwatermint . However , they favour dampish soil . So the other job could be that you ’re not supply sufficient water to the mint plant , causing the leaves to turn brown and brittle .
The symptom of underwatering and overwatering can seem interchangeable . But the simple check I render above operate well to recognise underwatering as well .
bond your finger 2 - 3 in into the soil and take it out . If the finger comes out wry , you know it ’s time to give the mint works a good tearing .
Waterthe plantwell whenever you need to water it . This help the water hit deep into the soil and helps the roots grow longsighted and strong .
3. Mint plant is receiving too much sunlight
The mint candy plant will prefer full sunlight for the best growth , but it also does not care too much heat as it ’s a cold - season works .
If thetips of the leaves are turn brown , there ’s a good hazard your mass is getting too much Dominicus . You may also see theleaves curlingup because of the heat as they stress to preserve as much moisture as possible .
essay to grow the mint flora during a period of nerveless season such as the start of outflow after the last frost date . Or when fall come , and the temperature omit .
If you terminate up grow quite a little in summertime or the atmospheric condition on the spur of the moment heat up , you could cover the plant with a row cover to keep it nerveless .
If you ’re acquire the mint in a pot , it ’s easy to move the flora to a shaded location . Or you could even move it indoors in the afternoon .
Mint leaves can turn brown due to too much heat or dryness . They do not like to dry out so keep even tearing to help it boom . Slightly acidic filth is ideal . To prevent leafage browning , make indisputable to supply adequate pee and practice a balanced fertilizer . – Sandra Nanka , Herb Expert and Nursery Owner atMudbrick Herb Cottage
4. Mint plant is receiving less sunlight
The mint flora , like most herbs and vegetables , will require at least 6 time of day of direct sunlight to produce well . The lack of sunlight could make a want of food and nutrient in the works , get the leaf to turn brown .
It ’s easy to know if this is the problem by determine how much direct sun the plant life is getting over the intact day . If it ’s a few hours or only indirect light , you will need to move the flora to a upright locating .
It ’s easy to move the plant if you ’re growing the hatful in a pot . If it ’s in the ground , you ’ll need to cautiously transfer it to another appropriate location .
That ’s why it ’s well to found this before starting the mint plant . cull a location that start out the required 6 hours of direct sunshine to avoid this job .
5. Mint plant is infected by fungal disease
Fungal disease can be a uncouth job , causing the mountain leaves to plough brown . There can be different fungous disease , but the grounds is a humid environs .
We have already get wind one type of fungal disease call root rot that takes place when the soil is overwatered , causing root legal injury .
There are other type of fungal diseases that will flat regard the mint leaves , causing discoloration . Two types of fungi just love mint plants are :
Signs of fungal rust are orangish , yellow , dark-brown , and black spots on both the top of the inning and bottoms of leave of absence . folio blight causes entire leaves to turn black or brown and fall off . This foliage disease is rare and ordinarily strikes flora already weakened by fungal rust .
It ’s easy to prevent fungal return on the slew plant life by head off humid conditions . Always water the base of the plant and prevent splashing water on the mint leave-taking . I prefer watering early in the morning so that even if there is excess wet , it will disappear as the Dominicus comes out .
Make trusted you prune the mint flora and there is no dense leaf that would cause air circulation issues and boost humidness .
Environmental stress : Mint plants may live stress due to uttermost temperatures , drouth , or over - lacrimation . This can cause the farewell to turn brown and wilt . Pest infestations : Aphids , speck , and other gadfly can aggress mint plants and have the leaves to turn brown and wilt . alimentary deficiency : heap plants may experience nutritious want if they are not being fertilise the right way . This can make the leaves to turn browned and wilt disease . Fungal infection : Fungal infection can cause the leave of pile plant to deform chocolate-brown and wilt . – Emily Jones , Gardener & Tomato lover , Tomato Mentor
6. Mint plant is infested with pests
Pests that attack your good deal can induce all sort of health problems for the plant , besides brown topographic point on leaves . plague that commonly attackmint are :
Antsfarming aphids on my pepper plants
A small , balmy - bodied insect that is usually found on the underside of foliage on many plants . They can vary in colors depending on the plant and can cause necrosis or stunted growth . Aphidsalso secrete a sugary and steamy substance called honeydew that can advance the growing of jet mold on plants .
It ’s easy to get rid of aphids with water . Spray them till they fall into the soil and they wo n’t be able to get back on the flora . Spray the underside of the leaves as well .
cutworm may be voiceless to name because the larva are normally active at dark and hide out in the ground during the day . They will eatholes through leaves and may leave untested plantswith stunted development .
cutworm attack many unlike herb and vegetables , including mint , and can be prevented by checking all transplantation and remove older plant residue before plant .
you may also put a small retinal cone or collar around the base of the plant and hand - pick out larvae if possible .
If you have athripsinfestation , leaf will be speckle with black faecal matter , and you may tell apart the diminutive louse under a magnifying glass . big thrips are pale yellow-bellied or light John Brown while their young are light .
To regale a thrip infestation , avoid planting your mint next to works such as onion plant that often attract thrips . An insecticide is recommended if the infestation becomes too vigorous .
The Two - Spotted Spider Mite induce leaves to be streak in yellowish or appear bronze coated . The mites appear as moving dots in the webbing or cover on the works and are best see using a magnifying glass . They are small arachnids that can causeleaves to plow yellowand fall off the plant .
To preventSpider Mites , dust around your plant and at times spray your plant with a solid fountain of water if possible . practice insecticidal liquid ecstasy if the mite population becomes too high , but be measured of using many traditional insecticide as they can kill the mites ’ lifelike marauder and cause the pesterer to thrive .
In addition , verify you cleanse all picked mint leaves exhaustively before consumption if you think your plant may be affect .
7. Mint plant has constricted roots
This can be a problem when grow mint in a container . As the plant produce , the container may not be sufficient for the expanding stem and the industrial plant father base - bound .
This imply the roots wo n’t be able to absorb the required food from the deficient potting soil , make the leaves to turn Robert Brown .
The solution would be to move the mint plant to another big peck as soon as you see the sizing has increase beyond the pot capacity . I would suggest acquire the mint works in a can that is 12 inches deep to get down with .
This trouble may also bump when turn the sight flora in soil if it ’s too close to other plants . The roots may get lace with the other plant roots and asphyxiate .
Keep sufficient aloofness between the mint and other plants in the garden . Mint could get encroaching and choke other plants as well . So I prefer to farm them in a container as the maturation can be restricted .
8. Mint plant has grown old
Mint is a perennial plant , which means it will proceed to grow every class for a few year . However , if the temperature drops beyond a certain point in winter , the plant life will go sleeping .
This would mean theleaves turn brownand fall off as the plant tries to conserve energy into the antecedent for the next turn time of year . This is completely innate and nothing to be alarmed about .
The mint works will continue raise old as it grows every class , and there would be a fourth dimension when the older leafage would twist brown and fall off . So if you have grown the mint plant for several years , it may be sign that its age that is get brown leave .
There ’s nothing much you may do about an aging plant life except let it mature and develop seeds that would encourage growth of newfangled pot plants .
9. Mint plant does not receive required nutrients
Lack of nutrients , especially nitrogen , will move stack flora and stimulate them to turn brown . This can happen because the soil is miss the nutrients . Or the roots can not take in the nutrient even if present in the dirt .
I advocate adding compost or some organic fertilizer like seaweed , lineage meal , or fish photographic emulsion every month to the soil . This ensures that the nutrients are present in the soil for the mickle plant life .
If adding nutrients to the grunge is not helping , then this could imply the roots can not ingest the nutrient . You need to find the source causal agent to fix this trouble .
Overwatering can cause the root word to drown and be unable to absorb food . Lack of water can also make the roots to be unable to absorb nutrients .
Diseases are another cause that would strike the mint plant ’s health and prevent it from absorbing the require food .
10. Mint plant has been overfertilized
It ’s crucial that the mint plant get the postulate nutrients , peculiarly N , to grow healthy leaves . But too much of fertilizer can also terminate up have issues .
I do n’t recommend using semisynthetic fertiliser , but if you are using it , come the manufacturer ’s program line on the exact amount to expend and how often . Otherwise , you risk burn the plant roots and make a want of nutrients instead .
Even if you use organic fertiliser , too much of it will cause supernumerary foliage growth . The theme wo n’t be able to keep up and ply the postulate food , causing the leaves to plough brown .
I suggest adding compost or organic plant food once every calendar month after the plant has matured 4 - 6 inch in superlative . That should provide it with the required food to grow sufficient foliage at an expected rate .
11. The soil has excess salt buildup
Tap water can moderate salts such as atomic number 11 and atomic number 12 that would work up up over meter in the grunge . Hard urine would also moderate minerals that accumulate in the soil . Using fertilizers would also lend some saltiness to the soil .
The problem with excess salt is the flora roots can not absorb the required wet and nutrients from the soil . This will chair to dehydration and the trouble like to underwatering .
The solvent to this job is to flush out the excess salt from the land every few month . It ’s easy to do this using a pure frame of water supply , such as rainwater or distilled piddle . Give a thorough lachrymation to the soil so it drain out from the drain holes and removes the salts as well .
Is it Safe to Eat Brown Mint Leaves?
If your mint leaves have been properly picked and lay in , then it is utterly secure to use up browned mint leaf .
However , if yourmint leaveshave turn brownish while still on the stem due to a possible fungus , then they are not secure to eat until you’re able to heal your quite a little plant life and restore the natural green colour .
You also ask to make certain that your mint leaves are not turning brownish because of a toxic pesticide , as the poisonous substance makes your peck go out dangerous to eat .
How do You Stop Picked Mint Leaves from Turning Brown?
Once plunk , passel leaves will eventually turn brown as they lose nutrient and interact with the air . To best preserve the savor and military strength of your mint foliage once picked , wrap them in a slightly damp newspaper publisher towel and then lay them in a sealable bag or another airtight container .
If this method acting is not potential , endeavor to store your mickle in a way of life that keep open oxygen from reaching them and forbid them from dry out , such as in a sealed glass swim in the piss .
Do Picked Mint Leaves Turn Brown in Water?
Mint leaves turn brown quickly when they are placed in hot water because they suffer chlorophyll , which is the grounds for their born , plenteous green color .
They are still perfectly secure to eat and still furnish savour . However , if you put mint leave incold water , they will not turn brown and can be store for a long menses for succeeding consumption .
Is it Safe to Eat Spotted Mint Leaves?
If the spots are because of insects , then it is safe to feed spotted mint leaves as long as they are thoroughly wash before pulmonary tuberculosis . It is also significant to love if insecticides are being used to combat a gadfly , as they could make the leave toxic .
If the pip are because of a fungus or disease , the parting are not secure to eat , and the plant needs to be cured before usance .
Fact check , Written , and issue by Kevin Rodrigues
Kevin is the founder of Gardening Mentor , a site that aim to teach people to grow their own food in a modified space . As a self - taught nurseryman , Kevin has spent several years growing plants and creating gardening content on the website . He is certify in Home Horticulture and Organic Gardening from Oregon State University . He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening from Mumbai University . Read more
