When to plant

• Start seeds indoors about 10 weeks before planting out.
• Plant outdoors about 1 week after your average last spring frost.
• Ready to harvest about 90 days after planting out.

Needs full sun and sharp drainage. Cut when half the buds open.

Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.

Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b

Growing basics

Harmful to pets. Mildly toxic to cats and dogs; it can upset their stomachs.

Sun

Full sun (6+ hours)

Spacing

24–36 in

Soil temperature

At least 60°F

Time to harvest

About 90 days

Containers

At least 3 gallons

Plant family

Mint family (herbs)

Harvest per plant

About 0.1 lb

Seeds keep

About 3 years

Companions

Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.

Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.

Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.

Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.

Grow it well

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