Mint is a perennial with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. It has a fruity, aromatic taste.
There are many varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem. Rolling it between your fingers, you’ll notice a pungent scent and think of candy, sweet teas, or maybe even mint juleps.
As well as kitchen companions, mints are used as garden accents, ground covers, air fresheners, and herbal medicines. They’re as beautiful as they are functional, and they’re foolproof to grow, thriving in sun and shade all over North America. In fact, mint can be vigorous spreaders, so be careful where you plant it.
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I have a funny story. I
I have a funny story. I planted mint in a pot and kind of buried the pot for insulation. My friend pulled the pot up and I heard this terrible ripping sound. My roots had gone under the pot into that ground. That year my pot did nothing and I thought my mint was dead. Nop, it had moved down into the ground under the pot and now I have a yard full of wonderful smelling mint. And very few bugs.
What to do?
I've been reading a lot of these comments to figure out what I should do. I live in Nebraska. Have 2 mint & 1 chocolate mint outside on my apartment balcony. After this weekend's icy weather, I checked on my plant and all 3 look sad. Leaves and hanging down, some are brown, and stems look like something stepped on the plant and they didn't go back up after that (weight of the ice probably). I don't have a place to plant them since I live in an apartment (not on ground floor) & I know my allergies will be affected if I bring the plants indoors. Do I just keep the plants outside and hope they come back in the spring? Each plant is in a plastic pot with draining holes. Suggestions for any ideas/tips... I do like mint in my water & hot chocolate so would like to take care of them and have them back in the spring!
Spearmint is winter hardy and
Spearmint and peppermint are winter hardy and will most likely survive outside on the balcony with some protection. The chocolate mint is more tender and may not make it. Put the pots close together in a cardboard box or some other bigger container. Add straw under and around the pots and cover the pots with straw. You can also add a blanket over the top of the box.
i have a mint plant outside
i have a mint plant outside my house but im not sure which one it is but i get lots of bees in it im not sure how to harvest it and it has soooooo many flowers on it i live in a zone 6 climate
also is it just me or does mint smell kind of skunky? is that smell normal?
It could be a type of catmint
It could be a type of catmint (Nepeta). There are hundreds of kinds. Some, like catnip, attract cats and others, like your stinky one, repel cats and even insects such as mosquitoes.
Mint plant outside
My daughter planted a chocolate mint outside and we got it from a nursery so I know that's what it is. The pictures are the same, it's obvious. To me, it smells sort of skunky when people brush against it, not chocolaty, sweet, or minty at all. No one else in the family notices it, just me. And it's not as strong as a real skunk or as lasting (thankfully!) but it could be the chocolate mint. I also have bee balm, spearmint, peppermint, orange mint, and catnip planted and none of those smell skunky to me, but the chocolate does every time.
I live in Minnesota and never
I live in Minnesota and never planted peppermint before. Is it like rhubarb where you can only harvest it put to a certain time of the year or can you go to freeze?
Peppermint is hardy to Zone
Peppermint is hardy to Zone 3, but invasive. In Minnesota, you can plant peppermint in a weather-resistant container and sink it into the garden to its rim. Leave this over winter. You can harvest leaves throughout the growing season, or cut the plant back to just above one or two sets of leaves, just before the plant flowers (flavor is best then). Do this up to three times per growing season; it will grow back. You can dry or freeze the leaves, as well.
We recently have had mice in
We recently have had mice in the house which we never have had before. I am wondering... If I planted mint in containers and placed them around my garden on the ground (or where I think mice have gotten into the house) would the potted mint plants deter mice or does the mint plant need to be actually growing in the ground in order for them to smell it and stay away. Please help because mice in the house is NOT acceptable!! Thanks!
Many folks find that
Many folks find that peppermint oil will deter a mouse because of its strong aroma.
In gardens, plant herbs such as lavender around borders to keep pests out. This is a form of "companion planting."
You can try to make an herbal spray treatment to spray around plants or around your kitchen. Just add herbs to a jar of water and let it sit in the sun for a few days. Pour into a spray bottle and spray daily.
However, the mice are not likely to actually leave real shelter if they have nowhere to go. You also need to make sure all cracks in the house are sealed, especially rooms where food is kept. All food should be off the floor and keep a clean cleaning around the house including weeds or woodpiles. If you happen to live in a country area, the goal is just to make the mice manageable because they can fit under any crack less than 1/4-inch thick.
For the mice inside the house, you may need to resort to trapping if you feel strongly about living together; otherwise, they will die inside the house.
Find all the holes and
Find all the holes and openings in your house and stuff them with steel wool. Mice hate this and will not attempt to get through. Look under your stove, air condition vents, dishwasher connections etc! The extra addition of the mint around the perimeters will work great. You should be in great shape as long as you find and stuff all openings!
Hi I have a mint plant that
Hi I have a mint plant that mixed with sand and potting soil and he's outside so harvest from him regularly and I also water him well. he is growing beautifully. we have a really harsh winter is here in Georgia and I am not sure where I should place him during the winter do they grow in the ground through harsh cold moist freezing winters or a place inside of a sunny window. I'm not sure. Please help??
Mint is perennial, so it
Mint is perennial, so it should come back next season. If it is in a pot, you could put it into a garage or basement for the coldest days in winter. If in ground, it will be fine.
I live in a subtropical and
I live in a subtropical and very humid country. I bought two pots of mint plants from a nursery. Within a month, I found they were dying. When I moved them to larger pots, I realized the pots they had been in previously were completed filled with roots, which were twisted and wrapped around each other so tightly I couldn't even pull them apart. I tried to loosen them up a little then replanted them in the much larger pots. Now about a month later, they've mostly died, except for a few stems that survived and the leaves still look OK. Should I give up on it and just start again with some new plants? Dig out all those old roots and throw them away? Or just let it keep going and see if it will somehow survive and produce mint for me again in the months to come? In other words, are those old roots going to rot if I keep watering them, or could they come back to life?
Mint plants bought from
Mint plants bought from nursery could be old plants, hence the entire pot is just roots and some stems and leaves.
1) cut the stem and put the cuttings in the original pot with soil gravel but ensure water drainage and airation
2) make mint root mulch for the mint cutting growth
3) observe further and adjust to the new situation
4) buy a new pot and try again
Hello, I have a peppermint
Hello,
I have a peppermint plant that suddently grew one massive dark offshoot with a thick purple stem and small leaves. What is this called? Should I trim it so the rest of my plant grows (everything else seems to grow slower now).
It could possibly be a sport,
It could possibly be a sport, which is a genetic mutation (which plant breeders sometimes use to create new cultivars). Or, it could be a reversion--when a stem produces characteristics of the parent plant instead; some mutations (such as variegation in certain cases) are not stable, and will sometimes revert back to a parent characteristic. Another possibiity is that the change was caused by a virus or environmental condition. Unless you are a knowledgeable plant breeder and this is a mutation, then it is probably best to prune it out--especially if it is caused by a virus.
Im noticing this too, how can
Im noticing this too, how can i found out more info about the various possibilities mentioned that may be occuring?
I live in Vermont. When we
I live in Vermont. When we moved in half of my backyard was mint. I corralled it well and have enjoyed the beauty and aroma of the mint for about 4 years. When winter transitions to spring I cut away the dead leaves and stems to about the ground. Every year I say, "oh geez I think I killed the mint" but eventually it arrives and goes nuts for the summer. It's memorial day and we still have no mint. We had a severely long and cold winter, but the other perennials in the garden are nearing full size while the mint hasn't even peeked out. Did I kill the mint? Should I buy another plant?
It's hard to know what might
It's hard to know what might be going on, but mint is usually quite hardy. A few varieties, such as Corsican mint, are less cold tolerant. Peppermint is one of the hardiest. Was the area covered by mulch or fall leaves? If the soil was bare at any time during a deep freeze, it is possible that the roots have died back, at least somewhat. You might try keeping the area moist (but not waterlogged) and waiting a little longer to see if the plants recover. However, if you want to be sure you have some mint this season, you might add at least one more plant.
It might also be possible that your mint has been attacked by a pest or disease. Mint flea beetle larvae, for example, feed on mint roots (the eggs overwinter and the larvae hatch in spring). Dig up a small area to see if you can spot the roots and check their health. Look for holes in the roots, where a larva might be inside. For more information, see:
http://mint.ippc.orst.edu/mfbm...
http://mint.ippc.orst.edu/root...
Can I take some of the
Can I take some of the existing baby mint plants and re-plant them on another container? Any tips on doing this to ensure the baby plants survive?
I have both spearmint and
I have both spearmint and peppermint. I tried both cutting from their mother plant and placed it in a container with water. The spearmint grew roots 2days but the peppermint still haven't 5 days now. I just planted the spearmint that has grown its roots to a soil and container and doing fine.
Thank you! After some
Thank you! After some research, it looks like I have a spearmint plant. So hopefully they will grow in another day or two.
. This is the first time I
. This is the first time I am trying to grow mint and I have some questions:
When does it flower? Do I need to cut off the buds?
How long does it take to grow more than a foot?
I'm guessing I cut down the central part a bit to encourage thickness?
How big does it have to be to make tea from it? I always find the basic care for plants but I can never find answers to those specific questions. Can anyone help?
I planted spearmint for the
I planted spearmint for the first time and have been pinching off pieces for tea for several weeks. The spearmint is much hardier looking than the mint. I'm going to grow some indoors this winter.
I planted some mint in a
I planted some mint in a container in my garden several years ago. Had the top of the container sticking out of the ground an inch or two to prevent the shoots from going over the top and spreading. It THRIVED!! Too much! It gets sun all day than shade in the evening. A few years ago it started invading the rest of my flower garden. I'm going crazy trying to get rid of it. Any suggestions as to how I can get rid of it without completely up-rooting my whole flower garden to do it? If I have to I'm willing to start over just to get rid of it at this point! It's preventing my other flowers from thriving and flowering. Thank you!
Hi, Crazy: Welcome to the
Hi, Crazy: Welcome to the Minter's Remorse Club, although it does sound to us as though you still retain some measure of sanity -- which you will need. A lot depends on how big an area you are talking about. Unfortunately, flower gardens are especially difficult to fumintigate (we just made that word up, so don't go looking for it). Short of just pulling everything up, the way to start is around the edges of your plot, or even around edges of specific mint colonies beyond which you are sure that it has not spread. Start killing all the way around the edge. You can apply boiling water; or a 5:5:2 mixture of vinegar:water:dish soap; or even newspapers or flagstones to block light. Give it a day, then start pulling up, being as careful as possible to get everything. The problem is the rhizomes, which spread laterally and look like white shoelaces or pieces of spaghetti. You need to get every bit. When you start your next session farther inside your perimeter, recheck where you did before, clawing up the soil again to make sure you didn't miss anything. Work your way inward in each area. It's a long, long process, but you certainly get to know your garden well! Good luck!
I am interested in growing
I am interested in growing some peppermint next to my house; however, I do not want it to get out of control. Several times you have suggested planting the mint in containers. Are there a certain type of container to use for this? Thanks!
It's best if the container or
It's best if the container or does no have drainage holes. If it does have holes cover them up with plastic or duct tape from the inside. Plastic or ceramic pots work well. Fill with dirt and plant the mint. Then bury the container in the garden bed.
Hello, I have two organic
Hello, I have two organic mint plants I bought today from my local farmer's market. They are in the little plastic black boxes still. What is the best way to grow them indoors/outdoors? (So they can be indoors because it gets veryyyy dry and hot here during the days, but winters freeze)
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