Last fall, before everything died back, we trimmed some mint and put it in some water until it rooted. Once rooted, it was put in a pot under the new grow lights. Now that spring is upon us, I've been thinking about where to plant that mint when it's time to plant everything out. Then, it dawned on me (yeah...sometimes I'm a little thick)...I don't have to just plant one...I can propagate the long stems that have grown throughout the winter and have several individual plants to put in different places!
Now, I know that mint can take over everything, but our mint has been doing really well with limited sun and we have several spaces in our yard that get limited sun that pretty much nothing else will grow in. I also have a few pots I can throw some in if I decide to completely contain it. Mint can't stay in the same pot forever, but I'll be happy to up-pot it all in a few years.
Have you considered planting the mint in pots in the soil. I have heard that this will restrain mint's tendency to spread everywhere. That way you will get the ground cover, and mint at the same time :)
ReplyDeleteOh man! Thank you for kicking me out of my limited thinking! It doesn't have to be either/or...it can be both! How absolutely fantastic! Thanks, Dani!
DeleteI love mint it's one of the few things I can't kill and I love the pots in the spring outside. Last year I planted it all in the ground near the composte.
ReplyDeleteYes! One of the spots I'm looking at is near our compost, too :-)
DeleteI have a separate 'mint bed' between two bushes along the front porch. It can take over all it wants in there and the bushes limit it somewhat side to side. Anything that comes up outside the bed gets mowed off. I've got 4 varieties growing in there and they have mingled together a bit but I can still tell them apart when I want to use some so I don't mind. It's up so early this year that I may try to start some for the annual benefit plant sale at church. I've got a 'plantation mint', chocolate, apple and lemon balm. It smells heavenly.
ReplyDeleteJudy
The first year we put our mint in we put several varieties in the same bed...that was a mistake...now when it grows back each year I don't know which is which...it's kind of like a scavenger hunt ;-)
DeleteWe stick mint in the cracks of our walkway so when we walk by we can smell it. Good post thanks!
ReplyDeleteHa! I love this idea! What a lovely way to spice up the smells of the garden :-)
DeleteI have just planted a seperate mint bed in an area that doesn't get enough sun for much else. I've put in Vietnamese Mint, Mint and Lemon Balm. So far its doing really well and to be honest if it really takes off Í'll be delighted as we use a lot of mint and nothing much likes it there anyway.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my kind of bed! I think I'll probably wind up doing something similar!
DeletePutting mint in a pot in the ground to use for ground cover sounds like a good idea to keep it contained, but it will but down roots along the stems and spread outside your container. If you use a large pot, like the ones at Sam"s Club, you can grow lots of mint and still keep it contained! I've had some mint in 10" pot for over three years and it's doing fine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips on pot sizes! The mint growing in the front is in a big galvanized tub with lots of room to grow, so I need to wrap my head around smaller pots for it. Thanks!
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