Growing Mint - tips wanted

peasantboy

Hey guys,

I go through A LOT of mint so I'd like to attempt to grow the stuff myself. I a share garden so ideally I would prefer to grow it in a pot of some kind but I've got no idea what kind is best. I was thinking of getting something long like 3ft and buying three mint plants from somewhere like Tesco and simply plopping them into the large pot with some soil.

Also the garden doesn't get full penetration from the sun, where my back door is it's quite shady. I've got plenty of wall available as well so hanging pots might be worth it, especially as I think one of my neighbours brings a dog over a few times in the week.

Any advice would be great!

tanith

Mint is a real thug and will spread and spread, its best kept in a pot but you unless you want different types one plant will be plenty... it'll be fine in partial shade but I think a pot rather than a hanging basket.. unless you really are a very good one for remembering to water daily...

saxonrosecliff

Mint is fine growing in a pot in the shade. I bought a little mint plant of ebay last year, stuck it in a pot and it grew and grew. It only really gets the sun until about 11am so is mainly in the shade. I also left the pot outside through winter and was surprised that it survived the winter but it is growing again now.

Edit: Just checked the label in my mint and it is mentha spicata (spearmint). Its the mint you use for mint sauce!

Kay_Peel

You may be lucky with plants from a supermarket but they are notoriously short-lived. Personally, I'd go to a garden centre and look in the herb section for some strong plants of spearmint, applemint and peppermint. Avoid Pennyroyal mint - it was used in the past to induce abortions and there is still a general warning that it should not be eaten by women of child bearing years! :eek:

Someone on Ebay is selling some really interesting varieties that sound delicious. You may like the idea of going for varieties that you can't get in the shops:

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/DUNMORE-PERENNIALS__W0QQ_sidZ106203754?_nkw=mint&submit=Search

Mint is a strong grower - you only have to break off a piece of root and stick it in a pot of soil it to make another plant. I grow it in bottomless pots that have been sunk into the ground with just the pot-lip showing. If I didn't grow it that way it would just take over the bed and push out all the other plants.

Your idea of putting a few varieties in a trough is a very good one. They'll grow happily anywhere as long as they are not waterlogged and as long as they don't get too dry.

When you want to use the leaves, snip off the top growth with scissors. This will encourage the mint to produce more shoots and bush out. Don't, whatever you do, allow the plant to flower. The leaves will stop growing once it flowers so you have to snip them off as soon as you see them.

When the cold weather arrives in Autumn, move the trough to a wall, fence or other sheltered spot. The heat from the wall will take the chill off cold snaps and help protect your trough from the worst of the weather.

All the best:beer:

Zazen999

I wouldn't even go to a garden centre; just wander round and when you see someone with some in a garden, knock on the door and ask for a few nips off the plant. Put them in a vase/glass jar and when they have rooted; plant them in a pot.

Or just buy a bag of seeds. Sow a few onto the top of a pot and in a few weeks, you should have mint.

ALIBOBSY

I love mint and have several varieties. Some came from seed some from small plants (my local farm shop sells small herb plants and bedding plants over the summer). All in pots-essencial.

I love mint teas, mint in salads, minted new potatos etc etc. Pineapple mint is yummy in puds or salads, peppermint and spearmint are nice to eat as you sit in the sun as well as in dishes mmmmmmm.

I disagree about flowering, but ours are quite big and bushy. I love the flowers and added them to dishes as well-the bees loved them.

Mint is almost weed like in its way, will spread like mad, grows like crazy and would survive a nuclear bomb lol.

MIL tried hot oil out of a fryer once to kill some off (after loads of other attempts), still survived lol.

Mine stayed out in all the snow and frost and already are bushing up again.

Mind you think I am lucky with herbs I have a 3 yr old oregano plant outside which keeps coming back-looks lovely and bushy already, a massive bay bush we use all year around and chives that despite being hacked back once a year and pretty much left to themselves the rest, are back once again for the 5th year.
Love chive flowers to cook with or for salads-bit of a theme here where a bit of everything goes into our salads lol.

ali x

peasantboy

Kay_Peel wrote: »

You may be lucky with plants from a supermarket but they are notoriously short-lived. Personally, I'd go to a garden centre and look in the herb section for some strong plants of spearmint, applemint and peppermint. Avoid Pennyroyal mint - it was used in the past to induce abortions and there is still a general warning that it should not be eaten by women of child bearing years! :eek:

Someone on Ebay is selling some really interesting varieties that sound delicious. You may like the idea of going for varieties that you can't get in the shops:

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/DUNMORE-PERENNIALS__W0QQ_sidZ106203754?_nkw=mint&submit=Search

Mint is a strong grower - you only have to break off a piece of root and stick it in a pot of soil it to make another plant. I grow it in bottomless pots that have been sunk into the ground with just the pot-lip showing. If I didn't grow it that way it would just take over the bed and push out all the other plants.

Your idea of putting a few varieties in a trough is a very good one. They'll grow happily anywhere as long as they are not waterlogged and as long as they don't get too dry.

When you want to use the leaves, snip off the top growth with scissors. This will encourage the mint to produce more shoots and bush out. Don't, whatever you do, allow the plant to flower. The leaves will stop growing once it flowers so you have to snip them off as soon as you see them.

When the cold weather arrives in Autumn, move the trough to a wall, fence or other sheltered spot. The heat from the wall will take the chill off cold snaps and help protect your trough from the worst of the weather.

All the best:beer:

Thanks for the great post. I didn't realise there were so many different varieties of mint out there. I'm looking forward to trying the ones you suggested first. :j

peasantboy

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

I love mint and have several varieties. Some came from seed some from small plants (my local farm shop sells small herb plants and bedding plants over the summer). All in pots-essencial.

I love mint teas, mint in salads, minted new potatos etc etc. Pineapple mint is yummy in puds or salads, peppermint and spearmint are nice to eat as you sit in the sun as well as in dishes mmmmmmm.

I disagree about flowering, but ours are quite big and bushy. I love the flowers and added them to dishes as well-the bees loved them.

Mint is almost weed like in its way, will spread like mad, grows like crazy and would survive a nuclear bomb lol.

MIL tried hot oil out of a fryer once to kill some off (after loads of other attempts), still survived lol.

Mine stayed out in all the snow and frost and already are bushing up again.

Mind you think I am lucky with herbs I have a 3 yr old oregano plant outside which keeps coming back-looks lovely and bushy already, a massive bay bush we use all year around and chives that despite being hacked back once a year and pretty much left to themselves the rest, are back once again for the 5th year.
Love chive flowers to cook with or for salads-bit of a theme here where a bit of everything goes into our salads lol.

ali x

I usually have mint with pasta dishes, works so well with peas. I'm looking forward to trying home made choc+mint ice cream. I've never tried fresh mint tea before, i'll give that a go for sure.

My other fav herbs are rosemary and basil. Rosemary + garlic on a good steak is unreal. And I love basil sauces especially in a sandwich.

I think i've neglected the power of herbs when it comes to eating more vegetables, they make such a huge contribution to the flavour of dishes that it can be the difference between yea I can stomach this to wow, this is great.

LJM

ive tried growing it twice with no avail quite gutted really as it grows like wildfire in my nans garden

balloo_2

Planted my mint last year had it from ASDA there are different types of mint not sure if you know but colemans mint has a different taste than the others and thats why i bought the mint plant from asda it had a really nice smell to it (like colemans lol) Its growing quite happily in a large plastic urn when the stems got to high i bent them over gently and covered them with earth/compost mix and the stems will root and now its back happy as larry this year so i can look forward to chopping and freezing it again also i have never tried this but i was told to put the mint leaves in a brown paper bag and leave it in the fridge or freezer cant remember now and they dry out and will roll out really fine to store. christ my two index fingers are sore now. The only other thing i have to say to you is Mint is very temperamental the slightest change can upset it and it will die.

lolly5648

I have had mint in a pot for around 5 years - no idea which variety. In winter I just cut it all back and come spring it starts growing again. It is not watered or fed regularly and seems impossible to kill off.