Mint Pest

Robm1955 · 12 August 2018 at 3:58PM

I have 5 different varieties of mint in pots, and despite the hot weather, most are surviving. A couple of them though, mainly the common garden mint, have gone a little yellow, even though they were watered, and it looks as though something has been nibbling at the leaves. We have slug traps down, but that's all I can think it could be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to use pesticides if I can avoid it..

Davesnave · 13 August 2018 at 1:35AM

By this time of the year, mint in pots may start to get overcrowded at the roots and the visible bits begin to look tired. I usually let most of mine flower before hacking them back, because I like to see tiny mint moths if there are any about. Mint attracts hoverflies too.

But there will be at least one pot by now that's already had a haircut, so when I do the others, I'll still have mint for my potatoes. There may well be a couple of pots where I've split the clump, taken the outer new bits and re-potted. Two years undisturbed is long enough for any mint in a pot.

As for what's eating them, I don't know. Vine weevils chew semi-circles from the edge of many leaves, so they're a possible cause.

Daisymaisy · 13 August 2018 at 9:11AM

Blue mint beetle? The RHS have an ongoing survey to track it’s spread. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=768.

malebolge · 13 August 2018 at 10:11AM

Davesnave wrote: »

By this time of the year, mint in pots may start to get overcrowded at the roots and the visible bits begin to look tired. I usually let most of mine flower before hacking them back, because I like to see tiny mint moths if there are any about. Mint attracts hoverflies too.

But there will be at least one pot by now that's already had a haircut, so when I do the others, I'll still have mint for my potatoes. There may well be a couple of pots where I've split the clump, taken the outer new bits and re-potted. Two years undisturbed is long enough for any mint in a pot.

As for what's eating them, I don't know. Vine weevils chew semi-circles from the edge of many leaves, so they're a possible cause.

Do you manage to have mint all year round? I trim my pots, and split them, but do find that I've no fresh mint in the winter months. I dry it, but it's not the same. Any tips?

Davesnave · 13 August 2018 at 10:22AM

I think we could have mint 12 months of the year because we have a frost free conservatory, but we're not always thsat organised! Quite mild down here too, most of the time, but of course The Beast From the East caught us out, big time.

malebolge · 13 August 2018 at 11:04AM

Davesnave wrote: »

I think we could have mint 12 months of the year because we have a frost free conservatory, but we're not always thsat organised! Quite mild down here too, most of the time, but of course The Beast From the East caught us out, big time.

I think I need to be more organised too. I've got a frost free conservatory - a huge one that's gradually being turned into another space for plants. Got 15 peppers and 12 tomatoes in one part atm. It was used loads when there was a houseful, but now there's just me and my manic cat, I tend not to use it so much, apart from gardening purposes. Stupid house, really, for one person, specially as I'm restricted to sticks/a wheelchair, but I love it so am gradually adapting it. DD wants fresh mint for her mojitos so I'll definitely make the effort to bring plants in earlier this year. Might stop her from nagging me to get rid of things - got told off for keeping the 12 seater table in there as I use it for seeds. Might be more amenable if I have mint on there. In my defence, I have got rid of the piano ...:D

Robm1955 · 13 August 2018 at 1:32PM

malebolge wrote: »

Do you manage to have mint all year round? I trim my pots, and split them, but do find that I've no fresh mint in the winter months. I dry it, but it's not the same. Any tips?

This is what I was advised the other year by DaftyDuck, nearer winter, and it worked

Chop them down to ground level (a month ago would have been ideal, but now is OK). Since they are in pots, turn them upside-down, and finger-rake the debris off the soil and stems... you can be quite rough.

They'll overwinter quite easily. Try not to let them get too wet, and never stand in water. Keep the growth small and low over winter, and they should shoot like rockets early next year. Top dress the pot with soil in spring (you can brutally chop the bottom inches off the root ball if needed), or simply repot a few stems into a new pot (my favoured method, but chuck the remaining roots out, not on the compost heap!)

Robm1955 · 13 August 2018 at 1:36PM

Thanks for all the replies. Don't think it could be blue mint beetle, as the leaves are being eaten in the centre of the leaf, and not from the inside. It's not a vast amount that's being eaten really, but I don't want it to get worse. And, I haven't seen any of them flower.

Mint Pest

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