A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Anyone have a problem with mint?

Am I just an idiot, or is mint really hard to grow??

I am on my third packet of mint. Any tips?

You want cuttings for mint not seeds. But if you do try seeds remember mint likes to stay moist.

Amber,
Can you tell us what you've been doing for your
mint?
ie; dirt *kinds*, how you're watering?, light,
where you're starting them?
What kind of mint? Peppermint, Catnip, ???????

Spearmint the first 2 times, this packet just says "mint". How do I do it from cuttings??

I just used Miracle Gro, then watered like normal, nothing special.

Amber just use some plain dirt...
Mint is a form of a wild plant and resents
nice/fertilized dirt..
just find some garden dirt and mix in a little
bit of potting soil..

and don't really cover it too deep..
a rule of thumb is 2 times deep as wide as
the seed...and the seed in the "wild" wouldn't
even really be covered... the momma plant would
just drop it or flop it on the ground as it dries/dies...so that's how I would go by..

And if worst comes to worse.... plant it outside..
on some dirt right out on the ground..

Please keep us posted, would love to know if you get success!!!

i would just buy a plant if i were you this year. then you'll have it for the rest of your life! if you have a friend who has a plant just wait and take a few inches, pull all but a few top leaves off and set it in a little water for a few days till you see roots growing. then just plant it in dirt and it'll grow. that's how i got mine!

Yep that's how you do cuttings. The only thing I would add is not to keep it in direct light while it is rooting.

But buying the plant is the next best option if noone has the kind that you want near by.

Mint mutates so what you get from the seed isn't nearly as nice as what you get with a cutting or a plant that you buy from a reputable garden nursery.

Mint !! I love mint ! All mint ! Any mint !
I keep my mints in separate pots, one mint per pot.
I use potting soil, lotsa sun and lotsa water.
Mint never seems to want food but I give them a drink of Miracle Gro once in awhile.
When they make it known that they have outgrown their pots, I divide and replant.
None of my (very wise) neighbors wants a division, but the mint makes the trash smell nice until trash pick up day !

we have a pot that has been growing mint for about 5 years. we just leave it outside in bright sun, water it alot, and it comes back every year after dying back in the winter, nice healthy minty-ness!

Thanks for all the tips! My husband is Iranian so I will be requiring quite a lot of mint!

don't worry- it will grow and gorw and pretty soon you might even have too much! LOL my mom used to grow hers under the water faucet- the dripping kept it happy in hot south florida. i remember as a kid going and picking the biggest leaves we could find, my brother and i dipping them in melted chocolate, putting them in the freezer for a few minutes and then eating them as a snack! LOL

Actually, I started my mint from a plant. The only problem I had with my mint was that it became too invasive and I had to dig it up. Now I grow it in a container.

patches

I have peppermint in a pot that stays outside all the time. I thought it would smell great by the back door but unless you touch it you can't smell it.

You know, I have this sprawling bush under my outdoor faucet, and it smells just like mint. Leaves look that way too. I wonder ...

if is smells minty when you brush against the leaves, then it's probably mint.

if you've already got some growing, you really shouldn't need to do new plants. it spreads like wildfire!!

i've seen it growing in one spot and send shoots out that pop up 5 feet away after going under the concrete walkway!

It's just that I imagine in my head that mint grows like an herb - short and soft, etc. This plant is sprawling and uninviting, and looks really .... bushy, I guess. Plus it's got more branches than stems. I'm just really reluctant to stick it in my mouth!

Have you posted a picture of this Amber??

I love mint, can't get enough of it, wish I had fresh mint alllllll year long...

I read somewhere's, *and I can't give you the entire amount of info cause it's lost in my brain~drain*, but mint is one of the only herbs that can cross over the barriers in your brain..
something about a natural substance in the mint,
which is good for you and your brain, and it can pass thru and get results...*and get this, the good results is for memory..*
haaaaahahahaha..

Like I said, wish I could have it growing year round here...

If I can ever find where I heard/read it, I will definately post it here....

Sounds like you're not getting enough mint! hahaha

I just replaced my camera, as soon as it arrives I will post a pic!

Don'tchya know it!!! hehehehee

Great, lookin' forward to those pictures..
Keep us posted...

I can see that about mint, Weezie. I always feel happier and clearer when I close my eyes and breathe in mint. I bruise the leaves a bit first, just a gentle rub. Heavenly !
Could you grow mints year round in a sunny windowsill? Or even in water in a vase? I've done that.
I admit that peppermint is happier in soil, but it does stay alive in water. I'd give it a sip of food once in awhile.

Ahhhhhhhh that might work, If I had
any descent window space..

The only window space I have isn't accessable
and the kids would just mutilate anything I
had there if I did...
I have one tiny window in my kitchen :p :rolleyes:

Awwwwww...... The kids are more important than mints ! More fun too !

Mine are alot of fun... We do alottttt of stuff together...
And they are little for just so long...
I figure I got time later to do what I need to do..

But they don't like eating my mint in the backyard..
They do try it, which I think is half the battle.. but they end up spitting it out...

I can't believe that they are my kids,
I grew up on eatin' wild peppermint and spearmint.. geesh!
(*they must have been switched in the nursery*)

OH yes totally invasive. You can put it in fairly lg. pots and sink then within a few inches of the ground. They love the drippy faucet spot. If you grow different kinds I suggest ye keep them in seperate pots and deadhead the blooms before they go to seed. They cross breed easily and ye wind up with yuck. I like t chew on mint but like the kids I spit it out after a bit! lol