Managing a mint patch

16 years ago

Hi All - so as I had mentioned on another thread - 6 years ago bought a small potted mint and planted it.

We had just bought the house that winter, and planted it where the lady said the veggie garden was.....

anyhoo - no one had veggie gardened there for quite some time and my few plants were chocked out by weeds as I was involved in an accident that summer, then I didn't do anything for several years gardening -wise.

But that little mint chugged on year by year. I helped it out from time to time removing nearby weeds.

2 years ago - returned to gardening but several shrubs in that area made it inhospitable for veggies (tomatoes and such)...lilacs and roses of sharon and grape vines combine to give too much shade.....so I left it to the mint.

The mint is now an irregular patch of about 3-4 by 4-5 feet. I do use a lot of mint, and give it away to mojito loving friends. So I am aiming for a harvest of about 8-10 cups mint leaves per week.

How best to corral this mint, keep it looking good, and maintain the harvest goal? About how much square footage to allow the mint for 8-10 cups/week?

In rehabilitating this area, I've done some pruning to improve light, planted some strawberries, borage and sorrel, and want to plant some more weedy type greens, giving each their own little spot. I have some chickweed, and 2 kinds of purslane as seedlings in the house right now.

Any advice on arrangements and management of such a little weed field? It always was a weed field since we've been, but now I'm dictating edible weeds, and want it to look nice too.

Thanks for any thoughts on this....

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Comments (6)

fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Corral mint? Sorry, I don't think it respects any boundaries. Check through back posts on mint in this forum.

Even though mint can be vigorously harvested (though no more than 1/3 of the living plant material at a time), you need to give those plants time to regrow before harvesting them again so you would need quite a sizable patch to get 10 cups each week. How big exactly? I don't know. But large enough to allow 3-4 weeks of growth before reharvesting that section again.

FataMorgana
t-bird
Original Author
16 years ago
"But large enough to allow 3-4 weeks of growth before reharvesting that section again. "

Oh that's a good tip. I think I'll try to go for 2 or maybe 3 little patches. Then I can harvest one and move on to next and see how long it takes to move back to the first. If it is less than 4 weeks, I'll let them get a bit bigger. I think I'll circle flagstone around them to keep them to themselves and plant other herbs and greens on the other side of the flag stones.

I do want to have some go to flower for the beneficials, and my harvest schedule may prevent that. I'll have to think on this a little more.

Any advice on what plants/herb complement mint in growth for either or an aesthetic way?
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rosesnmint
16 years ago
T-Bird..mint is not going to be stopped by no flagstones...you know dandilions..mint is worse..it will grow egardless of what you want it to do..O.O It will spread..and it will not stop O.o
t-bird
Original Author
16 years ago
LOL - the mint that ate the garden?

I was wondering if ringing it with violets may help? They are tough ones with similar roots - but bulkier.

Mint is amazing - we don't need to take measures against it - we just need more recipes!!

I will be trying to make mint julep for the first time this year for mother's day. Yay mint - from salads to snacks to main course to teas to cocktails!

I love it in green smoothies. It's a great snack that fills and nourishes, without weighing you down. quick to make and clean up so you can get back out into the garden.

We just need more! :)
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
I often joke that the best way to retard or hamper the growth of a plant is to want it to grow and flourish so that you can harvest it!

FataMorgana
t-bird
Original Author
16 years ago
I've been going crazy for pineapple, mint banana smoothies lately - and pineapples on sale, 99 cent each at the local store.....

Been taking about 4 cups or mint a day. I'll just go with it and see what happens, my patch is irregular, about 5'by3'.

Maybe when I run out - I'll be sick of mint, or the pineapples will be back to 3.99/each....