# Mint



## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

I bought a bunch of mint for the mushroom challenge and it was starting to wilt before I could use it.  I cut off the ends and stuck it in a glass of water.  Took the leaves off I needed and spaced out on it.  Tonight I took a good look and it's grown about 2 inches and it has rooted.  Trust me when I say I have a brown thumb...will I be able to plant this out side when it gets warmer?  I do have a couple of pots out there I try to grow flowers in off and on. Does mint need shade or sun?


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 4, 2011)

Yes Fi, but plant it in a pot, mint is a right bugger to control it grows better and faster than weeds.


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## cmarchibald (Mar 4, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Yes Fi, but plant it in a pot, mint is a right bugger to control it grows better and faster than weeds.


Yeah not for me it doesn't.  I killed my plant in 2 weeks.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 4, 2011)

cmarchibald said:


> Yeah not for me it doesn't. I killed my plant in 2 weeks.


oh dear, I will call you Agentorangebald from now on


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## DaveSoMD (Mar 4, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Yes Fi, but plant it in a pot, mint is a right bugger to control it grows better and faster than weeds.



What Bolas said..IN A POT!!!!!!  A large one.  If it escapes and takes root in your yard you will have a very hard time getting rid of it.


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## Zhizara (Mar 4, 2011)

It likes a sunny spot.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> What Bolas said..IN A POT!!!!!! A large one. If it escapes and takes root in your yard you will have a very hard time getting rid of it.


 

Not my yard, think my landlord would disown me?  We had the birdseed fiasco a couple of years ago...yard was sure green right there!

I have two pots, one on each side of our window, on the small patch of concrete called a patio.  It gets lots of hot sun...I'll just have to remember to water them.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Yes Fi, but plant it in a pot, mint is a right bugger to control it grows better and faster than weeds.


 
Thanks, Bolas...pot it is.  I'm not taking any bets on how long it takes me to kill it!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

cmarchibald said:


> Yeah not for me it doesn't. I killed my plant in 2 weeks.


 
I bet mine doesn't make it outside...we are still getting daily snow, so I have to nurture it inside for a while still.



Zhizara said:


> It likes a sunny spot.


 
It's a good and sunny spot, when we have sun!  Thanks, Z! XOXO


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 4, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Not my yard, think my landlord would disown me? We had the birdseed fiasco a couple of years ago...yard was sure green right there!


Ah the old bird seed defence! yes your honor I do understand but I am totally innocent, my pet shops is at fault for selling it.


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## GB (Mar 4, 2011)

I have my mine in a whiskey barrel under an oak tree in 100% shade and it does great there. Mint is one of the easiest things to grow. It next to impossible to kill.  

My grandmother planted one small mint plant outside years ago. It ended up spreading and growing THROUGH a cement stoop. It actually cracked right through the middle and destroyed the stoop. 

Plant it in a container and don't give it another thought. Even with your brown thumb you are almost certain to have a big pile of mint in no time even if all you do is plant it and forget about it.


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## Alix (Mar 4, 2011)

I must respectfully disagree with Zhizara. Mint prefers partial sun or shade. Enjoy!!!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Ah the old bird seed defence! yes your honor I do understand but I am totally innocent, my pet shops is at fault for selling it.


 
We had everything coming up in the yard, including Sunflowers...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

GB said:


> I have my mine in a whiskey barrel under an oak tree in 100% shade and it does great there. Mint is one of the easiest things to grow. It next to impossible to kill.
> 
> My grandmother planted one small mint plant outside years ago. It ended up spreading and growing THROUGH a cement stoop. It actually cracked right through the middle and destroyed the stoop.
> 
> Plant it in a container and don't give it another thought. Even with your brown thumb you are almost certain to have a big pile of mint in no time even if all you do is plant it and forget about it.


 
That's why Mom always tries to keep it away from the house.  LOL!  I have no shady spots, I get full sun all day long, it just switches sides of the building.  I'll plant it on the courtyard side, not the parking lot side.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 4, 2011)

Alix said:


> I must respectfully disagree with Zhizara. Mint prefers partial sun or shade. Enjoy!!!


 
How soon can I plant it outside, Alix?  As soon as the dirt in the pots thaws?


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## DaveSoMD (Mar 4, 2011)

Depending on the pot you may want to keep it off the patio/concrete.  If it heats up too much that heat will transfer up to the bottom of the pot and may be too much for the plant's roots.  If you have to, raise the pot up off the ground a few inches, that might help.  Mint in my experience likes some shade and does not like to have the roots too hot.  I have 2 HUGE pots of in here with peppermint, spearmint, and chocolate mint.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 4, 2011)

All the mint in my garden is from "grocery store" mint. I just trim the ends about 1 inch, plunk the mint in a jar, and wait 6-8 weeks. Once there are roots, I transplant the mint to a pot. I've been doing this for years with "grocery store" mint. And, the mint comes back the next year (perennials).


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## Alix (Mar 4, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> How soon can I plant it outside, Alix?  As soon as the dirt in the pots thaws?



Yep, as soon as its warm enough for planting stick it out there. You get peppermint or spearmint?


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 5, 2011)

DSM, when I was last in South Florida we went to a goverment botanical establisment, It was amazing,my kid brother who was with us is a RHS gold medal winner for growing orchids he could not believe it, they had a herb that tasted of dark chocolate, I grow chocolate cosmos, when it sunny the smell of chocolate is very strong


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Alix said:


> Yep, as soon as its warm enough for planting stick it out there. You get peppermint or spearmint?


 
I don't know...it's green!  I believe it is spearmint.  I think I may put it out of it's misery early and freeze it for future use.  It will roast to death in the sun on the patio and I have no place else to put it outside.  I have no yard space or shade to use.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for the advice eveyone!


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## DaveSoMD (Mar 5, 2011)

If it rooted in your kitchen then as a potted plant it should grow in your kitchen also.  Why not just pot up a small container of it and keep in doors?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> If it rooted in your kitchen then as a potted plant it should grow in your kitchen also. Why not just pot up a small container of it and keep in doors?


 
I'll try that, if I can keep the cats out of it.  I found shreds in the sink this morning.  Can you put mint in Kitten Teriyaki?


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## GB (Mar 5, 2011)

Catnip is actually a mint so no wonder they are loving yours.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

GB said:


> Catnip is actually a mint so no wonder they are loving yours.


 
You should see what they do to Basil...freak out!  So far they've only picked on the chives once.


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## GB (Mar 5, 2011)

I could never have anything growing in my house when I had cats. The worst was the aloe. Man did that cause a mess.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

GB said:


> I could never have anything growing in my house when I had cats. The worst was the aloe. Man did that cause a mess.


 
I think I'd rather be plantless...can't give up my kitties.    Kinda like having a two year old around all the time...even when I'm angry with them, some part of me is grinning about their cleverness!


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## GB (Mar 5, 2011)

I know exactly what you mean


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## taxlady (Mar 5, 2011)

GB said:


> I could never have anything growing in my house when I had cats. The worst was the aloe. Man did that cause a mess.



For some reason mine doesn't to bother the basil and parsley. Okay, I smelled basil on his breath once. 

The aloe is in a hanging basket. He even eats cut flowers.


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## Claire (Mar 5, 2011)

Princess, I've had mixed luck.  Sometimes I can't grow it like that to save my life .... but when I can, it will kill anything in its path!  I will say it loves "wet feet" and will thrive under a faucet that sometimes leaks, or under your roof's downspout.  I, too, grow it in pots set in the ground to exercise some sort of control over it.


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## Alix (Mar 5, 2011)

I have aloe going mental and the cats will occasionally leave fang marks in a frond or two. I speculate its when they feel a bit under the weather they chomp it. The new plant I got called "A Money Tree" has lovely little fang holes in every leaf within reach. Sigh. Brat cats!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Alix said:


> I have aloe going mental and the cats will occasionally leave fang marks in a frond or two. I speculate its when they feel a bit under the weather they chomp it. The new plant I got called "A Money Tree" has lovely little fang holes in every leaf within reach. Sigh. Brat cats!


 
I want to know who tried a bite of the rosemary...  Latte' eats roses.  I just found more mint dragged across the sink.  Someone is enjoying it.


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## Claire (Mar 6, 2011)

I had a dog who loved to smell herbs.  She'd go into my herb garden and stick her nose in there and just breathe heavily.  She also like the smell of ivy.


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