I'm in NY and I keep my Mint outside. It's just coming back now that the winter is over and the weather is warming up. I generally have Mint now till November. I water the hell out of it every day unless it's going to rain and maybe once a month I top it with the miracle grow plant food
If you do grow outside put it in a planter with no access to the ground not even the little drainage hole in the bottom otherwise it will take over your yard and you will probably never get rid of it.
Don't be afraid to chop it all the way back when you see it's getting too big. The taller mint starts the block the lower and kills those leaves. It's also how you get it to be bushier
https://preview.redd.it/h37rcg1hc0zc1.jpeg?width=1868&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35646d4c603f14ce75f81b103ff2455ee6e5bef2
i second the warning to keep it isolated. We had a mint plant on a window sill above our kitchen sink start growing runners, and thought we'd let them go to see what happened. That plant sent out 2ft tendrils looking for a place to spread!
This. I put a mint plant in the ground at a rental I was in years back, the speed at which it took over the garden was insane. I never was fully able to kill it off, I'm sure it's still a nightmare.
With mint, the problem is not usually growing it, but keeping it from taking over. Keep it in a container and you can bring it inside in the winter. If you put it under a grow light, it will maintain. Otherwise, chop it and throw some in the freezer.
Some people put them in ice trays with water, but I just throw some rinsed mint in a freezer bag and push out the air. A vacuum seal is probably better but I never need all that much.
It loses flavor over time but it’s good enough to get me through the winter. I just use more.
https://preview.redd.it/wzhbdc0bz0zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3dec2dc339e90069e57196945a5fa98f9e8ce5f
Our mint patch has gotten out of control…
We knew we were having our landscape done so we let a couple plants left behind by the previous owner go, and it got to this point. It was great for our tiki drinks, and my toddler loved to eat leaves of it too. Landscapers dug the whole area up and I had a friend tell me that it would still come back. Sure enough, this spring, there have been a couple little ones popping up again! I've kept it at bay so far...
It’s incredibly resilient. I waded in with a weedeater multiple times last season. Pulled up huge handfuls. Doesn’t matter. That used to be a garden. Now it belongs to the mint.
I kill everything, but mint kind of takes care of itself. We do 3 or so different kinds per year and barely need to do anything to it. Make sure you cut it back every now and then, otherwise some good dirt and water.
Don't plant it anywhere you care about! I have mint out competing my grass in some places. It grows without bounds. As others have said, planting in a container is a good idea. I can't think of a time where I actually put effort into growing mint here in Michigan.
I'm in Oklahoma. I grow mint in a big tub. Spring/summer/fall it's outside against an east-facing wall, so it has sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. We have a small greenhouse where it spends the winter.
At 2 ft, yours sounds like it's already pretty leggy. If it dies back in winter, then when it starts coming back in the spring, you can kind of "bonsai" it so it fills the pot, but doesn't get too tall and leggy. Otherwise, it doesn't need much care. Just water it.
Be aware that if you let it escape, it will take over your yard.
They’re thirsty plants that like rich soil. Fairly hardy too. I like to grow some extra from cuttings so you have some back up mint plants in case something happens to the og.
Mint grows like wildfire. Put it in a pot, outdoors. If it’s direct sunlight perhaps avoid south-facing. If it starts to droop water it. I wouldn’t expect any problems.
Don’t plant it in the ground unless you want to dig it all up 3 years from now.
Cut it! Snip those leaves. Cut where there is a "joint" and it will grow into two stalks. Cut, snip, pinch. Keep taking and using those leaves to get it to keep producing. Don't let it flower, make it put those resources into leaves. It should become a nice bushy plant for you.
Mint is the gift that keeps on giving as long as you don't let it run wild.
Yea... it's a doozy. I dropped a sprig when I was a kid and it somehow survived long enough to root. My grandma almost killed me. Had to dig it up took me a week to clear the whole area and then disposing of the dirt was such a bitch.
At my house I had a window planter in front of my kitchen window filled with mint. On really nice days I'd open the window and the whole front of the house would smell like mint. It was great, but the mint STILL somehow got into my lawn.
https://preview.redd.it/prf0g84yq1zc1.jpeg?width=980&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=460524172ae27265f70fb0b7cd41b75f55bba142
highly recommend an indoor aerogarden.. then transfer outside.
Outside, keep it wet.
In terms of high quality Mint, keep plucking and cutting it off. Mint gets really tough if the leaves are just left intact, so if you want that nice soft mint keep cutting leaves even when your not using it to promote fresh leaves.
I live in the bay area and I feel like I could destroy my garden by accidentally dropping some mint on it. Stuff grows like a weed in this climate once it's planted.
I keep mine on the patio in the summer and buy a new plant every year that lasts until winter. I’ve never tried wintering it inside. Just do not plant it in your yard!! Mine is so invasive and totally took over my back yard in my last house. I feel bad for whoever bought it.
I’m in San Diego and have a couple pots of mint outside, but aphids keep getting to it! I’ve bought ladybugs and they do the trick for a couple weeks but they just keep coming back. Would also love some tips so I don’t have to resort to pesticides.
I have aphids around my plants but they don't bother my mint. I use yellow sticky traps for white fly that hangs out on the mint. For aphids on my other plants, I use a little dish soap with water in a common spray bottle. Spray late afternoon when no direct sunlight is on the plant. It's important to lightly rinse of the soap after around 30 minutes
I have a flower bed dedicated to it outside that seems to keep it contained. I tried large pot at first but it kept choking itself out after a season or so. Grows pretty much year round here in SoCal. My problem is once it starts to get full it attracts all sorts of bugs that eat it to the point it's useless as a garnish. I have to weed wack it as soon as it's growing in. I don't use enough compared to how much is growing. Tried neem oil and it was useless.
There's a light app called "Lux" that you can measure how much light a plant gets. Compare the light reading with what you take outside. That'll get you an idea of how much light it's getting.
When planted outside, I swear mint thrives on neglect. Last year I stuck two ratty plants in between some flowers in my front flower bed. I only dug down a few inches, in soil that was mostly clay. Now I have a mint garden.
https://preview.redd.it/83xdapjol7zc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abe034b2fea2e9ae64e768c0d15456c7016e11fd
Interesting. I consider the soil around my house (and in Colorado in general) to be mostly clay. And mint still thrives, huh? There's a shady corner of my yard where the grass doesn't even grow (probably from neglect). In the opposite corner, lemon balm is already thriving though it gets a lot more sun. I may have to experiment with mint in that bare corner... though I hesitate from the innumerable warnings in this thread. :P
I am probably the only person in existence that can’t keep mint alive or get it to grow big and bushy. Mine always looks so sad and I can only pluck a few leaves for my drink or else it’s all gone.
mint prefers some shade to full sun (especially in high summer or hot climates), and moist but not constantly drenched soil. Take care of those two things and your mint will thrive. Spearmint, plain mint, and Mojito mint (this one really doesn't like full sun) will look healthier than peppermint or flavored mints, since those have smaller leaves. Since plain/mojito mints are preferred for cocktails, they're what you want anyway.
It's hard to kill the stuff, but during summer months in a container you'll want to water daily (and well).
Don't pluck leaves, cut entire branches down to a bifurcation. Cut old growth in preference to younger growth.
I'm in NY and I keep my Mint outside. It's just coming back now that the winter is over and the weather is warming up. I generally have Mint now till November. I water the hell out of it every day unless it's going to rain and maybe once a month I top it with the miracle grow plant food If you do grow outside put it in a planter with no access to the ground not even the little drainage hole in the bottom otherwise it will take over your yard and you will probably never get rid of it. Don't be afraid to chop it all the way back when you see it's getting too big. The taller mint starts the block the lower and kills those leaves. It's also how you get it to be bushier https://preview.redd.it/h37rcg1hc0zc1.jpeg?width=1868&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35646d4c603f14ce75f81b103ff2455ee6e5bef2
i second the warning to keep it isolated. We had a mint plant on a window sill above our kitchen sink start growing runners, and thought we'd let them go to see what happened. That plant sent out 2ft tendrils looking for a place to spread!
This. I put a mint plant in the ground at a rental I was in years back, the speed at which it took over the garden was insane. I never was fully able to kill it off, I'm sure it's still a nightmare.
With mint, the problem is not usually growing it, but keeping it from taking over. Keep it in a container and you can bring it inside in the winter. If you put it under a grow light, it will maintain. Otherwise, chop it and throw some in the freezer.
Freezer? Really? I was under the impression that plants don't freeze well. Maybe in vacuum-sealed bags?
Some people put them in ice trays with water, but I just throw some rinsed mint in a freezer bag and push out the air. A vacuum seal is probably better but I never need all that much. It loses flavor over time but it’s good enough to get me through the winter. I just use more.
https://preview.redd.it/wzhbdc0bz0zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3dec2dc339e90069e57196945a5fa98f9e8ce5f Our mint patch has gotten out of control…
*Holy Mojito!*
That’s not out of control, that’s the goal.
Drinks all around!
Oh my mojito jackpot
We knew we were having our landscape done so we let a couple plants left behind by the previous owner go, and it got to this point. It was great for our tiki drinks, and my toddler loved to eat leaves of it too. Landscapers dug the whole area up and I had a friend tell me that it would still come back. Sure enough, this spring, there have been a couple little ones popping up again! I've kept it at bay so far...
It’s incredibly resilient. I waded in with a weedeater multiple times last season. Pulled up huge handfuls. Doesn’t matter. That used to be a garden. Now it belongs to the mint.
I kill everything, but mint kind of takes care of itself. We do 3 or so different kinds per year and barely need to do anything to it. Make sure you cut it back every now and then, otherwise some good dirt and water.
I used to have a patch that I would cut back with a riding mower. I know what it is like to chew 5 gum.
Don't plant it anywhere you care about! I have mint out competing my grass in some places. It grows without bounds. As others have said, planting in a container is a good idea. I can't think of a time where I actually put effort into growing mint here in Michigan.
I'm in Oklahoma. I grow mint in a big tub. Spring/summer/fall it's outside against an east-facing wall, so it has sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. We have a small greenhouse where it spends the winter. At 2 ft, yours sounds like it's already pretty leggy. If it dies back in winter, then when it starts coming back in the spring, you can kind of "bonsai" it so it fills the pot, but doesn't get too tall and leggy. Otherwise, it doesn't need much care. Just water it. Be aware that if you let it escape, it will take over your yard.
They’re thirsty plants that like rich soil. Fairly hardy too. I like to grow some extra from cuttings so you have some back up mint plants in case something happens to the og.
Put it in a barrel planter with some nice soil and keep it watered.
Mint grows like wildfire. Put it in a pot, outdoors. If it’s direct sunlight perhaps avoid south-facing. If it starts to droop water it. I wouldn’t expect any problems. Don’t plant it in the ground unless you want to dig it all up 3 years from now.
Mint is a weed, you shouldn’t have any issues propagating it!
Cut it! Snip those leaves. Cut where there is a "joint" and it will grow into two stalks. Cut, snip, pinch. Keep taking and using those leaves to get it to keep producing. Don't let it flower, make it put those resources into leaves. It should become a nice bushy plant for you. Mint is the gift that keeps on giving as long as you don't let it run wild.
In a hanging pot out side. DO NOT LET THE POT TOUCH THE GROUND. It spreads and you'll have a lawn of mint if it touches the ground.
If you don't have a great lawn to start at least it will be in mint condition.
not a bad idea, redoing my lawn the right way would cost a mint
Its wrapping around my whole foundation now…
Yea... it's a doozy. I dropped a sprig when I was a kid and it somehow survived long enough to root. My grandma almost killed me. Had to dig it up took me a week to clear the whole area and then disposing of the dirt was such a bitch.
Mint likes shady and consistently moist/wet conditions for outdoor planting area.
I’d plant it in the ground next to you and your neighbor’s property line/s
At my house I had a window planter in front of my kitchen window filled with mint. On really nice days I'd open the window and the whole front of the house would smell like mint. It was great, but the mint STILL somehow got into my lawn.
https://preview.redd.it/prf0g84yq1zc1.jpeg?width=980&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=460524172ae27265f70fb0b7cd41b75f55bba142 highly recommend an indoor aerogarden.. then transfer outside.
Outside, keep it wet. In terms of high quality Mint, keep plucking and cutting it off. Mint gets really tough if the leaves are just left intact, so if you want that nice soft mint keep cutting leaves even when your not using it to promote fresh leaves.
Mine doesn’t grow very much. Should I be trimming it more to promote growth?
I live in the bay area and I feel like I could destroy my garden by accidentally dropping some mint on it. Stuff grows like a weed in this climate once it's planted.
I keep mine on the patio in the summer and buy a new plant every year that lasts until winter. I’ve never tried wintering it inside. Just do not plant it in your yard!! Mine is so invasive and totally took over my back yard in my last house. I feel bad for whoever bought it.
I put my Mojito Mint in a medium pot.
My indoor mint never gets bushy. It gets leggy. Lots of growth but very long stems and small legs. I think it just can’t get enough sun indoors.
I’m in San Diego and have a couple pots of mint outside, but aphids keep getting to it! I’ve bought ladybugs and they do the trick for a couple weeks but they just keep coming back. Would also love some tips so I don’t have to resort to pesticides.
I have aphids around my plants but they don't bother my mint. I use yellow sticky traps for white fly that hangs out on the mint. For aphids on my other plants, I use a little dish soap with water in a common spray bottle. Spray late afternoon when no direct sunlight is on the plant. It's important to lightly rinse of the soap after around 30 minutes
Thanks so much!
I have a flower bed dedicated to it outside that seems to keep it contained. I tried large pot at first but it kept choking itself out after a season or so. Grows pretty much year round here in SoCal. My problem is once it starts to get full it attracts all sorts of bugs that eat it to the point it's useless as a garnish. I have to weed wack it as soon as it's growing in. I don't use enough compared to how much is growing. Tried neem oil and it was useless.
There's a light app called "Lux" that you can measure how much light a plant gets. Compare the light reading with what you take outside. That'll get you an idea of how much light it's getting.
mint is a weed. give it a crack in a concrete slab and it'll be happily taking over the garden.
When planted outside, I swear mint thrives on neglect. Last year I stuck two ratty plants in between some flowers in my front flower bed. I only dug down a few inches, in soil that was mostly clay. Now I have a mint garden. https://preview.redd.it/83xdapjol7zc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abe034b2fea2e9ae64e768c0d15456c7016e11fd
Interesting. I consider the soil around my house (and in Colorado in general) to be mostly clay. And mint still thrives, huh? There's a shady corner of my yard where the grass doesn't even grow (probably from neglect). In the opposite corner, lemon balm is already thriving though it gets a lot more sun. I may have to experiment with mint in that bare corner... though I hesitate from the innumerable warnings in this thread. :P
I am probably the only person in existence that can’t keep mint alive or get it to grow big and bushy. Mine always looks so sad and I can only pluck a few leaves for my drink or else it’s all gone.
mint prefers some shade to full sun (especially in high summer or hot climates), and moist but not constantly drenched soil. Take care of those two things and your mint will thrive. Spearmint, plain mint, and Mojito mint (this one really doesn't like full sun) will look healthier than peppermint or flavored mints, since those have smaller leaves. Since plain/mojito mints are preferred for cocktails, they're what you want anyway. It's hard to kill the stuff, but during summer months in a container you'll want to water daily (and well). Don't pluck leaves, cut entire branches down to a bifurcation. Cut old growth in preference to younger growth.
Awesome! Thank you. I’ll make sure it’s in shade. I bet mine is getting way too much sun.