How to contain mint?

Mine keeps spreading. Is their a soil barrier I can put in to keep it in line?

I used to live about 10 miles from North Judson, the self-proclaimed mint capitol of the world. When they did want mint to spread, they potted it. The roots tend to gorw under most lawn edge type barriers and it can get quite invasive.

Or you could send me some and I will pot it and sell it at the (now) 2 farmers markets I attend.

There's an article about it in the April issue of OG, page 36.
You guys have all scared me with all the stories about mint going crazy so I planted mine in 2 big flower pots!

I just bought a plant that I thought was variegated sage, looked very much like it. But after I planted it I realized that the sign on it said "pineapple mint." Very pretty, but is this going to be a monster?

I've planted mint inside an old metal coffee can with the top and bottom cut off and had great luck keeping it contained. I guess this means if you use a barrier between 8-10 inches (20-25cm) tall and completely bury it, you should be able to contain it. I need to do this again at the new place . . .

Concrete! lol

Seriously, though, that's how I contain mine. I have it in a flower bed, with the house on one side, and concrete surrounding it.

I should have enough this year, though it's not quite that full yet!

Dave

You could put it in a flower bed near your house and just let it go, pulling up runners when you notice them crawling through the window! Or, You could plant it in a wide, not too deep terracota pot and sink it in the ground. (It will still crawl on top of the soil). One of the wonderful bonuses of weeding mint is that it rewards you with a delightful scent. You can trim it often with scissors.
Basically, it does have to be kept under control.

quote:

Originally posted by allenwrench:
How to contain mint?

Mine keeps spreading. Is their a soil barrier I can put in to keep it in line?

quote:

Originally posted by ericah:
There's an article about it in the April issue of OG, page 36.
You guys have all scared me with all the stories about mint going crazy so I planted mine in 2 big flower pots!

I wish my fruits and veggies grew like mint and Japanese knotweed ... but then the world would be covered by stinking mess of rotting food I guess?

I only grow walker's low catmint because it is supposedly non-invasive. I've had mine 3 years and it's only spread about 4 inches. But I don't think you can use it as an herb, which makes it just an ornamental. Does anyone know if this can be used as an herb.

Lemon balm has been my invader. I pulled it all out and this year I have three patches of it, after none at all last year. It grows where nothing else will get established. It is a type of mint, I think. So, I'm going to try digging it out and keeping one by containing it some how. But it seeds prolifically, so I think a planter on the patio will be the only option.

M

M

Amen, MaggieZ about Lemon Balm.. It starts out all nice because it doesn't spread by roots or runners like Mint does. But it seems to be able to grow in the deepest shade (which is okay with me) but it goes to seed and comes up where ever those seeds get blown! I had it come up in the middle of that garden down by the walnut trees and the closest other plant was 30-40 feet away!

I agree with others that Concrete is the best way to contain mint. What you could do is buy those concrete edging pieces and make a circular bed and contain it that way. That has worked for me. I let the edging come up above the bed by about 4 inches or so. Here a lot of mint's progress in spreading depends on how wet it is. Also how deep the shade is, effects mints in my experience. I lost Orange mint to deep shade under a white pine tree (the lemon balm survived). My peppermint in the front yard only grows in the area that gets the most sun. (the front yard faces North). The peppermint is also held in check by the concrete of the sidewalk and the driveway

Actually... we had those cross ties lining the back fence, the the cross ties kept the mint from escaping. THose non treated wood landscaping timbers should work. A lot has to do with how high and how thick the restraining material is.

I am growing several different kinds of mint in pots. The mint I'm most worried about spreading is the curly mint because it seems to triple itself every week. I have it sitting high above the ground but under dappled shade. I also have chocolate mint that is growing quickly. I wish my pineapple, mint julep, and grapefruit mints would grow a little faster. I use them fresh in teas so they get picked frequently. This week I'm planning to cut a lot of the curly mint to take to work for my coworkers.

I'm wondering if the mints will go completely dormant in the winter or will I see mint everywhere next spring as the snow thaws? I'm already trying to think of something to do with all my pots of mint in the fall. Maybe I could bury them in boxes filled with packing peanuts or something and put the boxes in the far corners of the garage.

Here in ZOne 6.. Mint goes completelhy dormang from Novembe until at Least Feburary.. Depending on the wether. It stayed dormant until mid March because of the cool weather.

The 2 things to know about mint plants..

They spread by their roots/runners. Not by seeds.

They need direct sunlight and lots of wet roots to survive.

Hi all, I'm a total newbie.

Someone told me about mint. I'm glad, too, because I would've planted it, and it would've taken over everything!

I can think of much worse things to take over the yard, however.

This seems like a delightful forum. I'm excited to just be getting started, and thanks for the tips!

Welcome to the board, Michelle, and happy gardening!

Dave