Mint grows like crazy and can easily take over your garden if grown in a raised bed or in ground garden. After all mint is a weed. You almost always want to grow mint in a container.
What you will need to transplant your mint into a container:
- Container filled with potting mix
- Mint plant
- Water
How to transplant the mint:
- Pour a little bit of water into the plastic container that the mint plant has been growing in.
- In the center of the container, dig a hole that is about the same size of the container that the mint has been growing in.
- Gently pop the mint out of the container that it’s currently in and lightly break up the block a little.
- Insert the mint into the hole that you dug and add a little bit of water.
- Cover up the hole with the soil and secure the mint plant.
- Add water to the container.
What are some of your favorite ways to use mint? Don’t say mojito, it’s not original.
I dry my peppermint and spearmint. We use it in soapmaking, foot soak teas and sometimes, I just boil it in a pot of water for a nice smell in the house.
Mint julep. Is that more original than a mojito?
Tea! Everyday as a garnish,breath freshener.You can probably add it to little bouquets of floral arrangements at meals,what a fresh smell with lovely splashes of green!
herbal vinegar infusions for my hair and skin. It’s fun to make.
p.s. even growing mint in a container isn’t a guaranteed control unless it’s placed on a solid non-earth surface. My dad had mint in a wood box container, on top of some brick paving. The roots sneaked out the bottom, through the cracks in the bricks and into the ground – sprouting mint all along the path around our roses and in the rose beds.
It all got ripped out when we re-landscaped the front yard, then popped up again a year later in a corner of a new flower bed :/
Believe it or not, any type of Italian dish, even spaghetti sauce. Anything calling for Herbs de Provence, add a little mint (but don’t go overboard) and it adds a little something.
BTW, I once live in a place where the mint had gone wild and practically taken over the yard (you’d smell mint while mowing). I took a maddox (like a pick) and tried digging up large swaths of it and the maddox got stuck in the ground to where I almost couldn’t extract the roots were so thick. Don’t plant in the ground for sure!
I make a simple syrup with it and then add the minty syrup to milk. Flavored coffee creamer without all the bizarre chemicals!
Please tell how you make the soap and foot soak teas. Please!?!?!
Slightly. Only slightly though.
Been loving it as a tea.
Do tell more about the herbal vinegar infusions. If my mint starts creeping anywhere, the landlord might get pissed.
That’s crazy!
Very easy to make at home and multi-purpose, do a quick google search and you will see lots of uses. I blogged about it once: http://marysgardeningendeavors.blogspot.com/2010/06/herbal-vinegar-hair-rinse.htmlYou have to keep an eye on how your hair and skin react. In the driest part
of winter the vinegar ended up cleaning off too much oil and I got dandruff for a couple weeks until I started alternating it with regular conditioner. In the summer it’s fine.
Also, not in the post because I didn’t notice it until a few weeks later, the excess vinegar that dripped onto my skin helped clear up pimples in a couple areas I’m prone to them. I have heard of people washing their face with vinegar or wine for clear skin. I sometimes soak up a little on a wash cloth and scrub an area of skin where there’s an outbreak for a few days, especially in summer.
And since I already used vinegar and water for some around the house cleaning like mopping and smudges on the wall, I sometimes add my herbal vinegar instead because the lavender or mint scent will stick around for a bit.
Haha, I think your mint will be sufficiently restrained 😉
Cool. Cool. Thanks for the tip. I’m seeing if I can make my own peppermint essential oil too.
Well, tea, of course. But I never really liked peas until I got brave and made a recipe that added mint to the peas. I couldn’t believe what a difference a little bit of mint made in the peas. I now love peas…if they have mint in them.
OH, I’ve gotta say I love Mary C’s idea for using it in vinegar! That will be on my to do list today. I make tarragon vinegar for use with chicken dishes so mint vinegar should be a snap. She’s right about your skin getting sensetive to it though. As for the soaps…well, lets just say that I’m sort of clumsy so using lye scares the bejeebers out of me. I just sprinkle the dried mint into melt and pour soap. There are plenty of talented soapers out there who make CPOP and other varieties and I’m sure some of them use mint. The foot soak teas are easy for anyone to do. Just mix up some Epsom salts, dried milk, ground oatmeal and dried mint together. Spoon a few tablespoons into a small muslin bag or even a square of muslin and tie it off with a rubber band. Toss it into a container of warm/hot water large enough for your feet and soak away! I tried making essential oils this year with orange peels and another batch with lavender. It didn’t turn out quite like I had hoped but it is still usable in house cleaning applications. I put it in my vinegar and water mix for a nice smelling all purpose cleaner.
Word. Thanks!
You can take store bought mint and it will root itself easily in soil. That way you can have more than one variety, like peppermint or spearmint, for a very low investment.
Also you want to cut off the flowers so it doesn’t send seeds all over the place and start weeds.
I also don’t do anything fancy like pinching it. If you cut some mint from the bottom of the stems, it sends up new mint from the soil. The new shoots are better than the old stuff.
I bought some Stevia and I’m not sure if you are familiar as it grows similarly to mint, just much larger.
Simple syrup = sugar and water?
Peas or teas…you confusing me!?!?
Thanks for those simple tips. Appreciated.
Believe or not I am having trouble keeping my mint alive. I have two large pots full of mint and it keeps dying or getting powdery mildew. I have put it in full sun, part sun, shade, watered it a lot, watered it less, let it dry out, cut it back, planted it with other herbs- nothing seems to work. I always end up with sick mint. 🙁 Any tips on a healthy mint plant? I feel like all I hear is how easy it is to grow and that it grows like a weed… mine NEVER does.
Hahaha. Hmmm…maybe it’s the soil. What are you using?
Compost soil from the garden store and a little bit of worm casings from the farmers market (I’m trying to produce my own worm casings but still waiting).
If you are just using compost, you might need something lighter. Might be too heavy. If there is a local hyrdoponics store, they usually have good container mix that’s organic.
Can I grow mint indoors during the winter? I live in Chicago so container gardening is good, but I would like to have fresh mint year round if possible.
Yes, you should be able to.
I bought several started plants from the gardening center today. I obtained several 5-gallon buckets and am working on figuring out the drilling & such. However, there are 4 plants per 4″ pot. The instructions on the pot say to just plant & go, but I’m wondering if it would be better to give them more space?
You can do either. Your choice.
How do you kill mint that has found its way into my retaining wall and lawn, without killing my lawn and plants, great if you could give my some advice
Not sure. I stick to container gardening.
I love fresh mint, i use it when i make sun tea. i put several leaves in with the tea bags. Gives it a lovely flavor.
I’ve got a few original uses for you to try. 1) Deodorant, 2) carpet/mattress freshener, and 3) breath freshener.
For breath freshener, simply pluck a leaf and chew it. My daughter thinks this is the best thing ever!
For carpets and mattresses, I dry the mint and other herbs (like lemon verbena and lemon balm) and grind them in a coffee grinder (you can also use a mortar and pestle, which Ikea carries for $10; or a pepper grinder). Then, mix about half and half with baking soda. Sprinkle on carpets, sofas, mattresses, etc. Let sit for an hour or overnight (doesn’t really matter), then vacuum up. Smells great and removes musty or icky odors.
For deodorant, take the leftover carpet freshener and mix it with non-GMO cornstarch (I used 3 T freshener and 2 T cornstarch). I added litsea cubeba essential oil (smells like lemon, but is not a photo sensitizer)…3 drops in my mix…completely optional. Apply with fingers (pat until area feels silky dry) or use a brush. A little bit goes a long way. Works like magic, even in the SoCal heat!
I use peppermint, spearmint (regular), and “chewing gum” spearmint. We are partial to the chewing gum variety for breath freshening.
If you are careful in the application, white vinegar will kill weeds so it should work on the mint. I’ve heard you can dilute it and it is still effective. I’ve only used it once and it worked for what I needed.
Bourbon Smash- like a mojito- but with bourbon and lemon. More original?
wonderful marinade with olive oil, garlic, lemon, and fresh oregano. Having it today!