Whether you’re planting some new seedlings, or tending to established plants, here are a few top tips for healthy mint.
- Best grown in pots – mint rapidly spreads its roots and can quickly take over. For this reason most people grow it in pots. If you would like to grow it in the ground, we’d recommend you sink a pot into the ground to contain it.
- Divide established plants – if you have some established plants growing in a pot, you may notice that the new seasons shoots appear only around the edges of the pot, with little growth in the centre. This is the way that mint grows and spreads, and eventually the centre of the plant becomes quite woody. It’s a sign that the plant needs to be divided. Upturn the pot, divide the rootball into 2 or 3 sections, and re-pot into fresh compost.
- Don’t put mint roots straight on the compost pile – they will soon take over! If you have more mint plants than you want, think about potting some up for friends. If not, put the roots in a bucket of water and drown them for 2 weeks before adding.
- Cut them back after flowering – in the summer, after they have flowered, cut them back to 5cm above ground level and you should get a second growth of fresh mint leaves before they die back for the winter.
- Remember to water them – mint needs a good amount of moisture, but many gardeners often forget to water it! You’ll get much healthier looking mint if you give it a drink every so often!!