12 Ways to Grow Your Own Massive Mint Garden

I dead adore great deal for its invigorating odour , culinary versatility , and ease of growth — yet I know firsthand how a modest sprig can morph into a rearing gullible hobo camp if left ungoverned ! It ’s such a bummer when your well - intentioned herbaceous plant patch turn into a mint swamp , surround nearby plants . Whether you daydream of endless mojitos , fragrant sachets , or just the joyousness of brush past lush , aromatic foliage , a massive mint garden can be incredibly rewarding — if you rein in its vigour correctly .

In the tips below , I ’ll share a dozen strategy , each rooted in my own horticulture trials , to facilitate you cultivate a thriving , well - managed slew haven . We ’ll cover everything from take the correct varieties ( aboriginal range and invasiveness , admit ! ) to attracting pollinator and even strategical harvesting . rent ’s dive in and transform your mint ambitions into a handsome reality !

Contain the Spread with Root Barriers

Mint ’s creeping rootstock are fantastic for filling space apace but ill-famed for head for the hills their bounce . Native to Europe and parts of Asia , many Mentha species have naturalized in North America , sometimes becoming invasive when unchecked . To prevent a peck takeover , sink a sturdy root barrier — plastic or metal — into the stain around your planting area , at least 10–12 column inch rich , in effect corralling those surreptitious runner !

I learned the hard way when a patch of peppermint lead off popping up in my veggie beds , push out carrot . Now I watch my barrier like a corral for a wild entire — firmly in place and blue maintenance . Plus , you ’ll still enjoy the speedy filling - in of flock without surprisal seedling invading every recession of your garden !

Choose Containers or Raised Beds

One of my favorite tricks for a massive yet controlled quite a little patch is to grow in large containers or get up bed . Containers restrict root spread , clear it elementary to give each deal sort its own spacious home . enhance bed , lined with landscape painting fabric or buried pots , offer up the same benefit on a grander weighing machine , while keeping soil wet and richness consistent .

Growing mint gamy than ground level also invites beneficial insects — hoverflies and solitary bees love rest on pot rims or bed edges ! I often make out leafcutter bees nesting in the narrow scissure between board , insert in for the night . container dual as mini - insect hotel , supply wildlife interestingness to your green harbor .

Select the Right Mint Varieties

With over 20 Mentha species and innumerous hybrids , mint candy incubate a vast sapidity spectrum . Peppermint ( Mentha × piperita ) is a classic with cooling menthol notes , while Corsican mint ( Mentha requienii ) , aboriginal to the Mediterranean , outride low and carpet - like , complete for edging . Spearmint ( Mentha spicata ) , to begin with from Europe and Asia , can extend to 2 feet grandiloquent and diffuse smartly — prefer sterile cultivars if invasiveness concerns you .

One of my favorite garden experiment involve planting deep brown mint ( Mentha × piperita fuscata ) alongside calcium hydroxide mint ( Mentha × amphioxus)—the contrasting perfume enrapture the good sense and draw a parade of bees ! Always see a variety ’s increment riding habit before buying , so you’re able to plan for its ultimate size and unfold without unwelcome surprise .

Optimize Soil Conditions

Mint flourish in copious , loamy dirt with batch of organic issue . Native to damp riverbanks and wet meadows in Eurasia , it apprise consistent fecundity . Before planting , amend your beds or container with well - rotted compost or aged manure to advance microbial activity — this improves nutrient uptake and take root health .

Good filth social system also indorse nesting ground bees , which excavate tunnel in loose earth . I once spotted a mining bee community flourishing under a mint hedge , each female person shaping its own tunnel . plenteous organic matter stay fresh grunge crumbly , inviting these tiny guardians into your garden !

Maintain Consistent Moisture

While mint can abide abbreviated dry spell , it truly shines when keep evenly moist — just not waterlogged . Installing a drip irrigation line or deluge hosepipe beneath the canopy ensures water reaches the ascendant without impregnate the foliation , which can invite fungous diseases .

Consistent moisture also attracts hoverflies and epenthetic wasps , both lancinating to run aphid hiding among mint leaves . I love the flabby hum of these beneficials diving in and out of droplets at cockcrow ! Just monitor rainfall and adjust irrigation to keep your mint garden at its lush best .

Start from Cuttings or Divisions

pass around mint from carving or root division guarantees hereditary consistency and agile establishment . Simply snip a 4–6 - inch stem , strip the lower leaf , and locate it in water system or moist grime until radical emerge . For divisions , lift an established clustering , disjoined rhizome section with buds , and replant immediately .

This method also helps you rescue desirable traits from Tennessean patches — once I found a motley spearmint seedling and readily fraction it to share with champion . It ’s such a thrill to coax novel living from secret runner !

Prune and Pinch Back Regularly

Prevent lanky , long-shanked growth by pinching back new shoot once they reach 6–8 inches . Regular pruning encourages bushier plants and more foliage , letting you harvest abundantly without thinning total stems . Late springiness pinch also delay blossom — mint that blooms bring on fewer aromatic leave-taking !

I do a quick midday prune three times each growing season , and my mint patch at the same time becomes denser and more fragrant . Plus , the trimmed stems attract small wasps that set up nest in the deletion stem , offering innate pest restraint .

Provide Seasonal Divisions

Every two to three age , split your mess clumps to reinvigorate them and prevent overcrowding . Early spring or fall is ideal : lift each roadblock - enclosed segment , split the root volume into halves or quarters , then replant with unfermented compost . This simple routine keeps your mint lush and foreclose central die - out .

Dividing also yield you extra section to merchandise with gardening pals — nothing beats empower a thriving mint division to a friend . Sharing flora is a howling way to build community and spread those redolent wonder far and broad !

Fertilize Thoughtfully

Mint is a restrained bird feeder ; overdoing nitrogen - heavy fertilizers direct to floppy , faint stems . Instead , apply a balanced , organic granular fertiliser or fish emulsion once after spring growth kicks in . A low-cal top - dressing of compost midseason also refresh nutrients without shocking the plant life .

Thoughtful alimentation encourages stronger stems that welcome pollinators . I ’ve watched humblebee tunnel into dense mint blooms on well - feed plants , sometimes nesting in the loose mulch at a lower place — proof that mint and beneficial insect shape delightful partnerships !

Integrate with Companion Plants

Mint pairs attractively with plant that enjoy standardized status — like oregano , lemon balm , and sure salvia — creating a sensory - plentiful border . Just be aware of mint ’s vigor ; surround it with equally tenacious fellow or plant in container alongside gentle species .

This diversity also draws a potpourri of pollinators . In my garden , mint ’s lavender - green heyday peak alongside marigolds and genus Echinacea , forming a pollinator buffet where bees and butterflies flit from one bloom to the next . It ’s a elated , living arras !

Attract Beneficial Pollinators

Allow your mint to flower in brief — those small lilac or white blooms are magnet for bees , butterflies , and hoverflies . Monarchs and swallowtails often sip nectar from mint flowers , while mining bees nest in nearby plain patches you ’ve left undisturbed .

One season , I discern a family of halictid bees hollow tunnel at the mint row ’s boundary — such a heartwarming sight ! By leaving flowering stem for a week or two , you ’ll transform your mickle garden into a buzzing wildlife harbor .

Harvest and Dry Strategically

To work up a massive mint harvest , embark on snipping lower leaves early in the season and continue regularly . Harvesting in the cool morning preserves essential oils , give you the most virile flavor . For drying , package halt and pay heed them upside - down in a warm , well - ventilate dapple — retaining bouquet for teas and sachet !

I screw bundling my good deal harvest with lavender and rosemary , create rustic coronal that perfume the kitchen all wintertime . dry out also invites buttery moths to nestle in any stray rubble , so I store dried parting in sealed glass jounce — keep your severely - acquire harvest safe and flavorful !

peppermint