Mint is an easy herb to grow and it comes in many different flavors along with the traditional peppermint and spearmint. There are mint plants flavored with chocolate, orange, apple, pineapple, basil, lavender, lemon, banana and more.
Some varieties are hardier than others, but all grow well in our climate. A few, like pineapple mint, must be potted up and brought indoors over winter.
Gardeners tend to have more problems getting rid of mint than they do getting it started. To give some perspective, our old nemesis creeping charlie is in the mint family.
Mints grow best with morning sun and afternoon shade, but that isn’t strictly necessary for good production. They like plenty of moisture, but again, they’ll do fine in a drier spot. In drier areas the leaves may be a bit smaller, but the aroma and flavor will be just as strong.
Because mint can be invasive, it is best grown in a pot sunken into the ground. It can also be grown in a bottomless #10 can. The container should be at least 10 inches deep to prevent the roots from spreading. Let the rim of the pot stick above ground at least an inch; otherwise roots will grow out the top and spread along the ground. Place mulch around the plant to hide the rim, but check periodically to make sure no stems are lying on the soil. Tiny roots will form along the stems where they touch the ground and then you’ve got an uncontained mint plant! Of course, mint can be grown in above-ground pots as well.
Frequent cutting keeps mints at their prettiest. It encourages stems to branch and makes the plants more lush and healthy. Plants in large containers should be divided and repotted every five years or so. Mint in smaller containers needs repotting every year.
Mints have pink or white flowers in spikes at the tops of the stems. Each flower is insignificant, but an entire plant in bloom is very pretty. For best flavor, harvest mint before it flowers.
Mint has few pests and diseases, the most common being rust. Remove the affected plant parts and dispose of them. Do not compost diseased plants. If the problem continues, move the plant to a sunnier spot.
Fresh use is best, but mint can be dried by tying a few stems together and hanging them upside down to dry. It can also be frozen. Chop leaves and cover with water in ice cube trays. When frozen, pop out the cubes and store them in freezer bags. Use the cubes to give a delicious mint flavor to drinks. Mint can also be used to flavor cookies, bread, cakes and hot or iced tea.
Besides smelling and tasting wonderful, mints repel garden pests like aphids, flea beetles, and various cabbage pests.
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