Mint
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Photo: Mint by Michelle Meiklejohn
Photo: Michelle Meiklejohn
“What is that tiny leafed seedling on the kitchen window sill?”
Danny peered at the teeny seedlings.
“It’s mint.”
“It doesn’t seem to be growing at all.”
Following the comments on yesterday’s post I will let you into a secret.
I can’t grow mint.
I know that for most people it is invasive.
“The mint just took over the garden. The roots were a nightmare!”
But not for me. When I moved into the cottage there was quite a lot of mint in the garden. It died out within a year or so. I’ve planted mint in the herb border and dotted about the garden. It looks fine for a while but when I go out to cut some mint the plants have vanished.
Even a very sturdy mint that The Chicken Lady and S gave me – a large soft leaved type struggled to survive and finally died this winter.
I love mint. I want to grow mint. But mint doesn’t like me. So I decided to try growing it from seed. It germinated quickly but it’s not thriving. The parsley, basil, coriander and thyme all are growing well. The mint remains hunched on the kitchen windowsill looking forlorn.
I’m not alone in my misery. I Googled “I can’t grow mint” and discovered that there are at least 8 other people in the world with the same problem. A rare and tiny minority of wannabe mint growers.
This summer I’ll try again and plant it in pots in the ground. I haven’t bothered with pots before. Perhaps the mint couldn’t handle the freedom?
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Well, I can’t grow thyme OR sage in my garden – and I have lost count of the number of those plants I’ve killed (bought grown and from seed). I thought I’d cracked it with a sage last year, but then it turned up it’s toes unexpectedly and was gone…. thyme is even worse. I’ve not managed a healthy mound for more than a few short weeks.
Not sure if this is better or worse, but I used to be able to grow mint… and now it dies. Except for the stuff on the kitchen window ledge, which still grows, but attracts lots of little flies. Grrrr!
I can’t seem to grow rhubarb in this garden! There’s always something…
Just thinking where our mint does well – it seems to be near paths and sheltered by the wall. Some in South-West facing bed some East facing around a sunny seat. Maybe the combination of leaves in the sun and roots cool and slightly damp under the paving slabs is the key? Worth a try.
Celia
I’m like that with chives. Everybody tries to give them away and even if they arrive healthy, they die instantly at the site of me:) Lavender too but I blame that on some unknown best that likes to eat the roots and leave the foliage. Nobody knows what that pest could be though. Maybe for you, its a matter of companion planting? Or maybe your soil is too good? If something grows wild, then I always think that it thrives on neglect. Such some ideas, not factual basis there.
All I can say is, you are not alone! I can’t grow mint either, and I’ve just got into the habit of buying a new plant from our local plant sale every year.
I have great trouble growing basil in open ground. I have to grow it in pots and then protect it from marauding possums – I live in Sydney.I also had trouble with mint last summer. I ended up having to put it in pots as well, which has been successful
I have just thrown away a pot of basil that had ‘given up’ and was not going to be resurrected. I can never grow basil in the garden, nor from seed, nor keep it alive for long it seems. Last year my parsley was stunning but it peaked early, bolted and that was that! I cannot recall if my mint pops up in my herb box every year…will keep an eye out this year – mine is in a large herb box/planter with other herbs, planted in it’s own pot in a sunny, but sheltered (rather than shaded) position. I love going in the garden, stuffing a glass tumbler full of leaves pouring over boiling water and then attacking it with a cocktails stirrer leaving the most wonderful aromatic mint tea. Good luck with it this year Fiona.
Again, I shall soon sow basil seeds. They will come up weak and scrawny and will come to nothing. Oh please let me be wrong this time. My friend made wonderful basil oil last year. I didn’t grow enough to put in a teaspoon!! Hey ho. I just might succeed this year.
Oh Fi.. you can have some of mine… there was a patch under the garden tap when we moved in… gets no sun at all really (maybe midday) and it was going to take over the place so I ripped it out & chucked a pile of it up the side of the shed – near the fence.. another shady spot… I mowed over 1 metre tall mint today up there… we have heaps of rain.
I cannot grow basil very well… I can buy seeding but I lose at least half & they straggle along them bolt to flower… I get just enough to use in cooking… forget seeds, they germinate but thats it…
BTW – I sent you a message via the contact button regarding my change of email address last month but I think it may have gotten lost?
My mint is running scared of the oregano. Seriously. I swear my oregano has an evil laugh and eyes off everything else as if they’re lunch. Periodically I go in and rip chunks of it up, or trim it with a lawnmower.
For me, it’s sage. I just can’t keep a sage plant alive. I’ve tried all different varieties, in all sorts of settings, and the end result is always the same – a few good months, a gentle decline and then sudden death. It’s even happened here in Croatia; soon after arriving I bought pots of thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano. Guess which one turned up its toes.
I planted some mint two years ago in a bucket in my raised bed in a vain attempt to stop it spreading. No chance. I am going to have to dig out the whole bed and gravel path. I can’t grow sage or thyme though. It must be the heavy cheshire clay soil. Rosemary does well in a large pot which I don’t water at all.
My mint never seems to thrive either, and already I can see my plant looking less than healthy! I’m so tempted to just plant it in the ground rather than it’s pot, though I’m not sure that would help much.
Hi Dozenoaks
We failed miserably with our thyme – it died every winter. Then Danny found a discarded bath in the village and we have grown thyme in it successfully for several years now. The frosty weather killed off one plant – that’s why I’m growing it from seed. Our sage does well in a dry stony border.
Hi Simon
That’s really strange. Did you move house?
Hi Magic Cochin
We were very lucky. I failed with rhubarb and then someone in the village gave us three healthy plants and they produce rhubarb until the first frosts.
I’m going to try your slab idea. Thanks very much for the tip!
Hi LindaM
Bad luck about the chives! Up until now I’ve planted mint in stony dry places so perhaps I’ve just been too unkind to it.
Hi Allotment Blogger
Welcome to the wanagrowmint club!
Hello Heather
I grow Basil in pots in the greenhouse and it does well. But if I bring it into the cottage it keels over. Egged on by you I’ll try mint in a pot this year too.
Hi Cookie Girl
That’s interesting. We failed with parsley too until Danny got the herb bath. Parsley likes a lot of water so we just water the parsley and the thyme is left alone. We protected the parsley with cloches this winter and it has survived.
Hi Danast
Try growing it in the greenhouse. Mine was a success last year.
Hi Belinda
I’m so envious
I don’t think that basil would survive in the ground here as it would be eaten by pests.
I’m sorry but I didn’t get your email – could you possibly send it again.
Hi Freya
Our oregano does very well and self seeds everywhere to!
Hi Bib
Bad luck about the sage. Ours grows well – just the ordinary one. Danny hates sage so it will be going into the posies!
Hello Delbee
That’s interesting. Thyme only worked for us when we put it in the herb bath. It died in pots and in the ground and I so wanted a little thyme hedge.
We grow rosemary in a large pot and rarely water it. I’m amazed that it survives.
Hi Cara
Bad luck on the mint front. I’m determined to crack this problem. Perhaps this summer I’ll be lucky
I think this means we were meant to be soulmates in some weird karmic gardening way because, for years and years, mint was the only thing I *could* grow.
Hi Tamar
I’m trying growing Brandy Wine tomatoes this year as you did well with them last summer!
hahaha this made me laugh,I cant grow it either,I have killed every mint plant I have gone near. I hear it grows fast,spreads etc etc yet for me I pick it for Pimms yipppe! potatos,sauce,tea everything I can,next thing I am hovering around the plant seeing if theres even ONE leaf I can swipe,then next thing its dead………………
I outminted another one I howl to the skies!
GTM x x