Hey everyone! I recently moved into a rented place that has a garden filled with weeds. I planted some mint on the edge, but I've heard from a friend that mint can be super territorial and may spread all over my garden—and even into my neighbors' yards! It's not growing much at the moment, so I'm wondering if I should pot it right away. How fast does mint really spread? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Update: Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I'm potting it tomorrow. By the way, I don't hate my landlord, but we're not exactly best friends either.
3 Answers
Oh, it's definitely 'that bad'! From my experience, once it gets established, you'll find mint popping up all over the place. Containers are your best bet if you want to avoid a mint invasion! But on the bright side, it's easy to pull up if it does spread to spots where you don’t want it.
Yeah, mint can definitely spread quickly, and you often won't notice what's happening underground until it's too late. Keeping it in a pot is usually the safest option. At least you can control where it goes! Plus, it's really easy to pull up if it starts spreading too much. Just be warned; once you have it, it can be really persistent!
Totally agree! I've seen it take over areas before, so it's smart to keep it contained.
You can manage it in the ground by digging up any roots that spread every year. I live in Oregon, and although it didn’t thrive in some spots due to heat, around my blueberry bushes it worked well as ground cover, just keep an eye on it! I love using chocolate mint in drinks, and it also attracts bees when flowering!
So true! I've had it jump into my other plants before. It can be a bit of a wild ride!