Garden Mint
Jonesk
Posts: 205
Morning all,
I have a large terracotta pot of garden mint currently in a sheltered spot on our patio. It grew well last summer and has died down over winter - there are a few (look old rather than new) small shoots that are still green but most has died back.
Last year when the plant was in a similar state I waited for what seemed like a rather long time and no new growth appeared so I chucked it out and started again with a fresh plant and fresh compost (couldn't risk a lack of harvest for my Pimms!!!)
Obviously I'm wanting another bumper crop but hate to waste so what should I do now? Repot, leave alone, reduce in size and replant some of the bare roots again, cut off whats green and let re-root indoors, add fertilizer now??
Can almost taste that Pimms already 
Thanks in advance for advice
Posts
As its in a pot Jonesk, I'd feed it in early spring firstly. If it's in MPC I'd change the potting medium to a soil based compost then move it into a sunnier position. Mint takes a while to kick off in spring, its not the first to appear, but once it gets going its hard to stop. You can dig up some roots now and put them in a pot on a warm windowsill to get early results. I prefer mint to be in the ground, but you've got to restrict the roots or it takes over. You can put the pot in the ground, personally I use some 6 inch plastic pipe about a foot long and bury that with 2 inches above the soil. Mint is shallow rooted so that restricts the spread.
Don't worry, it'll grow!
As Dave says, take a few bits with roots on and pot them up and put them indoors and they'll take off a bit earlier.
I've got spearmint and Bowles Applemint in large bottomless buckets sunk into the ground with the rims sticking up about 4 inches above ground to try to keep the runners in check. They've been there about 3 or 4 years now, top-dressed with home-made compost and Fish Blood and Bone each spring.
This spring I'll dig them up, tease the very congested roots apart and replant the younger ones in fresh soil as before, to rejuvenate the plants.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Split the plant up now and cut the roots back, then replant in a number of seperate pots. At this time of year the shock will cause a spurt of growth and hey presto Minted Potatoes and Pimms in 3 weeks!!! Works well for me.
Thanks everyone - mmmm minted potatoes in 3 weeks Biofreak - is that a promise
I truely hope so!!
It is in MPC Dave so it looks like i'll be splitting and repotting - what is 'soil based compost'? What should I look out for at the garden centre?
I've seen a few of the other types of mint around Dove - you've definitely tempted me into the Applemint - maybe not the best on my potatoes but it will give my Pimms a kick!!
Thank you all - looks like a Garden Centre visit for me and girls later today
Soil based compost is a John innes no3, but garden soil is fine plus its free.
Mint plants were spilt in Autumn. Half stayed outside and half got repotted indoors for spring gifting. Seems to be the way to go.
I have some pots of mint that have failed to grow this year I was repotting another pot to discover to my horror vine wevils ! but some pots are just not growing this year ? A friend has her mint in the ground and hers is not growing either she just has roots what can she do ? I'm going to repot mine and hope for the best
It only costs £1.50 or so from a garden centre for a new one. I must admit, killing mint is quite a feat, it's up there with landing men on the moon.
Vine weevils are a pain. They destroyed my strawberries in huge pots but they did not touch the strawberries in soil nearby. So one solution is to put some heavy clay soil in the pot, and then plant the mint. I think weevils like nice soft comfy compost, and hate heavy clay soil.
LeifUK - clearly I should be working for NASA & earning squillions - I've killed mint on more than one occasion
