andrew@hammer.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (09/02/86)
I just moved into a home whose yard contains a mint plant. It has been
growing wild for several months, and is much too big for its location.
I would like to trim it back (and regain the use of the sidewalk), but
I'm concerned. Only the outer part of the bush is green; the inner
stalks are grown, and if I trim it back as much as I want to I won't
leave any green.
Suggestions? I can wait until winter if that's proper. I like having
fresh mint, so total removal is not an option.
-=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!tekecs!andrew) [UUCP]
(tekecs!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA]reid@decwrl.DEC.COM (Brian Reid) (09/03/86)
Mint is immortal. There is nothing you can do to a mint plant with conventional (i.e. non-nuclear) weapons that will kill it.
eac@drutx.UUCP (CveticEA) (09/03/86)
>I just moved into a home whose yard contains a mint plant. It has been >growing wild for several months, and is much too big for its location. >I would like to trim it back (and regain the use of the sidewalk), but >I'm concerned. Only the outer part of the bush is green; the inner >stalks are grown, and if I trim it back as much as I want to I won't >leave any green. > >Suggestions? I can wait until winter if that's proper. I like having >fresh mint, so total removal is not an option. > -=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!tekecs!andrew) [UUCP] > (tekecs!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA] Mint is a very sturdy perennial and can be treated as such. In the early fall, dig the entire plant. Cut it straight down through the roots into manageable size sections, removing the dead center part. Retain as many different plants as you want. When you replant the part(s), its a good idea to keep it under control by either planting it in a buried large clay pot, or sinking boards around it. Otherwise, you may have to battle shoots popping up all over the place. Every few years you can repeat this process. If you just trim the bush back, it won't rejuvenate the plant as much as the above treatment. Don't be afraid to dig and cut it into sections--mint is nearly indestructible--almost to a fault. Betsy Cvetic ihnp4!drutx!eac P.S.--most perennials can be treated this way. Thyme, bleeding heart, daisies, etc. all benefit from periodic divisions.
levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) (09/04/86)
In article <2259@hammer.UUCP>, andrew@hammer.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) writes: >I just moved into a home whose yard contains a mint plant. It has been >growing wild for several months, and is much too big for its location. >I would like to trim it back (and regain the use of the sidewalk), but >I'm concerned. Only the outer part of the bush is green; the inner >stalks are grown, and if I trim it back as much as I want to I won't >leave any green. > >Suggestions? I can wait until winter if that's proper. I like having >fresh mint, so total removal is not an option. > > -=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!tekecs!andrew) [UUCP] > (tekecs!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA] Mint is a pretty tough plant, just about as tough as a weed. Go ahead and prune it severely. If you like, take the cuttings and root them in water, (takes a week or so, no hormones or other special stuff needed) then you can transfer them to a pot of potting soil. This way you can have your mint greenery till the plant in the yard sprouts more leaves. -- ------------------------------- Disclaimer: The views contained herein are | dan levy | yvel nad | my own and are not at all those of my em- | an engihacker @ | ployer or the administrator of any computer | at&t computer systems division | upon which I may hack. | skokie, illinois | -------------------------------- Path: ..!{akgua,homxb,ihnp4,ltuxa,mvuxa, go for it! allegra,ulysses,vax135}!ttrdc!levy -- ------------------------------- Disclaimer: The views contained herein are | dan levy | yvel nad | my own and are not at all those of my em- | an engihacker @ | ployer or the administrator of any computer | at&t computer systems division | upon which I may hack. | skokie, illinois | -------------------------------- Path: ..!{akgua,homxb,ihnp4,ltuxa,mvuxa, go for it! allegra,ulysses,vax135}!ttrdc!levy
bruce@hpfclm.HP.COM (Bruce Bergmann) (09/04/86)
> I just moved into a home whose yard contains a mint plant. It has been > growing wild for several months, and is much too big for its location. > I would like to trim it back (and regain the use of the sidewalk), but > I'm concerned. Only the outer part of the bush is green; the inner > stalks are grown, and if I trim it back as much as I want to I won't > leave any green. > > Suggestions? I can wait until winter if that's proper. I like having > fresh mint, so total removal is not an option. > I would suggest using your lawn mower (or hedge trimmer) :-). Seriously though, mint gets 'scraggly' this time of the year naturally. I would suggest you prune it back to ground level (really). Take the prunings, tie them together with a string and hang them upside down to dry in a cool dry place. When dry, pick the individual leaves (without crushing them if possible) and store them in a jar. Mint dries nicely and retains much of its original flavor and odor- it may not be ideal for mint julips but makes good tea and may be used in many recipes. For fresh mint, you'll just have to wait `til next year; mint is a indestrucible as thishle and comes back every year. Bruce Bergmann {ihnp4}!hplabs!hpflca!bruce
andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel) (09/04/86)
It's impossible to overprune mint! The stuff will grow back from the
teensiest piece of root left in the soil. I have totally decimated it
on the surface, rototilled the soil, covered it with black plastic
and cooked it in the sun - and as soon as I stop actively fighting it,
the stuff comes back. In fact, it seems to thrive on abuse - cutting
off all that brown woody stuff encourages succulent green growth.
Mint is considered a weed by most gardeners I know. In fact, some
gardening books suggest not planting it except in containers or
containers sunk into the ground to sequester the roots. My house
came with a mint patch (which I made the mistake of building a compost
pile on top of - boy, did the mint like that!).
It's a good thing I like fresh tabouli so much!
Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
"every time that wheel goes round, bound to cover just a little more ground"
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