10 Reasons to Grow Mint Plant At Home
Mint has a bad status for taking over the garden, for a good reason. There are many reasons to grow mint plants at home or in your backyard without fear!
Even though mint is a highly beneficial plant, due to its spreading nature, various of us opt to go without it altogether.
The difficulty with doing this is that the mint wins.
Sincerely, we are intelligent enough to outwit the mint, making it possible to experience all of its advantages.
Mint is a delicious plant, and there are all types of delightful recipes that use mint. Mint is also a potent medicinal herb.
There are numerous different types of mint, such as spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, and chocolate mint, all related to growing rules.
Different plants are from the mint species that grow without abandon like bee balm, lemon balm, and catnip that can be involved in this analysis.
I would drive bright planting mint in or anywhere near your regular garden beds, as it will eventually try to take over.
It’s a fabulous plant for a hard herb garden, a dropped edge of your garden, or an ample traffic space.
This is a mint plant that is just beginning to settle after a year in the garden.
Mint will spread from its underground roots and cover great distances and go under obstacles to get to where it wants to go, so keep that in mind when planting.
But, this does not appear overnight, although it may sometimes seem like it. Just put a close eye on it and pick any different plants that you don’t require.
If grown in a container or pot, it leads to getting a small, sparse and scraggly viewing later a couple of years. It never looks to do as well as mint grown in the earth, presumably because it doesn’t like living in the container!
Since the rhizomes that cause the mint to increase don’t reach pretty deep, it’s also possible to plant mint in a raised bed without disturbing enough regarding it jumping ship.
It will try and take over the raised bed, however, so make sure to plant different items that can put up with it.
Different sturdy perennial herbs like sage, oregano, thyme, and rosemary can generally bear the aggressive nature of mint, primarily if previously established.
Notice a mint plant that is thriving where you don’t like it? Pull it out and turn it into something delightful. Or chop large bunches of mint and hang to dehydrate for later use in the winter season.
Although, I would still take the essential precautions so that you don’t get a complete mint takeover.
In fact, you don’t even have to put it in water first as it will root right in the soil. Do it as a science experiment with your kids, or root a bunch of cuttings, pot them up, and give away to friends. ( How To Take Plant Cuttings )
Let your mint grow and do its thing, then take from it as much as you want, and it will still thrive. Don’t worry about watering or fertilizing it. Really, it will grow without any inputs.
Unless you’re trying to naturally thin it out, it may like a little water from time to time, but it will honestly be okay if you literally ignore it for months on end.
Mint is a great plant for lazy gardeners!
The smell of the mint plant will also repel houseflies, cabbage moths, ants, aphids, squash bugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and even mice. Not a bad deal, if you ask me!
Be sure to plant lots of mint (as well as other herbs) in and around the coop and run for chickens to nibble on daily.
Mint is also great for cats and dogs. Catnip is actually in the mint family and is a favorite herb for kitties as well as humans.
While cats and dogs probably shouldn’t eat a whole lot of mint in one sitting, a little bit is great for them. It is a natural flea repellent, and I often see Cosmo the kitty rubbing up against the mint plant.
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Peppermint is especially great for headaches, and the essential oil can be rubbed on the temples for relief.
It can be helpful for seasonal allergies, and can also be added to body care products like salves and lip balms, soaps, shampoo bars, and lotions.
Still too scared to grow a mint plant at home but want to enjoy all of its benefits? Order high quality, organic dried peppermint or spearmint from Mountain Rose Herbs (my favorite place to get organic dried herbs).
I hope this article has encouraged you and given you some reasons to grow mint plants at home! It is really a versatile plant that we should not fear having in our backyards.
Even though mint is a highly beneficial plant, due to its spreading nature, various of us opt to go without it altogether.
The difficulty with doing this is that the mint wins.
Sincerely, we are intelligent enough to outwit the mint, making it possible to experience all of its advantages.
Mint is a delicious plant, and there are all types of delightful recipes that use mint. Mint is also a potent medicinal herb.
There are numerous different types of mint, such as spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, and chocolate mint, all related to growing rules.
Different plants are from the mint species that grow without abandon like bee balm, lemon balm, and catnip that can be involved in this analysis.
Reasons to Grow Mint Plant At Home:
MINT PLANT CAN ONLY MOVE SO FAST
The fact of the theme is that mint is a plant, and while it can and will most clearly be increased, it demands few conditions for this to happen.I would drive bright planting mint in or anywhere near your regular garden beds, as it will eventually try to take over.
It’s a fabulous plant for a hard herb garden, a dropped edge of your garden, or an ample traffic space.
This is a mint plant that is just beginning to settle after a year in the garden.
Mint will spread from its underground roots and cover great distances and go under obstacles to get to where it wants to go, so keep that in mind when planting.
But, this does not appear overnight, although it may sometimes seem like it. Just put a close eye on it and pick any different plants that you don’t require.
MINT PLANT CAN BE CONTAINED
The most reliable technique to grow mint plants at home is in a container. This will ensure that it will stay where you need it, without any of the problems with the garden takeover.If grown in a container or pot, it leads to getting a small, sparse and scraggly viewing later a couple of years. It never looks to do as well as mint grown in the earth, presumably because it doesn’t like living in the container!
Since the rhizomes that cause the mint to increase don’t reach pretty deep, it’s also possible to plant mint in a raised bed without disturbing enough regarding it jumping ship.
It will try and take over the raised bed, however, so make sure to plant different items that can put up with it.
Different sturdy perennial herbs like sage, oregano, thyme, and rosemary can generally bear the aggressive nature of mint, primarily if previously established.
YOU CAN TAKE AS MUCH MINT AS YOU PLEASE (& THEN SOME)
The most satisfying element about growing a plant that is as aggressive as mint is that you can be just as aggressive back at it without worrying about harming it. You can cut some of the mints at a point without any harm done.Notice a mint plant that is thriving where you don’t like it? Pull it out and turn it into something delightful. Or chop large bunches of mint and hang to dehydrate for later use in the winter season.
MINT GROWS WELL IN THE SHADE
If there is a shady space of your backyard that you have difficulty growing anything in, you can try planting mint. While it favors full sunshine, it can bear some shade, and it will probably manage it from spreading as fast.Although, I would still take the essential precautions so that you don’t get a complete mint takeover.
MINT CAN GROW FROM CUTTINGS
Mint is very easy to propagate from cuttings and will promptly re-root itself. You can cut out mint where you don’t want it to plant, you can put it in water until some roots of its grown, then transpose it on your desire space.In fact, you don’t even have to put it in water first as it will root right in the soil. Do it as a science experiment with your kids, or root a bunch of cuttings, pot them up, and give away to friends. ( How To Take Plant Cuttings )
YOU CAN COMPLETELY IGNORE MINT (& IT WON’T FEEL BAD)
Let your mint grow and do its thing, then take from it as much as you want, and it will still thrive. Don’t worry about watering or fertilizing it. Really, it will grow without any inputs.
Unless you’re trying to naturally thin it out, it may like a little water from time to time, but it will honestly be okay if you literally ignore it for months on end.
Mint is a great plant for lazy gardeners!
MINT PLANT ATTRACTS BENEFICIAL INSECTS (& REPELS THE BAD ONES)
Let your mint go to flower and it will attract bees, beneficial wasps, hoverflies (aphid eaters), and tachinid flies (parasitic on nasty bugs).The smell of the mint plant will also repel houseflies, cabbage moths, ants, aphids, squash bugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and even mice. Not a bad deal, if you ask me!
MINT PLANT IS GOOD FOR YOUR PETS
Chickens love fresh herbs and mint is no exception. The best part is that it’s also great for them and their coop. It keeps bugs, flies, and parasites at bay, as well as being an antioxidant and digestive aid for your flock.Be sure to plant lots of mint (as well as other herbs) in and around the coop and run for chickens to nibble on daily.
Mint is also great for cats and dogs. Catnip is actually in the mint family and is a favorite herb for kitties as well as humans.
While cats and dogs probably shouldn’t eat a whole lot of mint in one sitting, a little bit is great for them. It is a natural flea repellent, and I often see Cosmo the kitty rubbing up against the mint plant.
You may like: How to Propagate Lavender from Cuttings 7 Steps
MINT IS GOOD FOOD
Of course, mint is an awesome culinary herb! Cut it from the garden without abandon to make all kinds of delicious mint recipes. I particularly like to make tea with it, hot or iced!MINT IS GOOD MEDICINE
Mint is also an amazing medicinal herb. It is well known as a digestive aid and breath freshener and is also good for an upset stomach.Peppermint is especially great for headaches, and the essential oil can be rubbed on the temples for relief.
It can be helpful for seasonal allergies, and can also be added to body care products like salves and lip balms, soaps, shampoo bars, and lotions.
Still too scared to grow a mint plant at home but want to enjoy all of its benefits? Order high quality, organic dried peppermint or spearmint from Mountain Rose Herbs (my favorite place to get organic dried herbs).
I hope this article has encouraged you and given you some reasons to grow mint plants at home! It is really a versatile plant that we should not fear having in our backyards.
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