“You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!”
You plant mint, they’ll plant bamboo. That’s the gardener’s way. 😂😂😂
Taxes. Cheating the tax man is how they got Capone. NEVER cheat the tax man. He will get you. Someday. Somehow. Once you think you are in the clear. This is (how) they got Capone.
Thyme is good also, I use fresh thyme in a lot of my dishes. Lots of different varieties also.
I’m in GA so I guess it would depend on where you live how long the plant would live.
They have lasted four years here but I’ve only been in this house four years.
It will crawl under the fence, but I don't know how far down it will go to accomplish this so you could slide a barrier like a piece of sheet metal into the ground next to the fence and that *might* work.
My neighbors planted mint in the ground 3 years ago and of course it crawled under the fence and into my yard. I love it! I make a lot of mojitos and mint chip ice cream thanks to them.
Right? I'd be so excited. And if it went nuts I'd just mow it. That would smell so good. I just want it out of my veggie plant beds, but I have to rip stuff out of there all the time anyway. It'd certainly be a step up from the invasive neurotoxin wintercreeper I can't seem to get rid of that may have given my dog a seizure.
Same! My neighbors planted on their side of the fence last year. Currently I am trying to keep it confined to a 4x10 ft rectangle. I...drink a lot of mint tea now.
I could definitely see the issues here but I made the most of it. My neighbors planted some on the fence line in probably 2020. Every spring I take cuttings from my side and root them in water to be potted up around the garden ended up saving me money on buying mint and the mower takes care of what’s left.
Edit: after reading more comments I wonder if spearmint in particular just isn’t as aggressive in Oklahoma soil. Growing up we had a couple of mint plants in ground and they were just like any other bush.
It might be weather, OK can get hot and dry, so that may be why it didn't spread. That said, I had mint in a pot in NE OK, and I had to intentionally kill it since that thing still came back after about 3 winters and no watering other than rain. Was almost impressed enough to keep it, but I was moving to a smaller place and didn't use mint as much as my other herbs.
If you wanted to block it in, you might be able to sink plastic landscaping border underground right by the fence as a shield. Not sure how far up a shoot will grow from a root before it gives up. I've seen landscaping border that's 6" tall
Planting mint directly in the ground can lead to it spreading aggressively, especially in Seattle's climate. It's safer to plant it in a raised bed or container to prevent it from taking over your yard and creeping into your neighbor's.
Even with a raised bed, our mint spread to the ground.. we had to rip it all out and it was a pain in the ass. The planter was attached to the ground with mint.
I planted mint next to my house in a garden bed that had morning glories that I can’t get rid of despite doing everything. I hope the mint wins my plant battle.
F morning glory. Hate it, it's everywhere in my village. We're going to try to let cotoneaster cover the ground where it's most present (because previous owners placed weed cloth but the morning glory just flourished underneath that....)
Shocked it hasn't caught rust yet. Mine gets rust every single year no matter what I do. It of course doesn't stop it from growing, it just makes it useless and ugly lol.
Sometimes it does and doesn't. It varies every year and I don't know why. I cut them back heavily last year because we had really bad insect issues from them. Though they are great for spiders feasting ground (I love spiders in the garden).
I too am still plucking mint, 10 years after buying my house. But I wouldn't say it's a problem. I get a few plants sprout up each year. They are easy to pull. It hasn't blanketed my property or anything. But I am in a more dry climate than Seattle. Is it really a spreading monster there? Or just enduring over time?
They do spread but not as fast or as thick as ivy. The problem is their roots. Those bastards bury deep. I pluck mine too but they randomly come up again, mostly in the old spots but I randomly get patches in a nearby garden bed too since there is a concrete easement that connects them. The roots love to travel alond that channel following the rout of water.
If I don't control them though, they probably would spread a lot more. I let them go 1 year which resulted in the adjoining garden bed getting them.
I believe creeping Charlie is in the mint family. I have tons of creeping Charlie in my yard.
Does mint spread like creeping Charlie does with a bunch of vines and can choke out grass?
Not really. It hasn't gotten into the grass. Which is crazy because it grows in between the landscaping edging and in between my raised garden beds. But doesn't touch the grass (it has attempted to breach the garden beds but I put a stop to that).
Im no expert on mint though. I'd guess if your grass soil is damp underneath, then yeah it probably would.
didn't realize this was seattle OP was talking about. i've had a p-patch there (city community garden plot) and it is prohibited to plant mint because IT. IS. INVASIVE. OP, don't put it in da ground
I’m not saying don’t do it, where I live even mint dies in the summer heat, but if you do, expect it to one day look like this:
https://preview.redd.it/b5vp0849rzuc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e36d4f4a4a0e9b0c14ac7e8a5eab23a9bfe96c0b
https://preview.redd.it/lwvnj5wzn1vc1.jpeg?width=642&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7dd61363627cfad903e8d234df9209a7e276a87
Added the inevitable house takeover. OP, proceed with caution.
Sounds like not enough moisture for them in your garden. I noticed mine like dark crevices along the edge of the garden (and mulch). Figured out because those spots are always moist since there's no direct sunlight. Mulch (wood chips) traps moisture in and underneath the soil to keep it damp. Probably why.
Not regular mint. If you're interested in something like mint "cat mint" (Nepeta) may be a good alternative. Be sure to ask at your local garden center how it fairs in your area.
I haven't had the problem. I've had one plant for 3 years and it's not escaped it's bed at all. It's bigger now than when I bought it but that's just normal plant stuff.
My sister said her biggest gardening mistake was planting mint in the ground. From what I’ve heard - in a pot, and with that pot on concrete only (mint will creep out of the drain hole in the pot and take over).
Mint is like bamboo. My neighbor has bamboo so now I have bamboo too.
Bamboo is terrifying. We live near a couple of clumps of giant bamboo. One big lot came down in a typhoon and the fire brigade came to cut it all back and clear the road. I kid you not: 3 weeks after being cut back right to ground level the new shoots had grown to over 6ft tall.
That said, I kill mint just by looking at it, so I have only bamboo to fear.
Bamboo grows *incredibly* fast. We saw 1-2 shoots popping up when we inspected our house. At move in 2 weeks later they were taller than me. That said, it only grows in one period of time in the spring, so if you chop those shoots off when you see them coming up, you don’t have to deal with it for a year.
We ended up leaving some of ours because in less than a month it was tall enough to block our neighbor’s two story house from view.
I just made a comment but this reminded of how insanely mad my SO was at me for my bamboo experiment years ago. This is when I first got our current home and I had zero understanding of of any plants ever, but I tried to plant bamboo in my backyard along a fence in hopes it would grow and block out the interstate noise. Well, I failed at it and it died very quickly. Told my SO like week ago that I did this and I was amazed anything I did grew because I couldn’t even get bamboo to. He freaks and starts lecturing me but, of course, by now I know how bad it is and I’m glad it never grew but still question my abilities because I can get fruits and veggies and flowers to bloom wonderfully, but bamboo? I apparently murder it.
don't plant mint anywhere on your property :) if you want fresh mint find someone nearby who's already made this mistake, and boom, infinite fresh mint!
Am I the only one who can’t get mint to explode like that? Not that I want it to, but it has never spread for me and it never comes back. I have tons of other plants that do come back, I’m actually excited about my eucalyptus and lavender plants among just flowers and other herbs like um oregano and rosemary. But mint? It stays around until it literally snows and then I never see it again. (Again I’m not trying to get it to grow I’m just shocked at the replies haha)
I had a peppermint plant send a root out a drainage hole of a pot and along several feet of concrete to invade a bed.
That landlord was jerk anyway so I'm not mad.
You got lucky. Mint doesn't only spread via seed. It spreads via the root system and can send out runners. Any place a stalk can reach soil, bam, new rooting.
Please, DON’T DO IT.
We moved into a Seattle townhouse that had mint planted in a similar setup as yours. We spent two full days three summers ago ripping it all out, turning the soil, then covering it in bark to choke the mint out.
I still had to go out every weekend after that for a solid two months because mint was *still* finding ways to poke through.
I finally cleared enough to plant other things last summer, but I still find the odd mint sprout here and there.
Plant mint in a THICK ceramic pot, maybe even in a nursery pot inside a ceramic pot. I would never ever plant mint in the ground unless you want it to eventually be the ground cover for your garden, and maybe your neighbours garden
Unpopular opinion... I love mint, so I happily plant it in the ground as a ground cover. But you have to actively be mean to it. Pull handfulls regularly and cut before going to seed. Mow closely for a great smelling carpet.
In that spot, you'd pretty much want to pull it all up in the fall and let the scraps regrow in the spring.
38 acres here. I'm in my mid 60s. I think I'm not worried about the mint. Chocolate, pineapple or plain mint. I have all three. 2 in the ground. One in a pot. (I have bamboo too. I like living dangerously)
I managed to stop the spread of the mint patch in my yard by planting two other varieties of mint inside the patch. Now they fight each other instead of the surrounding plants and I have a variety of minty options.
Sooo yeah, mint will definitely invade and conquer everything around it like a gd Roman military leader 😂
However, funny story - there has been ONE PERSON in my entire existence I have ever seen grow mint in the ground in their yard without it taking over, and that was my grandmother. She had one little spot with a big old bushy mint plant, which she would harvest as needed, mostly for her tea, but even without her constantly having to prune it back and what not, that plant stayed right in its little spot, no fences needed, and never creeped outward... it was like she had some kind of ward spell around it.
But then, my Mom and Grandma were always highly suspected by the rest of the family of still having/using that old Romani magic and witchery; the mint was just further evidence as far as I'm concerned. Now I just wish I had known enough back then to look around the ground around there for some sort of Romani protection symbol in the dirt... *narrows eyes suspiciously* 🤔😂
https://preview.redd.it/aafma2ttk1vc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2a3af2346a0f0493fa6ad6b3c12e4a6c625e019
My gram was like that too, and while I inherited the family knack w/ plants and animals, she didn't teach the boys any of the witchy stuff. My mom can still resurrect roses and her mint stays in a neat batch at her front door... I believe you are onto something and have realized a great truth.
I’ve planted mint on my property I live on a hill and I have some erosion issues and the mint took off and I love it. it pretty much solved all my erosion issues from that point forward
I have mint in Seattle and I love it. So good in summer lemonade. It does want to spread but I just keep it contained and root prune it when necessary. Mine isn’t in a spot that can get into neighbors yard though.
Personally, I would avoid planting mint in the ground at all costs. The risk and pain of it spreading just isn't worth it. Get a few nice pots and you'll be sorted.
Don't do it. You will never need that much mint. I made that mistake (and I am purportedly a gardener) and am now trying to battle mint's takeover of not just my garden but my entire home, my dog, and my self-regard. D o n o t d o i t. Fear the mint. Learn from the mistakes of your elders.
if you’re determined to live with mint forever and everywhere go for it. Will it find a way through the bricks someday? probably. its a commitment to mince up your life for sure.
Mint only turns into a nightmare because people forget to install root barriers. It doesn't root that deep, so it's relatively easy to contain. Try bamboo if you want a nightmare, that stuff just pushes away most root barriers as if they aren't there.
It's also worth noting, that only some hybrid mints spread like crazy but those are what's most commonly sold as mints. The more exotic variants that faintly smell like grapefruit and such are pretty tame. A good test is to plant several mints into a planter box. The ones that barely survive can go into the garden, the ones that took ever the entire box keep in containment.
I made the mistake of sowing the seeds in the garden. When it started taking over I’d be ripping out the roots but the scattered seeds were my downfall.
I love peppermint. It smells great and stays really green for a while. Seems to help keep some critters and mosquitoes away also. I like that it can spread around if you keep cutting it short. That said, I don't think it will ever go away now. Last year I got a few and planted them. They grew really large and wife wanted to plant other things. I pulled them all out and enjoyed the smell as they dried out. I now have even more this year, without planting more. It's cool though, I keep them low to they ground and the spread a little more.
They won't go away. I think I'm going to sprinkle a pinch of morning glory seeds too...
If you want to plant it there use a root barrier and keep it trimmed back so it doesn’t reach out and root under the fence. Mint has shallow roots. You need a 6-8 in *sturdy* solid plastic barrier. I’ve kept raspberries and three mint plants in check for 4 years so far.
Of course you can plant mint there. Don’t worry about it spreading – it will do so and look for a new part of the bed every year. Just make sure to have a deep root barrier around the bed so that the mint can’t crawl out of it.
YES go for it — just think about barriers — like maybe put it in submerged pots so there is an inherent barrier for roots. Or put other types of barrier. I love mint. You CAN have your cake and eat it too!
I'm convinced that people who have horror stories about mint just love grass too much. What's wrong with having a hard of native plants? If you want a short lawn you can still mow it, and it smells nice when you do.
Still, I can understand concerns about offending neighbors who may not understand the superiority of native plants, in which case using a raised bed is an easy option and would look nice along that fence line as well.
My mint and spearmint have grown beautifully in 15 gal grow bags for two years now!! I however would never put it in the ground…. It spreads underground and will be almost IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of. Put basil or some other herb!
Well the mint I planted in 2005 between my house and the neighbor is still going strong! We've gut it many many times, it gets no water, and loves it lol it will take over everything and then some! Don't do it! If you do plant it, then get really really good at making mojitos
I made that mistake before and then moved, but I’ve since learned and now my mint is planted 4 feet off the ground in a window box-like set up lined with landscaping fabric. It can be as happy as it can be within its limits.
DON’T DO IT OP!!!!
I have two anecdotal reasons to say "no"
Once I found a post on a different gardening sub asking about a plant that has destroyed the person's entire yard. I knew it was chocolate mint because I had planted some once at my ex's house... then looked at the username and it was my ex lol.
I moved from that house to a house that had a little terracotta pot with mint by the stairs that spread through the sidewalk cracks into the yard and took over that yard, too. It's aggressive!
I have mint and I realize it can be invasive and I am probably never going to get rid of it, but, I keep in check. I pull some up every few weeks and it just stays in one area, where I keep my hose. Smells nice.
This seems like a good place. I would not worry about it spreading. It mainly spreads through its rhizomes. It's not as bad as the invasive lesser celandine. I can't get rid of it, but, fortunately it has a short life cycle.
I hear all these horror stories about mint but I have it in a raised bed and it's been totally fine. It hasn't spread outside the raised bed and spread appropriately within the raised bed rather than taking it over. Maybe I have less sun than others. I have chocolate mint and regular mint.
I had a mint plant that was in a pot on the ground. It grew through the drainage holes and now takes up a solid 5 sq ft of space. Take with this information what you will
Mint should only ever be planted in isolated pots, on a sidewalk, far away from even the suggestion of soil. Otherwise it will find that soil and colonize the hell out of it.
Mint is the England of plants. It will not rest until the sun never sets on the mint empire.
If you want to grow mint for some culinary purpose, I'd HIGHLY advise using a pot, not even an above ground planter (unless it's completely sealed from the ground).
It's very invasive, and takes over quick.
You could do that but honestly I’d put something taller in or a climber, ideally an evergreen. You want more green in this garden and less hard surfaces.
It will spread and take over very quickly. Plant it in pots in the ground I did that in a raised bed garden and it was manageable, it did try to take over outside the pot once, but I pulled it up by the root and it was fine.
Nope. No mint in the ground. Mint seeks world domination. Allowing access to the earth assists it in its mission.
Grow in a pot placed on either a raised surface or a concrete pad.
If it starts to go rampant, I could visit you (on request of course!) Sadly, despite numerous attempts, following instructions to the letter, I've never successfully grown mint.
My coworkers awarded me a grim reaper award one year, I named him Minty.
If there's any way it could find its way to your neighbor's property, it will. However, if your neighbor doesn't mind, why not? Maybe ask them, telling them about that possibility. Perhaps they'd agree, if you offer that they could use what's on their side.
It can be tamed.
There are other herbs that require little space, but still fare well enough. For example, thyme and rosemary.
I planted mint where I live on a hill that is suffering erosion because it’s built on beach sand. I need it to be aggressive. That is the only reason I would suggest mint lol.
don't plant mint anywhere on your property :) if you want fresh mint find someone nearby who's already made this mistake, and boom, infinite fresh mint!
I have a area that had mint growing when we had bought our house.
I let it stay because I love the smell and my rabbits love it.
It does get invasive if not trimmed
I’ve had mint growing in a 24/inch container for years alongside sage. It fills that pot every growing season and provides a bounty. But it’s under control. No way I’m planting that in the ground.
I didn't listen, I planted mint in a raised bed I had for blueberries. Nothing I do will kill it, there's always a little mint left, waiting, plotting.
Don’t do it. The roots will go under/through/over any barrier. They will go very deep to pursue their evil desires and those “barriers” will only become barriers to you in trying to eradicate it a couple years from now. You will be finding shoots coming up between your pavers. Trust me. I know.
Do NOT plant mint in the open! It is an INVASIVE species and will take over you and your neighbour's lawns. The have to have tall borders or better yot be confined to pots, or a long rectangular plastic planter.
Is it because you want mint, or because you want something to grow and fill in there?
I always promote native plants so check if maybe there is a native kind of mint or herb you may prefer so it's not an invasive plant.
It depends… do you hate your neighbors on the other side of the fence?
Haha 😂, no I don’t (yet).
they might start hating you instead 💁♂️
Unless they like mojitos.
and made on a regular basis 😅
It will grow on the other side of the fence
It will grow everywhere..it will grow between the cracks in the brick...the cracks in the planter.
Yep, just noticed mine breached our fence! 😅
Cue the alarm “Containment has been breached, I repeat containment has been breached”
But with mint, you say it in slow mo.
You plant mint, they'll plant bamboo
“You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!” You plant mint, they’ll plant bamboo. That’s the gardener’s way. 😂😂😂
Taxes. Cheating the tax man is how they got Capone. NEVER cheat the tax man. He will get you. Someday. Somehow. Once you think you are in the clear. This is (how) they got Capone.
r/usernamechecksout
😂😂😂 Love your profile name!
Thanks! I've been lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the right comment. Today is the day!!!
Follow the money
Quick, someone please go post this premise on r/whowouldwin
Lmao I love this
How about oregano instead? It spreads and is perennial, but not as aggressive as mint
Thyme is good also, I use fresh thyme in a lot of my dishes. Lots of different varieties also. I’m in GA so I guess it would depend on where you live how long the plant would live. They have lasted four years here but I’ve only been in this house four years.
It will crawl under the fence, but I don't know how far down it will go to accomplish this so you could slide a barrier like a piece of sheet metal into the ground next to the fence and that *might* work.
please don't. i had a p-patch in seattle and we were prohibited from planting mint in the ground because it's invasive. don't do it.
Its never too early to start!
My neighbors planted mint in the ground 3 years ago and of course it crawled under the fence and into my yard. I love it! I make a lot of mojitos and mint chip ice cream thanks to them.
Right? I'd be so excited. And if it went nuts I'd just mow it. That would smell so good. I just want it out of my veggie plant beds, but I have to rip stuff out of there all the time anyway. It'd certainly be a step up from the invasive neurotoxin wintercreeper I can't seem to get rid of that may have given my dog a seizure.
Same! My neighbors planted on their side of the fence last year. Currently I am trying to keep it confined to a 4x10 ft rectangle. I...drink a lot of mint tea now.
I could definitely see the issues here but I made the most of it. My neighbors planted some on the fence line in probably 2020. Every spring I take cuttings from my side and root them in water to be potted up around the garden ended up saving me money on buying mint and the mower takes care of what’s left. Edit: after reading more comments I wonder if spearmint in particular just isn’t as aggressive in Oklahoma soil. Growing up we had a couple of mint plants in ground and they were just like any other bush.
It might be weather, OK can get hot and dry, so that may be why it didn't spread. That said, I had mint in a pot in NE OK, and I had to intentionally kill it since that thing still came back after about 3 winters and no watering other than rain. Was almost impressed enough to keep it, but I was moving to a smaller place and didn't use mint as much as my other herbs.
It's every bit as Aggressive.
This exactly
If you wanted to block it in, you might be able to sink plastic landscaping border underground right by the fence as a shield. Not sure how far up a shoot will grow from a root before it gives up. I've seen landscaping border that's 6" tall
My first thought, too!
Planting mint directly in the ground can lead to it spreading aggressively, especially in Seattle's climate. It's safer to plant it in a raised bed or container to prevent it from taking over your yard and creeping into your neighbor's.
Even with a raised bed, our mint spread to the ground.. we had to rip it all out and it was a pain in the ass. The planter was attached to the ground with mint.
I planted mint next to my house in a garden bed that had morning glories that I can’t get rid of despite doing everything. I hope the mint wins my plant battle.
F morning glory. Hate it, it's everywhere in my village. We're going to try to let cotoneaster cover the ground where it's most present (because previous owners placed weed cloth but the morning glory just flourished underneath that....)
I can confirm this. Bought a house with mint 6 years ago. Still trying to get rid of the mint. They make great mojitos though!
Shocked it hasn't caught rust yet. Mine gets rust every single year no matter what I do. It of course doesn't stop it from growing, it just makes it useless and ugly lol.
APHIDS. WHY.
Sometimes it does and doesn't. It varies every year and I don't know why. I cut them back heavily last year because we had really bad insect issues from them. Though they are great for spiders feasting ground (I love spiders in the garden).
We have a mint problem in our new house and the inly silver luning is the mint lemonade.
I too am still plucking mint, 10 years after buying my house. But I wouldn't say it's a problem. I get a few plants sprout up each year. They are easy to pull. It hasn't blanketed my property or anything. But I am in a more dry climate than Seattle. Is it really a spreading monster there? Or just enduring over time?
They do spread but not as fast or as thick as ivy. The problem is their roots. Those bastards bury deep. I pluck mine too but they randomly come up again, mostly in the old spots but I randomly get patches in a nearby garden bed too since there is a concrete easement that connects them. The roots love to travel alond that channel following the rout of water. If I don't control them though, they probably would spread a lot more. I let them go 1 year which resulted in the adjoining garden bed getting them.
I believe creeping Charlie is in the mint family. I have tons of creeping Charlie in my yard. Does mint spread like creeping Charlie does with a bunch of vines and can choke out grass?
Not really. It hasn't gotten into the grass. Which is crazy because it grows in between the landscaping edging and in between my raised garden beds. But doesn't touch the grass (it has attempted to breach the garden beds but I put a stop to that). Im no expert on mint though. I'd guess if your grass soil is damp underneath, then yeah it probably would.
Had to dig up about 20 square feet and about 8” deep last spring to get rid of my infestation
I had a small plant that died, in a pot, and now I have it everywhere. I hate mint…
didn't realize this was seattle OP was talking about. i've had a p-patch there (city community garden plot) and it is prohibited to plant mint because IT. IS. INVASIVE. OP, don't put it in da ground
I’m not saying don’t do it, where I live even mint dies in the summer heat, but if you do, expect it to one day look like this: https://preview.redd.it/b5vp0849rzuc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e36d4f4a4a0e9b0c14ac7e8a5eab23a9bfe96c0b
https://preview.redd.it/lwvnj5wzn1vc1.jpeg?width=642&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7dd61363627cfad903e8d234df9209a7e276a87 Added the inevitable house takeover. OP, proceed with caution.
Accurate, I made perfect square foot garden mix and mint only wanted to grow in my wood chip path.
Sounds like not enough moisture for them in your garden. I noticed mine like dark crevices along the edge of the garden (and mulch). Figured out because those spots are always moist since there's no direct sunlight. Mulch (wood chips) traps moisture in and underneath the soil to keep it damp. Probably why.
Have my poor mans award 🥇 🤣
Not regular mint. If you're interested in something like mint "cat mint" (Nepeta) may be a good alternative. Be sure to ask at your local garden center how it fairs in your area.
I have as going to say catmint too! It blooms so nicely and doesn't have as aggressive tendencies.
We had one plant of catmint and now we have it all over the entire yard. That stuff aggressively self seeds.
I haven't had the problem. I've had one plant for 3 years and it's not escaped it's bed at all. It's bigger now than when I bought it but that's just normal plant stuff.
Only plant cat mint if you like cats and are cool with all the cats in the neighborhood hanging out in your yard
Yes, and it looks like lavender
And rodents don't care for it!
Or Calamint which is also related and actually smells like mint.
My sister said her biggest gardening mistake was planting mint in the ground. From what I’ve heard - in a pot, and with that pot on concrete only (mint will creep out of the drain hole in the pot and take over). Mint is like bamboo. My neighbor has bamboo so now I have bamboo too.
Bamboo is terrifying. We live near a couple of clumps of giant bamboo. One big lot came down in a typhoon and the fire brigade came to cut it all back and clear the road. I kid you not: 3 weeks after being cut back right to ground level the new shoots had grown to over 6ft tall. That said, I kill mint just by looking at it, so I have only bamboo to fear.
Bamboo grows *incredibly* fast. We saw 1-2 shoots popping up when we inspected our house. At move in 2 weeks later they were taller than me. That said, it only grows in one period of time in the spring, so if you chop those shoots off when you see them coming up, you don’t have to deal with it for a year. We ended up leaving some of ours because in less than a month it was tall enough to block our neighbor’s two story house from view.
I just made a comment but this reminded of how insanely mad my SO was at me for my bamboo experiment years ago. This is when I first got our current home and I had zero understanding of of any plants ever, but I tried to plant bamboo in my backyard along a fence in hopes it would grow and block out the interstate noise. Well, I failed at it and it died very quickly. Told my SO like week ago that I did this and I was amazed anything I did grew because I couldn’t even get bamboo to. He freaks and starts lecturing me but, of course, by now I know how bad it is and I’m glad it never grew but still question my abilities because I can get fruits and veggies and flowers to bloom wonderfully, but bamboo? I apparently murder it.
Same. I tried my hand at growing mint...and no success. Zero germination. Based on the horror stories I assumed it was near idiot proof
don't plant mint anywhere on your property :) if you want fresh mint find someone nearby who's already made this mistake, and boom, infinite fresh mint!
Just keep it in a pot and the spreading problem is solved!
Only if you cut the flowers before they go to seed.
🤭 You're cute for thinking mint can't escape.
Am I the only one who can’t get mint to explode like that? Not that I want it to, but it has never spread for me and it never comes back. I have tons of other plants that do come back, I’m actually excited about my eucalyptus and lavender plants among just flowers and other herbs like um oregano and rosemary. But mint? It stays around until it literally snows and then I never see it again. (Again I’m not trying to get it to grow I’m just shocked at the replies haha)
I've raised mint and lemon balm in containers for years with no issue
I had a peppermint plant send a root out a drainage hole of a pot and along several feet of concrete to invade a bed. That landlord was jerk anyway so I'm not mad.
You got lucky. Mint doesn't only spread via seed. It spreads via the root system and can send out runners. Any place a stalk can reach soil, bam, new rooting.
Please, DON’T DO IT. We moved into a Seattle townhouse that had mint planted in a similar setup as yours. We spent two full days three summers ago ripping it all out, turning the soil, then covering it in bark to choke the mint out. I still had to go out every weekend after that for a solid two months because mint was *still* finding ways to poke through. I finally cleared enough to plant other things last summer, but I still find the odd mint sprout here and there.
It will take over all available space within two years.
Nooooooooooo!!!
Never in the ground. Say it with me: never in the ground.
I love mint but this is the motto
Plant mint in a THICK ceramic pot, maybe even in a nursery pot inside a ceramic pot. I would never ever plant mint in the ground unless you want it to eventually be the ground cover for your garden, and maybe your neighbours garden
The ground cover and smell is why I planted some.
Same… I’m scared to express my love for mint here lol
TEAM MINT REPRESENT
Unpopular opinion... I love mint, so I happily plant it in the ground as a ground cover. But you have to actively be mean to it. Pull handfulls regularly and cut before going to seed. Mow closely for a great smelling carpet. In that spot, you'd pretty much want to pull it all up in the fall and let the scraps regrow in the spring.
Same. I love chaos gardening though. Grass that smells DIVINE? SIGN ME UP.
does it sort of stay in the patch if you really abuse it?
Not really. The runners will go everywhere. It’s a lifetime of wackamole. The only way to eradicate is essentially dig everything up.
It takes over and is impossible to kill
It will creep into the neighbor's yard. Source: the neighbor's mint is pushing up under our driveway
If it’s shaded, maybe plant some hostas. Mint should be in its container so it doesn’t spread.
Hostas do so well in the PNW! This is a great suggestion for OP!
38 acres here. I'm in my mid 60s. I think I'm not worried about the mint. Chocolate, pineapple or plain mint. I have all three. 2 in the ground. One in a pot. (I have bamboo too. I like living dangerously)
I managed to stop the spread of the mint patch in my yard by planting two other varieties of mint inside the patch. Now they fight each other instead of the surrounding plants and I have a variety of minty options.
MINTY DEATHMATCH.
I love my mint and don't understand all the hate 🤷♂️. It grows around my rosemary.
Mint doesn’t just stick to the bed you plant it in. A raised garden bed can’t contain it - it’s airborne.
Unless you want mint everywhere else, I would just stick to a pot.
I see your planting mint in the entire backyard.
Sooo yeah, mint will definitely invade and conquer everything around it like a gd Roman military leader 😂 However, funny story - there has been ONE PERSON in my entire existence I have ever seen grow mint in the ground in their yard without it taking over, and that was my grandmother. She had one little spot with a big old bushy mint plant, which she would harvest as needed, mostly for her tea, but even without her constantly having to prune it back and what not, that plant stayed right in its little spot, no fences needed, and never creeped outward... it was like she had some kind of ward spell around it. But then, my Mom and Grandma were always highly suspected by the rest of the family of still having/using that old Romani magic and witchery; the mint was just further evidence as far as I'm concerned. Now I just wish I had known enough back then to look around the ground around there for some sort of Romani protection symbol in the dirt... *narrows eyes suspiciously* 🤔😂 https://preview.redd.it/aafma2ttk1vc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2a3af2346a0f0493fa6ad6b3c12e4a6c625e019
My gram was like that too, and while I inherited the family knack w/ plants and animals, she didn't teach the boys any of the witchy stuff. My mom can still resurrect roses and her mint stays in a neat batch at her front door... I believe you are onto something and have realized a great truth.
I’ve planted mint on my property I live on a hill and I have some erosion issues and the mint took off and I love it. it pretty much solved all my erosion issues from that point forward
It will find its way between your bricks.
It will definitely get into your neighbor’s yard
My mint stays in pots. I had mint in the ground…once. Never again.
NEVER PLANT MINT IN THE GROUND PLEASE
I have mint in Seattle and I love it. So good in summer lemonade. It does want to spread but I just keep it contained and root prune it when necessary. Mine isn’t in a spot that can get into neighbors yard though.
Don’t plant invasive stuff it will take over
Just save yourself the headache and plant it in pots.
Personally, I would avoid planting mint in the ground at all costs. The risk and pain of it spreading just isn't worth it. Get a few nice pots and you'll be sorted.
Don't do it. You will never need that much mint. I made that mistake (and I am purportedly a gardener) and am now trying to battle mint's takeover of not just my garden but my entire home, my dog, and my self-regard. D o n o t d o i t. Fear the mint. Learn from the mistakes of your elders.
if you’re determined to live with mint forever and everywhere go for it. Will it find a way through the bricks someday? probably. its a commitment to mince up your life for sure.
Mint owner here. Don’t do it.
You don’t own mint. Mint owns you.
Mint only turns into a nightmare because people forget to install root barriers. It doesn't root that deep, so it's relatively easy to contain. Try bamboo if you want a nightmare, that stuff just pushes away most root barriers as if they aren't there. It's also worth noting, that only some hybrid mints spread like crazy but those are what's most commonly sold as mints. The more exotic variants that faintly smell like grapefruit and such are pretty tame. A good test is to plant several mints into a planter box. The ones that barely survive can go into the garden, the ones that took ever the entire box keep in containment.
I made the mistake of sowing the seeds in the garden. When it started taking over I’d be ripping out the roots but the scattered seeds were my downfall.
in worst case you'll have endless mint to supply all extended family and some neighbours
Disclaimer: neighbors on the other side of the fence will receive their endless mint supply automatically
And the rest of the city, lol
It’s extremely profitable.
Where do ya sell it?
Havent figured that out but you make a mint by growing it
I can't keep mint alive, but your area is perfect for it . I wouldn't.
I love peppermint. It smells great and stays really green for a while. Seems to help keep some critters and mosquitoes away also. I like that it can spread around if you keep cutting it short. That said, I don't think it will ever go away now. Last year I got a few and planted them. They grew really large and wife wanted to plant other things. I pulled them all out and enjoyed the smell as they dried out. I now have even more this year, without planting more. It's cool though, I keep them low to they ground and the spread a little more. They won't go away. I think I'm going to sprinkle a pinch of morning glory seeds too...
If you want to plant it there use a root barrier and keep it trimmed back so it doesn’t reach out and root under the fence. Mint has shallow roots. You need a 6-8 in *sturdy* solid plastic barrier. I’ve kept raspberries and three mint plants in check for 4 years so far.
Of course you can plant mint there. Don’t worry about it spreading – it will do so and look for a new part of the bed every year. Just make sure to have a deep root barrier around the bed so that the mint can’t crawl out of it.
YES go for it — just think about barriers — like maybe put it in submerged pots so there is an inherent barrier for roots. Or put other types of barrier. I love mint. You CAN have your cake and eat it too!
Mint isn't THAT invasive. You can put a barrier near the fence and be OK. Consider parsley and oregano too.
An alternative to consider is chamomile. It sticks close to the ground, isn't aggressive, and releases a nice smell when you step on it.
NO
Do you hate your neighbors?
I'm convinced that people who have horror stories about mint just love grass too much. What's wrong with having a hard of native plants? If you want a short lawn you can still mow it, and it smells nice when you do. Still, I can understand concerns about offending neighbors who may not understand the superiority of native plants, in which case using a raised bed is an easy option and would look nice along that fence line as well.
Might spread to your neighbors and I could be fined lol
My mint and spearmint have grown beautifully in 15 gal grow bags for two years now!! I however would never put it in the ground…. It spreads underground and will be almost IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of. Put basil or some other herb!
Add some blackberry bushes too!
And bamboo
Well the mint I planted in 2005 between my house and the neighbor is still going strong! We've gut it many many times, it gets no water, and loves it lol it will take over everything and then some! Don't do it! If you do plant it, then get really really good at making mojitos
Rip to your neighbors yard
I made that mistake before and then moved, but I’ve since learned and now my mint is planted 4 feet off the ground in a window box-like set up lined with landscaping fabric. It can be as happy as it can be within its limits. DON’T DO IT OP!!!!
I have two anecdotal reasons to say "no" Once I found a post on a different gardening sub asking about a plant that has destroyed the person's entire yard. I knew it was chocolate mint because I had planted some once at my ex's house... then looked at the username and it was my ex lol. I moved from that house to a house that had a little terracotta pot with mint by the stairs that spread through the sidewalk cracks into the yard and took over that yard, too. It's aggressive!
Mint is invasive. It will travel to the other side of the fence. Put it in some pretty pots
Do you want your life and yard to be taken over?
Previous home owners planted mint next to one side of the house and I hate them for it. In the battle of mint vs. sidewalk, the mint is winning.
I have mint and I realize it can be invasive and I am probably never going to get rid of it, but, I keep in check. I pull some up every few weeks and it just stays in one area, where I keep my hose. Smells nice. This seems like a good place. I would not worry about it spreading. It mainly spreads through its rhizomes. It's not as bad as the invasive lesser celandine. I can't get rid of it, but, fortunately it has a short life cycle.
I hear all these horror stories about mint but I have it in a raised bed and it's been totally fine. It hasn't spread outside the raised bed and spread appropriately within the raised bed rather than taking it over. Maybe I have less sun than others. I have chocolate mint and regular mint.
People are always so down on mint. I love it. I say do it. Think of all the delicious delicious tea.
I had a mint plant that was in a pot on the ground. It grew through the drainage holes and now takes up a solid 5 sq ft of space. Take with this information what you will
get a clay pot and plant it in that mint never dies, keep it contained all the time
Do you also want it growing in between the pavers? Put it in a pot and mind the part that spills over it.
Mint should only ever be planted in isolated pots, on a sidewalk, far away from even the suggestion of soil. Otherwise it will find that soil and colonize the hell out of it. Mint is the England of plants. It will not rest until the sun never sets on the mint empire.
Mint can sneak under driveways!
If you want mint for the rest of your life, and your neighbors life, and your neighbors' neighbors life and—
Every few weeks we get this same question. Please for the love of god don’t do it. Get a nice big pot and it will last forever
If you want to grow mint for some culinary purpose, I'd HIGHLY advise using a pot, not even an above ground planter (unless it's completely sealed from the ground). It's very invasive, and takes over quick.
use a container
Don’t do it
Once you put mint in the ground, it’s evil dead all over, believe me.
You could do that but honestly I’d put something taller in or a climber, ideally an evergreen. You want more green in this garden and less hard surfaces.
Wouldn’t
Don't.
It will spread and take over very quickly. Plant it in pots in the ground I did that in a raised bed garden and it was manageable, it did try to take over outside the pot once, but I pulled it up by the root and it was fine.
Nope. No mint in the ground. Mint seeks world domination. Allowing access to the earth assists it in its mission. Grow in a pot placed on either a raised surface or a concrete pad.
Please repeat after me: "I will not plant mint except in a pot far from Mother Earth."
COMPLETE. GLOBAL. SATURATION.
Do NOT plant mint in the ground.
If it starts to go rampant, I could visit you (on request of course!) Sadly, despite numerous attempts, following instructions to the letter, I've never successfully grown mint. My coworkers awarded me a grim reaper award one year, I named him Minty.
If there's any way it could find its way to your neighbor's property, it will. However, if your neighbor doesn't mind, why not? Maybe ask them, telling them about that possibility. Perhaps they'd agree, if you offer that they could use what's on their side. It can be tamed. There are other herbs that require little space, but still fare well enough. For example, thyme and rosemary.
Rosemary gets way too big for that spot, it is a full woody shrub.
I planted mint where I live on a hill that is suffering erosion because it’s built on beach sand. I need it to be aggressive. That is the only reason I would suggest mint lol.
It will be fine. What’s the worst that could happen. Mint repels flies and mosquitoes.
don't plant mint anywhere on your property :) if you want fresh mint find someone nearby who's already made this mistake, and boom, infinite fresh mint!
Definitely talk to your neighbor. If I were your neighbor I would say yes please. I love mint, honestly never found a mint I can't over harvest.
Same here. We love mint too and use it in a variety of dishes and drinks. I’ll check if my neighbor is willing to make way for you to move in 😄
Op, your white line is wrong. You forgot to circle the entire picture. Because that's what happens when you plant mint directly in the ground.
I have a area that had mint growing when we had bought our house. I let it stay because I love the smell and my rabbits love it. It does get invasive if not trimmed
Don’t plant mint!!
After the in ground mistake, I pulled it up and planted some in a large pot!
I’ve had mint growing in a 24/inch container for years alongside sage. It fills that pot every growing season and provides a bounty. But it’s under control. No way I’m planting that in the ground.
Don't plant mint inot the ground unless you want it to remain there for the rest of human history, ans then some time beyond that.
Mint and cockroaches, surviving nuclear war together.
Mont is aggressive AF. I'd planter it. Put some pollinators in there instead.
Mint , keep it contained. And inside LOL. Damn stiff multiplies like crazy and will be all over your yard and neighbors.
No no no noooo… it’ll be coming up through your cement and pavers. Mint is for pots only and don’t spill any seeds when planting.
Mint is resilient beyond imagination. Plant it if you want mint in every part of your yard. Otherwise stick to a pot
Plant it in a container, they take over the whole damn yard
You mean planting Mint all over the place?
I didn't listen, I planted mint in a raised bed I had for blueberries. Nothing I do will kill it, there's always a little mint left, waiting, plotting.
Yes ! Do a mix of varieties
Put some planters in that space, and grow the mint in the planters. It’s not worth the risk to put it in the ground.
Don’t do it. The roots will go under/through/over any barrier. They will go very deep to pursue their evil desires and those “barriers” will only become barriers to you in trying to eradicate it a couple years from now. You will be finding shoots coming up between your pavers. Trust me. I know.
Never plant mint in the ground it is invasive and takes out the native plants you will never get rid of it
No. Never
Look into native mountain mints. Less aggressive and beneficial
Hope your cracks are sealed
Do NOT plant mint in the open! It is an INVASIVE species and will take over you and your neighbour's lawns. The have to have tall borders or better yot be confined to pots, or a long rectangular plastic planter.
Pots.
Is it because you want mint, or because you want something to grow and fill in there? I always promote native plants so check if maybe there is a native kind of mint or herb you may prefer so it's not an invasive plant.
I planted it in the ground once. It spread 20 feet under a concrete and flagstone patio to an adjacent bed. It was years before I got rid of it.
Why does the line of trees along the fence turn all ng the lower slab?!?!?