How to Keep Mint from Being Invasive

Grow mint along walkways or near seating areas where you can enjoy their fragrance.

Mint produces fragrant leaves used for culinary or medicinal teas, to flavor sweet desserts, to scent potpourri and as an attractive addition to floral bouquets. Varieties range from traditional peppermint and spearmint to delightfully scented chocolate or pineapple mint. In the garden, mint produces attractive foliage and emits fragrance when brushed, making it a favorite in fragrance or scented gardens. These quick-growing perennials reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and quickly spread to other areas of the garden, if measures are not taken to keep them under control.

Things You'll Need

• Plant pots or containers

Instructions

1. Plant mint in containers to curtail the root system. Mint reproduces by sending out underground runners that pop up several feet away and grow into a new plant. If planted directly in the herb or flower garden, mint aggressively "takes over" the area and chokes out nearby plants.

2. Sink pots into the soil to give the illusion that your mint plants are growing in the garden bed. This creates a natural appearance while preventing the roots from traveling to new areas. Use plant pots, wooden boxes or old paint buckets as containers, as the container simply serves to contain the roots and is not visible in the garden.

3. Control mint that is growing in the soil by watching for new plants that spring up around the base of the plant and pulling them up by the roots. Keep in mind that roots may travel several feet and emerge on the opposite side of the fence or outside the borders of your garden. Those that spring up in the lawn can be mowed with the lawnmower.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant mint in sunny to partially sunny areas in well-drained soil.

• Water deeply once a week to moisten the soil to the root level.

• Harvest mint before it blooms, as this is when the oils responsible for their flavor and fragrance is at its peak.

• Remove buds before they open to prevent blooming.

• Fertilize mint sparingly, as herbs produce the strongest fragrance and flavor in average soil. Too much fertilizer encourages rapid growth but may inhibit flavor and fragrance.

References

• Ohio State University Extension; Hints for Growing Mint; Carol Savonen
• Utah State University; Mint in the Garden; Kristie Buckland, et al.; March 2009

Resources

• University of Arizona Extension; Growing Herbs; August 2007