I planted a few mint plants a few years ago. Now I'd like to reduce the number of my plants (they've er multiplied!), or more probably eliminate it entirely, and replant the beds. I'm willing to start these beds from scratch again. Main bed I'm looking at at the moment is alongside a fence adjacent to my drive. About 16-20 feet long and 15 inches wide. It looks pretty in spring with spring flowers - but by mid-summer the mint takes over. I have whacked back the mint and am considering putting in some bedding flowers to keep it going over the summer. In the autumn should I remove the plants I want to keep, put down black plastic and mulch and cover for 6 months? Would this work? Any other methods? I'm not organic but don't want to poison the soil indefinitely (mild chemicals ok). Some of the mint has escaped under the fence to my next-door neighbour - I'd have to eliminate that as well, but I think she'd co-operate. I'd dig in lots of compost starting up again, and probably just use annuals for the first year while I check whether the mint grows back. Digging it out doesn't work. Eventually I'd like to grow clematis along this fence (couple of years' time)
Any ideas?
Mint problem
Last year we had mint that took over a flowerbed. We pulled it out. Put plastic down like you mentioned and then put cedar or cypress mulch over the plastic. It worked. We just had a small bit of mint come up in a few places, pulled it out and no problems.
Did the plastic take long Debby? How long should I give it? I'd really like to put in some plants that will give me bloom over the remainder of the summer, even if these means simply cutting it back and putting down the plastic in the autumn.
Northerner: We left the plastic on. About a month ago we planted some shrubs. We just pushed back the mulch and cut the plastic and planted the shrubs. Mint is stubborn as you know, I would say the plastic would have to be down almost a season, to kill the mint.