How deep do Mint roots grow? I would like to place a very large container in my herb garden to plant mint in. I want to mostly bury it to keep from watering it so much. I just want to plan this correctly so I can have several drainage holes at the bottom, but not worry about the mint roots wandering out the hole and into the bed.
Depth of Mint roots
Mint is very invasive - but is seems to have a shallow root system. I planted then in a container that was taller than 12 inches and everything seemed to be okay. But when I tried it at a friend's house - with an eight inch tall pot - it sneaked out and now I it is popping up everywhere. (yes, she is still my friend - but she always serves me peppermint tea!)
Thank you! I will go with at least a 12 inch deep pot then. I am probably going to buy the widest Terra Cotta pot with a decorative edge that I can afford. I have never grown mint in any herb beds, because of fear of it taking over. Plus I always had my friend's bed of it I could invade. I have moved farther away and she is moving even further though so time to add some my herb bed that I am planning at the new place.
I think I'm probably one of the weirdos on this site... I actually plant and encourse some mints in some areas of my garden and yard :-) I have curly mint growing in my back garden near my hostas, hellebores, tiarrella and maple trees (darn those roots!) and chocolate mint growing up near the garage in the lawn. I definitely will keep adding mints to my landscaping, just NOT in my herb garden or anywhere else where they could take over or get obnoxiously out of control.
The curly mint makes neat little spires in the back garden that stand out nicely in the spring when everything else is just starting to get going, and then it just kind of fades into the background as the hostas and other taller plants take over. In the lawn, my husband can just mow right over the chocolate mint if he feels like it and it always comes back with a vengeance. He finds it very nice to step on since he likes the smell :-) Hehe, it helps keep his spirits up if he comes across some of our neighbors' dog's droppings. Step on the chocolate mint enough, and it'll drown out the scent of anything else in the area!
I have mint everywhere in my main flower bed. We tilled that ground to make the garden and did not realize that we were spreading mint like an epidemic. I spent hours and hours pulling mint from everywhere, and as soon as I turned around there it was again.
Then I read that mint adds proper nutrients to the soil, so now I leave the mint alone unless it is in my way for other plants or if it is just getting too big. It is a very pretty green poking up here and there in my very full flower beds. It smells good and it does make good hot tea and a nice addition to iced tea. So the mint and I have a truce. Sometimes you just have to choose your battles.
I have a patch of chocolate mint at the shaded end of my herb bed. The soil on that side is mostly clay. The kind you can make pottery out of. I throw some water on it when I water my containers and in 3 years it has only spread about 3 feet. When it starts to get near the edge of where I want it I want it I pull it out, pot it up and give it away. The roots there are only an inch or two down, perhaps due to the soil. I don't know if other mints would spread faster there but so far this hasn't been a problem for me. Something to be said for clay soil.
On the patio I have a half barrel of chocolate mint in good soil, also shaded. I can thin it out quite a bit and it comes back with a vengeance filling the barrel very quickly.
I grow mints in shallow (12" max depth) and very wide (24"-36") pots down here and even in our heat and humidity it grows like crazy....I give about half day shade in June-Sept.
Debbie
Thanks everyone. I can see it can be done! Debbie, that sounds about like the size of pot I want to sink. My herb bed is going to only be about 15 feet by 3 feet against the back of my house, close to the kitchen. I really don't want the mint overrunning the other herbs, so I need to give it it's own private space.
The area faces southeast (more east though). I left my mature Oregano, Rosemary, French Tarragon and Thyme behind at the old house, but I have already bought Sage, Greek Oregano, Rosemary, Provence Lavender, and Basil. They are potted in two large pots waiting for me to prepare the bed. I still need to buy Thyme and a Bay Tree to have all of the very basic, necessary herbs that I use most. I had a nice mature bay tree in a pot, but accidentaly killed last september :( I sure miss the fresh bay leaves.
Be careful with that Bay tree in the ground...one of the biggest mistakes in gardening I ever made was planting one in the ground...I'm constantly "battling" it to keep it off the eaves of my one story house and its about 6' wide and around too. Keep that guy in a pot, in my opinion. I'll post you a pick this week.
Debbie
It's going at the very end of the wall, kind of set away from the house about 4 feet. It will be an anchor at the corner. I do want it close to the brick house though, because they are really borderline hardy here and I need the reflective warmth from the house. It's a two story house and the eaves are almost 20 feet up so hopefully I will be okay.
I was recently surprised at how big they do get here though, even with the threat of being borderline hardy. I thought maybe ten feet high, but check out this picture of Howard Garrett's Bay tree in Dallas... http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_image.php?pic=183 Even being only 30 miles north, we do get colder because we are outside of the city, but I think it should be okay. My potted one was only drug in the garage if we were expecting temperature below 20, and never had a bit of freeze damage. If we expect to dip down in the single digits, I will wrap in as best as possible.
I'd love to see a picture of yours Debbie. This was mine, back a couple years ago. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/41794/. It had grown and filled out quite a bit after that picture. Then late last September was unusually hot with no rain, and I forgot to water it for a couple weeks after going on vacation and being really busy. It did not make it. :( That was really dissapointing because I was so looking forward to giving it a home in the ground.
Nice and orderly in that pot--mine's a monster! Looks alot like his but everytime you try to "hack" it back it just gets wider...the neighbor can hardly get into his gate..he hacks it back once or twice a year too (with my blessings). Will post you a pick tomorrow.
Debbie
Here's the pic--it was a bit cloudy when I got home from work. You can see how this "bay tree" would be a bit "irritating" to my neighbor (that's his gate!LOL). Beware...be very aware! When you top it--it just gets "bushier" LOL--but it tastes good!
:) Debbie
LOL That thing is wide. I will keep that picture in mind when planting mine. I did find some gallon and 3 gallon pots today at North Haven Gardens, but they had topped them. I liked the tall spindly look of my old one. The ones at the Heard Native Plant Sale were also topped and I passed on them. I am going to try a couple more places, before settling.
You know--look for something in a 3x3 pot. That monster starting out as a single trunk only 3" high with about 6 leaves! LOL
Debbie
I had bought two of the "four inch pot" bay trees before I got the mature one. The problem with those small ones, was that I defoilated them for cooking faster than they could grow up! LOL
The large one I got at a local swap about a month before the above picture was taken. This guy had two at home and only needed one. We worked out a trade and he got about 4 or so perennials from me in trade. I was so happy to get it, because my second little one had only a couple leaves on it.
Here's a picture I posted previously. You can see where the Bay tree will go and part of the herb bed. http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2205527
Whoops! Forgot the link!
This message was edited May 1, 2006 9:21 PM