How to keep the bugs off the mint?

Basil maybe??

Chief, one of the best gardening channels I’ve seen on KZfaq and I’m fairly critical….would love to see some animal farming tips and tricks, aquaculture perhaps, pigs, rabbits, chickens et cetera…..Gods bless

Not many people seem to cover tarragon, marjoram or savory.

Marjoram! (Thanks 😄)

Oh no! I hope you can cut it out

Honestly it's better than grass because you can eat it at least lol.

I've been deliberately trying to replace all my grass with mint and other herbs as ground covers, like peppermint, creeping thyme, and oregano. I would much rather have them than grass, as grass is terrible for the environment and you can't even eat it. A lot of mint varieties can be stepped on, they smell great, and they can deter pests like groundhogs and deer.

Well at least it smells good?

In addition I would also like to add that due to the creeping nature of most mints, they form tight mats on the ground that are very good at preventing erosion. They flower so they attract pollinators, and beyond that, they also trap soil with their roots too.

I got into aquascaping a while back. When my 30 gallon tank started to outgrow the container, I moved everything to an 80 gallon tank. I restarted the 30 gallon tank, but this time instead of using special substrate designed for aquariums, I just used regular old dirt. High quality aquarium substrate is expensive, to get a 2" layer in a 30 gallon tank costs like $50. And it doesn't compact at all, making landscaping impractical and very expensive. HOWEVER, plain old top soil is dirt cheap - literally. For $20 I got a bag of soil big enough to fill the tank 8" deep. Since dirt is 1000% cheaper than aquarium substrate, and can be compacted, it inspired me to try something new. I used the money I saved on dirt to buy "egg crate" material for $3 , and used that to build a retaining wall that divided the tank approximately 3:1 between dirt and water, with the water portion at the front. None of my aquariums use mechanical filters, I rely on the plants to do the work. But since the plants wouldn't be IN the water this time, the retaining wall had to be solid, but also semi-permiable. The egg crate did a good enough job holding back moist soil. But as soon as I added water to the open aquarium section, the whole tank would turn into mud. I needed a barrier between the soil and the water. Something that doesn't dissolve in water, but also isn't completely hydrophobic. Something that holds a little bit of water, so that as the soil dries out, it can absorb water from the barrier. But the barrier also needs to prevent water from seeping through into the soil if it's already wet. And it needs to do this complex balancing act on its own, with no external input, and no mechanical assistance. You know where I found this magical substance that does exactly that? I scraped it off the side of a riverbank. It's clay. Specifically, unrefined clay. I coated the aquarium side of the barrier with about an inch of clay I dug up from a river and it works perfectly. Tank has been running for about 3 years now with 3-5 tetras and a nerite snail in the water. No filters, no pumps, no need for water changes. When the water level gets low, I add water to the side with the soil, and in a few hours it filters through the clay and refills the aquarium. All this was to say that the plant I chose to grow in the soil was mint, because my wife's mother has a ton of it. The ecosystem I simulated in the tank was a riverbed, and even under weak artificial lighting, the mint has been growing out of control. Edit: I originally intended to add more plants in the soil, and possibly even some floating aquatic plants to reduce nitrogen levels in the water. Since I don't use external filtration, and do water changes once or twice a year rather than every month, it's important that I keep my tanks balanced. I was worried about the water conditions in this tank, because it was something entirely new to me. I had no idea what would happen. The tanks I build are more experimental than they are ornimental. I focus on the ecology more than anything. Aquariums are built in layers. Every layer has a purpose, and each additional layer supports the layer beneath it. Layers build up incrementally as the system grows. If you add another layer too soon, you'll shock the system and disrupt the balance. It's a lot like climbing the "corporate ladder," where one person steps on the heads of many people to reach the top. What's at the top though? Just a wobbly ladder supported by layers of people they climbed over to get there. Not to sound all "woo woo" and new age or whatever, but that's the same way nature works. Everything is built upon layers. The crops grown in fields are at the top of the ladder. That's what we want. We harvest the fruits and vegetables from their stems. But to bring it all back to the ladder analogy, the person who climbed to the top by stepping on heads isn't safe. They are at the top, sure. So they're assigned more value. In the same way a ripe tomato is worth hundreds of times more than the seed it grew from. But ladders are unstable. Sure, the person at the top is the one who produced the final product... But... That ladder had to be held by someone else on the ground. They kept the ladder stable so that the person on top could do the job.

Thank you for sharing that! Sounds wonderful!

I love shiso! I need to find somewhere online I can order it... I have a bunch of Japanese recipes that call for them I'd love to try, and the one time I was able to find it was at a store 200 miles away... no closer... I've had it at a few different restaurants my mom found, though. Love basil for the same reason.

I keep my shiso in a pot. Haven't tried it in the ground but it is really pretty.

A pure grass lawn is overrated... I have the same thing happening here! Mowing that Chocolate Mint patch is a real treat...;-)

Keep mowing(pruning) it will multiply lol

let it grow roll around in it youl smell better

@@pheresy1367 this is the pure, unsaturated, 100% truth. unreal how nice it smells when u hit a patch

Boil the green leaves make tea delicious

Its also called Orange Mint. It is fabulous

I grow chocolate mint and make a simple syrup with it to put in my coffee and on pancakes

@@Animallovercomedian that’s such a lovely idea & sounds yummy. I’m going to try it

How about sharing the recipe 😊 please please

Well you could use all those unwanted mint to your advantage

My entire front garden is mint , love it

When life gives u mint u make a virgin mojito😂😅

​@@theurbanthirdhomestead exactly

Good to know I’m letting it bloom now

My grandmother never bought plants. She would help nurseries prune their plants. She would wear an apron with big pockets when she went to the store. Her window sill was always covered with cobalt blue and brown bottles containing her babies!

@@laurimcclish212 sounds like my plant window 😂. Succulents at great cause you put the snip directly into dirt.

Would you have paid cash for the mint? Did you buy something else / spend money to support the nursery? If your answers are NO and YES - then you are forgiven. Go in peace to flourish and prosper dear friend!! (Like you, a tiny piece of portulaca followed me home last time)

@@andersonomo597 I. Spend so much money there! So I feel good about pinching.

@@kelsie_adams You mean gently pruning to ensure the plant is in tip top bushy appealing shape for the actual purchaser........yeah, so what's wrong with that! My confession back.....some very delicious cheese that was ONE day past it's stupid "Best before" date and was therefore 100% going to end up in a dumpster somehow ended up under a bag and I didn't see it until I was unpacking the trolley. Considering the input from the poor farmer and his cow and the supply chain and energy input all along the way, I figured that was less of a sin than to see it go to landfill - and yes, it WAS delicious!!

Aunty, I buried some Trader Joe's mint over 10 years ago. In ground compost. It grew. I have had it ever since. It just grows everywhere.

Hi it’s been 1 year have you grown a lot of mint

Yes!!!

Same as a North african. Btw its been an year, what did you do?

I've gotten in to herbs this year and mints are great. Wasnt aware just how easy they are to propagate so I'll definitely be on the look out for varieties. Plant prices have gone crazy since the pandemic but I can justify the cost on perennials that easily multiply.

@@kevinphillips5330 - Herbs are fun and smell divine, plus you get the added bonus of being able to eat them. I planted a herb garden around 10 years ago, and although I've lost some and added some, I'm now overburdened with herbs during the year. Keep going, it's very much worth it. Luckily, I've not seen plant prices going up like that, but then I have quite a few nurseries near me (UK), and they all compete to keep prices affordable, thankfully.

which is your favorite? would love to know, this is so interesting!

@@empm - 'Variegated Applemint' is a good one, as it not only has a hint of apple, but the white stripes on its leaves make it unique. 'Ginger Mint' has yellow in its leaves. 'Mojito Mint' has wonderfully ruffled leaf edges. 'Bowles Mint' has fluffy leaves too. Other than this, I don't really have favourites per se. Their smells are all unique.

Help! A company called "Bonnie Plants" sent me "Spearmint (yerba buena)" but that seems totally wrong according to my research. I am into biology, so getting the genus and species right is important to me.

2 Separate pots about 12" to 18" apart, Garlic in 1 & Mint in the other. Friend needed more Mint for a Mexican Soup she was making, MY Mint had crossed with the garlic

Me too! I’ve never up potted from its original container. In the fall I cut it all the way back and BOOM a personal sized mint is waiting for me in spring. 😏

Really? I just bought some plants this year for the same reason. Growing dill and basil too. I saw on yt video it would deter pests. Started it all early so I could put all the pots in between my tomatoes and peppers once they go in the ground.

How do you protect your mojito mint from the cutworms? I am getting some of that mint this month and want to keep it healthy and alive!

@@carolfisch9750 I use an a pesticide for organic gardening called Spinosad. Ive found 3 of the caterpillars it killed since I've been using it. I was actually using it on other plants and assumed mint didn't need it. Last year I used BT spray and it was also effective.

@@bc24roxy4 I don't think it's their favorite plant, but definitely not a complete deterrent. I skipped my mint plant when applying organic pesticides, so that may be related, they probably would have preferred the tomato or pepper plants.

Not sure why he’s saying you can’t grow spearmint from seed.

I know you said lemon but it doesn't say what exactly. Have you have mint and lemon tea using lemon verbena leaves ?

@@reddiesteady9989 I use regular 🍋. To taste. I put lemon juice slices of lemon and mint leaves and fill a pitcher with water. Put in the fridge and let it sit so the flavors mix good. We really like it after working in the garden.

Have a try of the lemon verbena and mint tea. About ten big mint leaves and five lemon verbena leaves and add boiling water. Refreshing on a cold day

Thank you. I will try that. I love natural flavorings. Appreciate you taking the time to let me know that. I will get some lemon verbena growing. We are trying to always expand our garden, growing some of all kinds as much as we can. It is a process. Have a blessed day.

You're welcome.

LOL too true

I tried growing thyme and rosemary and they died on me. Got them from a nursery, repotted them, rosemary dead in a week, thyme dead after 2. Basil thrived though. I grew some from seeds and it just look so bushy if I skip a weekly trim.

Yerba buena (good herb) has medicinal properties. It is good for digestive issues, IBS, nasal congestion among other things. Too bad I can't grow it; I've killed several.

I had a whole vegetable garden patch that was "infested" with Chocolate Mint. It was very easy to yank out and eliminate. None of it returned to the garden, though a few rhizomes escaped into the lawn. I am NOT using containers and do not experience being "plagued" by the mint. I use quite a bit of it every day, in various medicinal teas I drink for my health. It vastly improves the bitter flavors I would experience otherwise. But that's just me... :)