Hello:
I have a mint plant in an 18 x 18 pot. It is almost full and I would like to transplant it to our flower bed which faces west and gets the afternoon sun here in Texas. Which is the best way to do this?
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applestar
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I wouldn't plant it in a flowerbed with rich soil. the mint will take off and fill the bed in next to no time, plus it will lose flavor due to too much nutrients and moisture.
I admit to having my mints in the ground, though this is highly NOT recommended. I just mow them down and rip them out. they are less vigorous in compacted areas and areas with intense sun. they seem to prefer afternoon shade and steady moisture, and will happily shoot their underground stolons along pavement, foundation, and any solid border, and is capable of going deeper to get below obstacles.
They are prone to mildew and in my garden, some kind of bug that I know I've ID'd in the past but can't remember at the moment -- got it! FOUR LINED PLANT BUGS. I can tell when they are infested by clusters of tiny spots on the leaves near the petioles. I'm starting to see them now, little and shiny red-orange in their larval instars that jump off as soon as I touch the plant so I can never seem to catch them....
I admit to having my mints in the ground, though this is highly NOT recommended. I just mow them down and rip them out. they are less vigorous in compacted areas and areas with intense sun. they seem to prefer afternoon shade and steady moisture, and will happily shoot their underground stolons along pavement, foundation, and any solid border, and is capable of going deeper to get below obstacles.
They are prone to mildew and in my garden, some kind of bug that I know I've ID'd in the past but can't remember at the moment -- got it! FOUR LINED PLANT BUGS. I can tell when they are infested by clusters of tiny spots on the leaves near the petioles. I'm starting to see them now, little and shiny red-orange in their larval instars that jump off as soon as I touch the plant so I can never seem to catch them....
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applestar
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Yes, reading Marlin's reply, it occurred to me that you probably won't get the benefit of winter dormancy and slowdown of growth that I get here when winter lows can get as frigid as negative single digits ºF and the ground freezes solid for several months. Even then they're one of the first plants to wake up and shoot their stolons out in all direction for 12" or more during the early spring thaw. It's part of my spring cleanup regimen to pull up any unwanted shoots and pile them up in the English Ivy etc. persistent vine dry compost/brush pile.
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rainbowgardener
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You've gotten good advice, afternoon sun isn't best for mint, especially TEXAS afternoon sun.
But I wouldn't worry about how to transplant mint, it is so tough and hardy. You could probably just dump the contents of the pot on the ground and it would survive. (Not that I am recommending that
)
I did do that once with iris. Someone gave me some iris. I just laid it down on the ground to deal with later. Never got back to it. Weeks and weeks later I found it had rooted itself in and was growing!
But I wouldn't worry about how to transplant mint, it is so tough and hardy. You could probably just dump the contents of the pot on the ground and it would survive. (Not that I am recommending that
) I did do that once with iris. Someone gave me some iris. I just laid it down on the ground to deal with later. Never got back to it. Weeks and weeks later I found it had rooted itself in and was growing!