Is Mint Drought Tolerant

Bright green and leafy, mint is one of our favorite herbs to fill a planter with and have on hand all summer long. With a timeless fragrance and flavor, mint is a versatile staple for kitchen and garden alike. It flavors salads, refreshes a drink, and can even serve as a home remedy for various ailments.

Where mint naturally thrives

Mint finds its native habitat along stream banks in moist yet airy, well-drained soil. Watermint earns its name by its natural presence along the banks of streams and rivers. Mint grows best in full sun, but will benefit from partial shade during the hottest part of the day. Mint thrives in the sunshine but also grows well with some shade, so it’s best to either plant in full or partial sun.

How mint handles dry conditions

Yes, it will grow best in climates with more natural moisture as opposed to dry-soiled climates. Mint grows best in moist conditions so use your judgment based on the precipitation level of your season and region. If you’re not sure, just check the soil; it should be a little moist. Most gardeners find success watering every 2 to 4 days. Don’t water daily.

Mint is fairly resistant to climate extremes. Drought resistance. Mint does well in constantly damp, not soggy, soil. Mint grows best in climates with more natural moisture as opposed to dry-soiled climates. Mint grows best in moist conditions so use your judgment based on the precipitation level of your season and region.

Real-world drought observations

My sandy earth is particularly desert like, and this problem area is further droughted by the rain being shielded by the roof overhang. Over the years I tried hostas, yew, forest grass, salal, brunet, and pursulane there but they all died in a single season. Mint seems to be happily growing along! Other than that I don’t have to do anything for the mint, I do love a low maintenance food plant! I don’t fertilize or water at all, I didn’t even give it one drop of water all summer last year and I have not had any mint runners make the four foot journey under the path to invest my evergreen huckleberry.

That arrangement didn’t last long as I found out the only seemingly possible way to kill a mint plant is by letting it get root bound. Mint is an extremely fast grower. Mint spreads mainly by runner roots but just in case you thought you had a contained impervious spot for mint it also flowers and spreads viable seed all summer long.

Practical planting and containment

To plant a cutting, place the stem in a glass of water until it sprouts roots, and then plant as you would a seedling. A 12-inch pot is the perfect size for a single plant. Keep it well taken care of and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it grows to fill the pot. When choosing a location for your mint plants, you’ll want to plan for some kind of barrier to keep your herbs contained. Since your mint plants may also have to be shielded during the hottest part of the day, we recommend growing them in a container that can be easily moved around from spot to spot in the yard. If you want to grow mint outside a container, we recommend a solid barrier, like a walkway or garden bed. The most common solution is to submerge a pot or container into the ground so that the roots are contained. I have heard the only way to grow mint non-invasively is in a container but don’t leave your container of mint unattended!

The stems will put down new roots wherever they come into contact with the ground, so encouraging a shorter, bushy growth by trimming the tops is encouraged if you plan to grow pennyroyal in the ground. If you have your mint container growing near the rest of your garden, be cautions of stray stems that may grow over the edge of the plant and towards the ground. As my name states, i've never gardened before. i want to start by growing mint, but i'm at school most of the day, and on top of that, i leave every Thursday and don't come back until Sunday. Being in school all day isn't a problem--just water before you leave or after you get home.

Soil, watering and mulch recommendations

You can recreate these conditions by adding organic matter, or mulching and/or composting, which preserves moistness. To keep the soil well-aerated, avoid stepping on the soil surrounding your plants. Mint grows best in moist conditions so use your judgment based on the precipitation level of your season and region. Mulching: To keep the leaves clean and the soil moist, use a light mulch. For best results, dress the soil with a thin layer of organic fertilizer or compost.

Make sure you water frequently, allowing the top of the soil to become dry to the touch before you water each time. Most gardeners find success watering every 2 to 4 days. Don’t water daily. Mint does well in constantly damp, not soggy, soil.

Varieties and their tendencies in dry spots

As mentioned earlier, there are over 600 varieties of mint. Each has its own flavor or scent, though some may be similar. Be sure the type you choose is not only best suited to your growing region, but also its intended purpose. Some are perfect for culinary uses while others are medicinal or simply aesthetically pleasing.

• Peppermint: Not as invasive as some of its relatives, peppermint still has a tendency to spread and is best suited to a container. Peppermint is good for indigestion and bloating by helping relax the muscles that keep gases trapped in the stomach and intestines.
• Spearmint: Spearmint grows best in partial shade with well-draining, rich, moist soil. Spearmint, once planted, will grow and spread quickly if not contained.
• Pineapple mint: A very visually appealing variety which spreads quickly, making it ideal for covering large areas. Pineapple mint appreciates full sun or partial shade, and will grow tall or spread wide depending on how much sun it receives.
• Woolly/fuzzy mint: Also known as “woolly” or “fuzzy” mint, this variety can be highly invasive and quickly take over large areas if not contained. It prefers full to partial shade, and requires regular watering until the plants are established.
• Apple mint: Apple mint thrives on being cut back, which should be done once or twice each season.
• Watermint: If you have a pond in your landscaping, watermint is an ideal addition. The greenery will spread across the water, adding fragrance and color to the space.
• Orange mint: Orange mint prefers rich, moist and clay-like soils that are a little acidic, which means it can grow in those places where other plants have a hard time holding on.

Maintenance, harvesting and propagation

Mint does not produce easily from seed so for maximum efficiency you’ll need 1 to 2 cuttings (from a fellow gardener) or 1 to 2 plants from a nursery. When harvesting an entire plant, cut the stem approximately one inch from the soil. Pick mint leaves as needed for maximum freshness. Once plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the leaves and stems. Harvesting mint is as simple as picking off a few fresh leaves when you need them. Never take more than one-third of the leaves on the plant at a time, and allow it some time to recover and regrow before harvesting more. If you find that your plants are overproducing the amount of mint that you need, don’t be afraid to trim them back.

Once every two or three years, divide the plant and transplant or discard the extras. Make sure you finish harvesting mint before temperatures drop. A cold snap will kill the aboveground part of your mint, but the roots will sprout again in the spring as long as there is enough plant material left to cover the roots for winter protection. Fresh mint leaves can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days before they start to wilt. Longer storage requires dehydration, which can be done with a food dryer, an oven set on low, or even hanging bundles in a warm well-ventilated room.

Pests, diseases and other challenges

Because of the strong smell, mint is frequently left alone by insets and other pests. While mint is an exceptionally tough plant it is vulnerable to snails, slugs, thrips, aphids, cutworms, and spider mites when young. Spraying plants with a strong jet of water can help get rid of spider mite populations (symptoms: yellow or bronzed leaves, webbing on leaves). Cutworms, which you know you have if the stem is severed at the soil line, can be managed by removing plant residue from soil following a harvest.

Mint rust, a fungus that generates small orange, yellow, or brown pustules on the undersides of mint leaves, can be fought using a heat treatment in which the roots are immersed in hot water, cooled, and then replanted. To prevent mint rust, keep plants thinned for adequate air circulation within the plant, and remove dead stems.

Companion planting and garden benefits

Plant mint near tomatoes, cabbage, kale, peas, or broccoli to give those vulnerable plants some of the mint’s protective pest-resistance. Mint can be a boon for the garden, too. Full of pollen and nectar, mint attracts beneficial bugs like honey bees and hoverflies, while deterring not-so-helpful pests like ants, flies, mosquitoes, rats, and mice. Catmint is ideal as an insect deterrent, especially if you have challenges with aphids and Japanese beetles.

Growing mint in containers for drought-prone gardeners

A 12-inch pot is the perfect size for a single plant. Since your mint plants may also have to be shielded during the hottest part of the day, we recommend growing them in a container that can be easily moved around from spot to spot in the yard. This summer, why not follow up an afternoon in the garden with a little cocktail chemistry? Muddle six mint leaves with syrup in a chilled julep cup (or an Old Fashioned glass if you don’t have one). Pack glass with crushed ice and pour bourbon over the top. Stir briskly and add more ice until glass is chilled through.

Whether you’re starting a garden from scratch, expanding your current selection of plants or looking to add a new variety to your kitchen windowsill, let the garden experts at SummerWinds help you decide what to bring home next. Mint is a really good plant to start off with, and I hope you enjoy the exercise - gardening is a brilliant subject to take up as an interest.

tags: #is #mint #drought #tolerant