Monday, June 3, 2013

Herbs: A Place to Begin... Dividing Mint

Being part of our county's Master Gardener Speakers Guild is a lot of fun. My program is titled "Herbs: A Place to Begin". It is for anyone who might be curious about growing herbs or is just beginning to use them. I give simple advice for ways to incorporate tasty herbs into your every day life. After such a sweet reception to my presentation, I will be adding regular posts about herbs.
Watch for the ones titled "A Place to Begin".

This post should probably come with a warning.  If you are growing mint, warning, it can be very aggressive.  You will want to keep it contained in some way.  I keep mine in pots in the greenhouse.  You'll need to divide it pretty often to keep it healthy.

How do you know when it needs to be divided?

Pull the plant from its pot and look at the root system.  How many roots can you see?  If you can see very many, the plant needs more room. 

This poor spearmint definitely needs some space!

 photo MintJelly037_zpsaef1fefb.jpg

     For roots this crowded, I'll cut the plant into fourths using kitchen scissors.

 photo MintJelly038_zpsaf5d3212.jpg

Notice each division has roots as well as leaves.

 photo MintJelly041_zpsd1197c37.jpg

Place in pots with new soil and the mint will continue to grow.  These divisions make wonderful gifts!  Everyone appreciates fresh herbs!

Are you looking for ways to use mint?  Please check my Recipes Page !

Remember to visit my Stone Cottage each week as I give tips on simple ways to bring herbs into your everyday life. Look for the posts titled "A Place to Begin".

;-)  -Marci

14 comments:

  1. I was just thinking that I should divide my mint this year - now after seeing your pictures - it is time to divide! Thanks so much!
    Angie
    PS - I sent you an email about the Blog Train (almost late - sorry)(just wanted to make sure that you receive it).

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  2. I wish my mint was growing so well!! :)

    Helen
    Blue Eyed Beauty Blog
    Exercise Encouragement Group Blog

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  3. I have had mint completely take over a garden area! Someone told me once that if you cut out the bottom of a large plastic pot or a bathroom size waste basket and put it in the ground up to the rim, then plant your mint in it that it won't spread because the roots are contained. I haven't tried it yet. Do you know if that is true? Sorry for the run-on sentence there!

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  4. I really enjoy your gardening tips Marci. Thank you.

    Wishes for tasty dishes,
    Linda
    Tumbleweed Contessa

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  5. Great post. We are growing mint this year for the first time. I hope you will share this with us today at The HomeAcre Hop.

    http://summersacres.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-homeacre-hop-22.html

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  6. Thanks for sharing your awesome tips on dividing herbs. I love gardening. ;o)

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  7. We definitely learned the hard way about how aggressive mint can be. This is awesome and a great contribution to Ladies Only Blog Share. Thank you so much for this!

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  8. great tips!! Thank you for sharing. I'm hopping over from Megan's Brag About It hop today xo

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  9. Thanks for the great gardening tips. And ohh, to have that perfect garden. Somehow this year, I just haven't been motivated to do anything with my garden.

    Heidi’s Wanderings

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  10. Now that I am looking at your mint-I'm going to have to go out and buy a small pot of the stuff and add it to my little herb garden - can't wait to smell and taste the stuff! (Sharon)

    Thanks for sharing on the BeBetsy BRAG ABOUT IT. Have a wonderful weekend!

    Sharon and Denise
    BeBetsy

    Follow us:
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  11. Thanks for the great tips. My herbs are doing great and some are ready to be divided. Thanks for sharing this week @Tuesdays with a Twist.

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  12. I had no idea mint needed dividing. Great tips, thanks!

    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

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  13. I had no idea you could cut the roots! Great tips

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  14. I had no idea it was so easy! I thought I had to untangle all those roots! thanks for the info!

    Thanks for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday. We hope you'll stop back this week!

    Lisa

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