Mint is an herb with a high approval rating among eaters. The same is definitely not true for gardeners and their plants.
The scoop
TikTok creator Homespiff (@l.beck) shared a cautionary tale for gardeners, along with a way to keep the herb in check.
@l.beck #herbgarden #mint #gardentipsandtricks ♬ original sound - Homespiff
The video starts dramatically: "Do not make this mistake while planting your mint!" Homespiff explains that the issue is that when you plant mint in the ground, it spreads uncontrollably from bed to bed.
In the garden shown in the video, you can see it cropping up several feet away from its origin, despite rocks between the beds and plenty of separation. Homespiff admits it can be "so frustrating" to deal with. Fortunately, there's a way to cut down on the spread.
Homespiff advises getting a bucket of at least two gallons to make a new home for the mint. Next up is digging out the mint from the hole with a shovel. Once you've managed that, you can dig a hole for the bucket. Some dirt goes in that bucket before it takes its residence a few inches above the ground.
Lastly, the mint goes back in, and gardeners should check to see that there's sufficient soil in and around the bucket. After it's situated, you'll want to remove any lingering mint roots and plants that are behind its spread. The hack should help limit and slow future expansion from there.
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How it's helping
Homespiff's hack is a way to control the damage of a common gardening mistake. It's worth pointing out that not all mint is invasive to North America, but still, even if it's a native type, it can prove a handful for your garden.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables comes with benefits like saving money on produce, enjoying better-tasting food, and promoting physical health. This hack can help in reducing the time you spend pulling out mint plants, so you can enjoy the herb in your cooking without the caveat of major yard upkeep.
If your mint isn't already in the ground, there are other hacks that might be even better to control it, like container planting.
What everyone's saying
TikTokers were aware of the famous saying of "nature finds a way" from Jurassic Park and wanted to advise viewers that the pesky mint could find a way out eventually.
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What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Mowing the lawn 🏡 A user asked: "Won't the mint just grow through the drainage holes and continue to spread?"
A commenter had a suggestion to help prevent that from occurring. "You've also gotta make sure you put some mesh/weed cloth in the bottom to keep any roots from growing down and out," they wrote.
There was also a commenter who chose to see the bright side of mint's dominance. "That's what happened to my dad lol now his front lawn is all mint but it smells amazing," they shared.
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