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I bought one of those live mint plant in the fruit/ veggie section of supermarket for $2.99 and put them near a sunny window. Pretty soon they flourished and out-grew their container. I moved them into a bigger pot (more like empty soup plastic container) and they've grown wild again. I clipped of several stems and just plug them into another plastic container (too many take-out food) with potting soil and they survived and growing just fine.
Mint has to be the easiest plant to grow other than weeds, even easier than basil. The only thing is they are thirsty so frequent watering (minimum 2X per day) is needed. I've been warned not to plant them in the garden 'cause they will take over. The word is that Thomas Jefferson had some mint planted in the White House garden and they're still trying to get rid of it today!! These buggers know how to survive and multiply!!!
Agreed and agreed!!! I planted some in two locations, a couple of years ago, and every year now I have to pull most of it up!
I bought one of those live mint plant in the fruit/ veggie section of supermarket for $2.99 and put them near a sunny window. Pretty soon they flourished and out-grew their container. I moved them into a bigger pot (more like empty soup plastic container) and they've grown wild again. I clipped of several stems and just plug them into another plastic container (too many take-out food) with potting soil and they survived and growing just fine.
Mint has to be the easiest plant to grow other than weeds, even easier than basil. The only thing is they are thirsty so frequent watering (minimum 2X per day) is needed. I've been warned not to plant them in the garden 'cause they will take over. The word is that Thomas Jefferson had some mint planted in the White House garden and they're still trying to get rid of it today!! These buggers know how to survive and multiply!!!
Yeah, here it is anyways. It's about two dollars for a clipped bunch that you will use vey quickly.
I'm glad you mentioned basil. I was thinking about getting some of that going as similarly, a small bunch of basil from the supermarket is expensive to buy if it grows easy indoors.
Last question: if you're waiting for roots to sprout with a sprig in a glass of water, how often should I be changing the water?
Yeah, here it is anyways. It's about two dollars for a clipped bunch that you will use vey quickly.
I'm glad you mentioned basil. I was thinking about getting some of that going as similarly, a small bunch of basil from the supermarket is expensive to buy if it grows easy indoors.
Last question: if you're waiting for roots to sprout with a sprig in a glass of water, how often should I be changing the water?
Jesse,
The way I grow them is to use potting soil in plastic soup containers. I then cut holes at the bottom of container so any excess water can drain out. I then put the container in a shallow plastic dish (I have lots of those from take-out food). The shallow dish serve 2 purposes, first to hold excess water from watering the plant and, second; those excess water can be sucked up by the plant if the potting soil is dry. I don't think the neither the mint nor basil roots want to be drowned in water but they don't want to be dry neither.
In the case of mint, I simply insert the cuttings into a new container with potting soil and use my method above to keep the soil damp. They begin to grow after about a week so I think that's the time it take to sprout new roots. The water evaporated quicker than the need to worry about changing them. The roots also will not rot from being drowned in water.
To grow from seeds, you'll just need to keep them damp but not drowning them in water. Cover the seeds with 1/8 inch potting soil and you'll be fine. They should germinate in ~2 weeks.
I find it much easier if I just buy the small plant than trying to grow them from seeds. I am not a patient guy I guess
Every year I plant Black peppermint from a small plant purchased at a greenhouse. It grows like crazy and gets leggy by the end of summer. I break off large stems of it and put it in our storage container where we keep tools and fertilizers and bird seed over the winter. Its supposed to ward off mice, maybe it does. We still get them every year but it seems that they don't make nests inside like they did, they just eat in there.
I've been putting a crushed sprig of it in a bottle of unsweetened tea and let it steep for a few hours until I drink it at lunch at work. It gives the tea just the right refreshing taste and blends in perfectly. I wasn't stressed out this summer enough to make mojitos but I would have liked to.
I think what happens is that new roots grow along the stem if the mint is placed in water. Basil, too (which is in the mint family).
Oregano and Rosemary also start from cuttings rooted in water, so does thyme. I've had rosemary root in less than 10 days.
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