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 In Greek mythology there was a young lithe nymph called Minthe who was being chatted up by the god of the Underworld, Hades. However, his wife, Queen Sephony, found out and decided to retaliate. She changed Minthe into a plant, which became known as mint.
Mint has been cultivated for its medicinal properties since ancient times - the Japanese have been growing it to obtain menthol for at least 2,000 years. In Britain our native mint is water mint (Mentha aquatica). The others, spearmint (Mentha spicata) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita) were introduced by the Romans.
There are more than 60 mints listed in the RHS Plant Finder, from Atlas Mountain mint (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija), to chocolate peppermint (Mentha x piperita f. citrata 'Chocolate') and Corsican mint (Mentha requienii). Each has a unique flavour and they all look very different, from the hairy green leaves of the apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) to the stripy green and gold leaves of the ginger mint (Mentha x gracilis). Some are more invasive than others, and you could say there's a mint for everyone's taste and garden.
How and where to grow mint
As mint is well-known for being invasive in the garden, it is preferable to grow it in a container. You can either sink the container into the ground, or make a feature of it by placing it outside your kitchen door. Use a soil-based compost with a good handful of broken crocks in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage.
 Do not be tempted to put lots of different mints into one container because, within a season, not only will the strongest varieties have run riot through the others, but they will also have all lost their individual flavours and end up tasting the same. A worthwhile tip for containerised mint is to repot it each year - otherwise it will slowly die, because the roots wrap themselves around the outside of the plant touching the inside of the pot which causes them to rot if the winter is wet.
In the spring or autumn, repot your mint by removing the plant from the pot, cut it in half using a sharp knife or saw and repot with the root to the centre of the pot. If you then sink the pot into the garden you will have a lovely display. Alternatively, plant in a container and place in an accessible situation. Mint is very tolerant and will adapt to most situations, but given a choice it prefers partial shade.
The only major disease of any significance is mint rust, which is a fungus called puccinia mentha. You can tell if your plants have this fungus by looking at the underside of the leaves. It identifies itself by covering the leaves in rusty spots.
The only organic way to get rid of this disease is to dig up the plant and bin it, or to cover the plant with straw and set it alight. This will sterilise the soil and remove the contaminated leaves. Be warned, mint rust can spread in the wind and remains in the soil for at least three years - so do not plant any mints, tarragon or chives in an affected spot, otherwise they will all become contaminated. |
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