Is it worth growing mint from seed?

[janeyo]

I normally buy several different varieties from the garden centre at about �1 each and pot them up, leave them on the decking outside the kitchen and they last me til about October then I get rid of them when they flower and go leggy and woody.

But wondered if it's better to grow them from seed?

Sorry, this should be in the herb section.

[Nicos]

Urmm...why do you throw them out???

I cut mine back to just above soil level- and they grow back the following year!!!

I thought mint was perennial!

[sarraceniac]

I do the same nicos.

[Gwen11ian]

I would just get them from the garden center, unless there is some particular variety that you want (and they don't have).

Don't throw them out either.. like the others have said, just cut back and it will all regrow in the spring. Mine has already started.

[janeyo]

I throw them out cos I'm lazy. And can't be bothered to re-pot and cutback etc. They have outgrown the pot by then and I always want to put spring bulbs in them instead.

[Nicos]

Can't you find a quiet part of the garden to plant them in afterwards- or are you worried they'd take over???

[janeyo]

Well I could as I have a huge garden to fill.... and not much to put in it lol. But I remember my mum having to dig loads of it out each year, after 30 years of living in her house, it still creeps everywhere!

[sarraceniac]

I just throw a handful of chicken pellets on the pot to refresh the compost, not that they are too worried about nutrition. I've never heard of mint outgrowing the pot. I have only repotted once in 10 years and I grow, spear, pepper, grapefruit, pineapple, chocolate, apple and a couple of others that I can't remember mints. And I thought I was a lazy gardener.

[BarleySugar]

I would think swing from seed more of a hassle than repotting the old ones anyway. If I think mine's looking a bit full I break up the rootball and repot some of the bits of root and give the others away. Much cheaper than buying again, and if it's the space you need I suppose you could do this with bulbs planted underneath, they would grow through the mint

[Eco-Chic]

I grew some from seed last year. No problems germinating or transplanting. I'll sow more to finish off the seed this year.

Cuttings are less trouble, however.

[Two_Sheds]

We must have a particularly rampant mint, because it actually breaks its pot (actually it's just chocolate mint).

It's just coming back into growth now, and will be repotted when it warms up. Cuttings will be taken and given away to anyone we don't like (honestly, it's more of a thug than bindweed)

In my first year I planted it on the lotty with my spuds, in about 4 different spots. I am still digging it out

[sarraceniac]

We must have a particularly rampant mint, because it actually breaks its pot (actually it's just chocolate mint).

Are you sure that isn't the frost TS?

[Two_Sheds]

We don't (normally) get any frost, lol

No, it's the mint. The roots completely fill the pot and bust it. I will take some photos when I re-pot it next month