Problem with mint and chives

[spursboy61]

Hi all, We have a small area where we used to have a shed, (removed about 5 years ago). It faces South-East and gets sun for most of the day. We use the area for growing pot plants and herbs. We have Sage, Thyme, Rosemary and 4 varieties of Lavender, all of which have grown well over the last few years. Last year we decided to try and grow Mint and Chives in pots as well. We bought plants from a local nursery, potted them and waited. They both grew well for the first week of two and then something began eating them, (slugs perhaps?). We tried surrounding them with sharp sand, but they have been well and truly chomped. We don't want to use slug pellets as we have 3 quite stupid cats! Any ideas?

Regards, Mikey

[Two_Sheds]

They'll have died back over the winter, no?
Mine do, then come back in the spring. (I've never known any pest to eat mint or chives)

[spursboy61]

No, they haven't died back, they have definitely been eaten. This happened in September, and even in this awful Winter, it wasn't that cold back then.

Regards, Mikey

[sarraceniac]

Try putting beer traps round them next spring Mikey. That is really just a shallow dish with an inch or so of beer or lager in it. If it is slugs you will soon know. When heading for the herbs they will be cut off by the intoxicating smell of yeast and will hurl themselves in, to die in an ecstatic drunken orgy. (Bit of poetic licence there but they will die happy).

[maytreefrannie]

I'd have thought mint and chives would be among the safest herbs because of their strong smell. Obviously I was wrong, but I wonder would it help to put the pots on top of something like a couple of blocks or a pallet - would it keep the slugs from getting up there?

[kentvegplot]

I'm amazed that the chives have been chomped - I thought that would have been pretty safe. Raise the pots certainly, and if you can put them on something which the slugs don't like crawling over, all the better.

You may of course have the slugs already in the pots, in which case in Spring, knock them out, wash off the roots and re-pot into new clean compost. You can take cuttings of the mint at the same time, of course.

Good luck!

[srodders]

Maybe the cats are REALLY stupid, and it's them that have eaten them!!

[spursboy61]

Maybe the cats are REALLY stupid, and it's them that have eaten them!!

You have obviously met my cats!!!

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, I reckon it's cats. They like catnip, which is a form of mint.

[FB.]

My cat will sometimes eat chives and other herbs.

[Nicos]

My mint over here was munched by loads of these blighters last year....

Wildlife - Mint Leaf Beetle

http://www.uksafari.com/mintleaf.htm

They were ll over the leaves- and easy to see during the day...not those on your mint by any chance??? ( I'd never even heard of them before!)

[spursboy61]

Thanks for that Nicos. I've never heard of them either. Don't remember anything that looked like them on my mint but I will keep an eye out for them next year.

Mikey

[Nicos]

Well- it's just an idea- and it goes say as far North as the Midlands- so you're in it's zone .
No wonder I'd never seen them- Cheshire is North of the Midlands!!!

Oh and by the way- welcome to the Vine!

[spursboy61]

Hi all, just an update. Both the mint and the chives are regrowing well. (Spent most of this glorious early weather in the garden).

Happy Spring! Mikey

[toastie]

Mint is extremely hardy. Last year some of mine was eaten by slugs but has just started to grow back. I'd definately keep it in pots, it can be split each year, as it will grow like wildfire if it is allowed to.

Cut my chives right back and thats just started to grow back now.

Rosemary is extremely hardy - used last year's to start off some little plants for this year that are going ok. Have just repotted the 'main' plant.

Basil is really easy to grow and as we eat a lot of Italian meals, it saves keeping buying plants from the supermarket. Sage coming on that was planted last year.

Also plan to grow dill and coriander (although I've tried coriander before and it didn't grow very well).