Must have mint

Being in the fortunate position of having a never-ending supply of plants at my disposal, means that my list of must-have herbs for the garden is actually quite long! But if I had to narrow it down mint would be right near the top of the list.

It’s great in summer drinks and salads, mint sauce on a roast, dips and more. But just, if not more, importantly it’s very easy to grow and maintain. In fact, sometimes it can be too easy to grow and take over your garden. Which is why I always recommend growing it in a pot – even if you’re planting in a garden bed.

Get a bundle of our mint plants from the supermarket next time you’re there. Or head online to www.Awapuni.co.nz and order one from our online shop. If you’re only after one mint plant, which is often the case when buying herbs, try one of our mixed bundles like our Italian flat leaf parsley, mint and marjoram bundle.

If you’re going to take the risk and plant directly into your garden bed, it’s a good idea to apply a general fertiliser to the garden before planting. If you’re going to grow your mint in a pot, simply use a good quality potting mix. Dig a small hole, pop your mint seedling in and cover the roots with soil.

If you’re putting a pot in your garden, dig a hole large enough for the lip of the pot to be even with the ground. Pop your pot in and fill in around the pot with soil. This will keep the roots of your mint contained and stop it from taking over the garden.

Once planted, keep the soil moist. In just a few weeks you should be able to start picking mint leaves as you require them.

Henri Ham
Awapuni Nurseries
www.awapuni.co.nz

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