Orange Mint

[Ichigo]

I just recieved a cutting of orange mint in a trade. Can anyone tell me how to take care of it? It came with a bunch of houseplant cuttings. So I can grow it like a houseplant?? Interesting.....

[boo]

Put it in a pot with well drained potting soil. Mint tends to root real fast so you shouldn't have any problems. :) As soon as you have more, we can trade. ;) I have candy, lemon or lime :unsure: and pineapple. :D

It should be fine as a houseplant, but put it outside this spring.

You might want to keep it in a large pot though since mint can take over a yard.

[MaryG]

Ooo ooo boo - in the spring remind me you have pineapple mint, I'd love a sprig of that!

[boo]

Sure thing Mary :)

[TransplantShock]

OMG.....I love mints, all I have is pennyroyal which the dogs like to roll around in. I want to get into collecting the diffrent flavors.....(hint hint hint)

[boo]

We should get everyone together and see how many different kinds we have. I'll be happy to share any of mine. Hopefully it comes back. :unsure: Last year was the first year I tried those, but I would gladly share. :)

[TransplantShock]

Yeah i'll happily share pennyroyal mint but uh...dont curse me out latter....


I hope it survives the winter. Maybe I will put some hay over it its actually still very green.

[Ichigo]

Thanks for the info. I've never grown mint before, and wasn't sure how to take care of them.

Wow! I had no idea there were so many different scents/flavors to mints! Oh man, here's another whole world for me to get lost in! I've read some of the posts about mints. From what I've gathered so far, is that a lot of them can be pretty invasive. Does that happen real fast? Do you think they cold be kept in hanging baskets (like outside in the summer)?

That would be cool to trade our mints in the future. :D I just hope I don't kill it beofre then! :blink:

[TransplantShock]

I once had chocolate mint....mmmmmmmmmm :wub:

[Ichigo]

Mmmm chocolate mint. And the candy mint--and pineapple! I just never knew! :D

[boo]

I had chocolate mint the year before but it didn't come back. Not sure what happened but I was so disappointed. The smell was wonderful :wub: :wub:

Ichi, Teske's Pet & Garden Center :blink: offers a bunch of wonderful mints in the spring. Trades are the best but they might have something different too. :mellow:

[Ichigo]

Thanks Boo. I'll have to remember Teske's come spring.

[DandyLioness]

WOW! Chocolate mint, hu? Sounds way too yummy! How do you use it? <_<

[gardenlady]

i have chocolate mint, apple mint and orange mint. i think the orange mint is such a beautiful plant and of course the choc smells like peppermint patties. the apple has larger fuzzier leaves than the chocolate. if they make it thru the winter i can share!!

did you know the pennyroyal helps keep fleas away, but stay away from it if you are preggo! i think that goes for the doggies too.

[gardenlady]

oh, for got to tell you how i use them...chocolate mints goes well in a cup of hot cocoa mmmmmmmm or flavor a cake with it.

the orange ---i put a bruised leaf in the ice tray and then fill em up and freeze. nice for a tall glass of iced tea.

the apple makes a nice 'winter' tea. i brew that one warm.... all are nummy yummmy :D

[DandyLioness]

garednlady - that's an excellent way to use orange mint. Thanks for the suggestions! SUPER!

[Rowan]

just a quick note on collecting different types of mint -- they cross pollinate with each other (and with marjorum and oreganos)

so you can't trust the seeds they produce if you have several types (of course some of the horsemints produced this way are quite nice too)

[MaryG]

Someone had mentioned this cross-pollinating before so next spring when I plant up new mints in different pots I plan on keeping them well away from each other.

It was probably you Rowan who mentioned it, which was a good thing because I sort of had the idea in mind to get a really large planter and plant it up with all different mints. Guess that idea is out.

[Rowan]

you can still do that Mary -- just don't let them seed

Years back, I learned the hard way about this indiscriminate minting habit... my lovely herb garden bed with three different mints became a solid mass of one type of blended baby mint which crowded out the parent mints completely :rolleyes:

[MaryG]

Thanks Rowan, that's good to know. I pick my mint for teas anyway so it's unlikely they'd go to seed - of course there's always the chance they could do that if I neglect them.

I think it would be so interesting to plant up maybe an old cast iron bathtub all in different mints or have the big planter really near where you sit all the time when you're outside.

[Ichigo]

Um...well, I think I killed it. Well, I did what I could do.........it just got real 'crunchy'. But I potted it up right away, watered it, put it in a bright room. Although, really, I think it was out of my hands. When I recieved it (in a swap), it wasn't wrapped in a damp papertowel or anything, just stuck in a baggie. So I don't know if that had anyhting to do with it or not. Bummer. :( Maybe it'll come back???

[buster]

I have catmint, not catnip- (I have that too) that I can share if it comes back. And some mint seeds I got in a trade. I'll have to check and see what they are. I'll be starting them in Jan. I'd like to try some of the others. They sound awesome. Connie

[DandyLioness]

Connie, I think that catmint is the same thing as catnip. I've been growing it for a few years for my cats! They go bonkers!! :wub:

[Ichigo]

You know, I've always wondered that myself, abiut catnip and catmint.

[DandyLioness]

Catnip is from the mint family. :P

[boo]

Same family but they are different. Catmint isn't as attractive to the kitties but much prettier in the garden. Catnip spreads more too.

[bjmots]

I have chocolate mint and it smells sooooooo good. It's the first plant I got for my chocolate theme garden. Will gladly share in the spring.