The Great Chocolate Mint Rebellion - Page 4

ddsack · December 4, 2010

I would think that you could just pop a bit of root and stem into a ziplock baggy and then into a bubble mailer, or just a brown manilla envelope with a bit of paper towel padding around the baggy, and it should ship ok. Since it's so cold hardy, I wouldn't think shipping in the winter would harm it. But no, I have not tried it myself.

**Mischka** · December 4, 2010

I'm headed outside now to see how difficult pulling some up may be.

The roots weave a dense surface mat that pretty much chokes out anything else that tries to share space with it, so I'm guessing it shouldn't be too much trouble.

Will report back.

RinTinTin · December 5, 2010

Mints are like that. Years ago, I had a patch in a community garden, and while they would not prohibit growing mints, they strongly discouraged the practice. "If you do not control them, WE will pull all of them." It was understood that "we" meant the people who operated the garden, or ANY gardener who's plot was being invaded.

stormymater · January 6, 2011

Mischka - you still game to send out some mint? Want a mailer or postage? Let's see how rampant Yankee mint can be down here in the hot, humid, sunny Southland!

Stepheninky · January 7, 2011

Those propane torch weed burning outfits are on sale at Harbor Freight for 29.99 if all else does not work burn it to the ground. I have some mint in flower beds but it says in control for me so must be a different kind or something

gardenpaws_VA · January 7, 2011

Stormymater, I grow it (or it grows) in my yard in VA. Since Mischka may still be snowed in, I can try to get a piece of it for you out of my patch and send it along. Message me if you're interested - right now I have bare ground, albeit somewhat crunchy. (The only real challenge is making sure you get chocolate mint rather than curly spearmint, but you'll know which is which as soon as it matures a leaf or two - the shape and color are both different.)

Robin

**Mischka** · January 8, 2011

The ground is frozen solid and under 6" of snow now. The ground thaws here in April, so don't hesitate to remind me and I'll pull some up for you then.

p.s. - no mailer or postage needed.

stormymater · January 15, 2011

TY - both of you!

Shellben · January 23, 2011

We grow about 10 varieties of mint every year (this year I'm eying Jim Westerfield's mints at Richter's), and we get so much use out of them! (Chocolate mint is always one of them.) We steep the mint while making a simple syrup to make a delightful mint syrup. We then use this syrup to make iced tea, mojitos, mint julep (with still more fresh mint leaves added to the pitcher or glass), and even mint pop! What a nice treat for the kids, with no high-fructose corn syrup. We just add some mint syrup to sparkling water, throw in some mint leaves, and voila! Homemade mint pop. And using this same simple syrup idea, we've made syrups out of lemon thyme, orange balsam thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, and ginger (can't grow the ginger here in Michigan, so we have to get that at the grocery store.) We even gave the syrups away in little jars as Christmas presents. The kids LOVE our herb garden. And the mint is an integral part of that. We just like to grow it in pots so that we can all stay friends. ; ) Good luck!

hmacdona · January 23, 2011

Chocolate mint is the favourite mint I have growing in my garden. When I get home from work in the summertime, I love picking the fresh leaves and brewing a fresh cup of chocolate mint tea to relax. I literally just wash the leaves, put them in the cup and pour boiling water in the cup. It makes the best mint tea. I love that it's leaves are much bigger than my other mints as well.

I've never tried baking with it, but promised myself I'd try that this year

It's funny, the chocolate mint is much better behaved in my garden than any of the other mints I'm growing.

Indyartist · January 23, 2011

Yikes! Peppermint! It spreads like crazy! The only use I have for mint (although I now have a 16 square foot area from one plant!), is that it attracts wonderful butterflies in late Summer. I have tons of Butterfly pictures thanks to the otherwise evil plant.

Here is some in my Flickr photo stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopkins...n/photostream/

piegirl · March 16, 2011

Just read thru this thread laughing. Years ago I brought home mint plants - black peppermint and golden mint from a public herb garden I was helping maintain. Both did well and were well behaved. When I bought the house I relocated both. Jammed the shovel into the peppermint and nearly gassed myself! Golden mint was planted in a sunny place and in a year was a nightmare - still can't believe I got rid of ALL of it. The peppermint was planted in a shady area and remained under relative control. Then the awful half dead trees next door came down and OMG - it is out of control. So maybe the secret to control is light to medium shade. DO NOT ever plant golden mint, very fragrant but - just don't! piegirl

lurley · March 18, 2011

Yep I'll second that. Getting rid of the mint and lemon balm in my herb garden is gonna be one of my major projects this year. Took the one warm day we've had so far (about two weeks ago?) and dug up a lot of the roots but I know I'll be leaving that area unplanted this year and grabbing the round up to keep knocking down anything that comes up. I never planted peppermint but am always pulling it out of my strawberry beds, must've been from the previous owner before I built the strawberry beds. The only place where I have it and it seems to stay under control is a small patch of mint in the north flower bed that is shaded by the house and only gets an hour or two of evening sun each day. Shade must be the key around here too.

jgaleota · March 19, 2011

LOL, what a great topic! Like Lurley, my major goal this year is to get rid of lemon balm, which is taking over. Years ago when I lived in Iowa I planted mint in an herb garden that we established around an abandoned well. When I went back to visit 20 years later, the new tenants had CEMENTED OVER the entire bed, but..........there was a little piece of mint growing out from under the edge of the concrete. No square-stemmed plants in the ground for me either.....

piegirl · March 22, 2011

AARRGGGHHHHH - just dug out a packed bushel basket of black peppermint from my one bed - spread about 12', just creeps along even in winter. I pulled a large section that was matted next to the garage wall (concrete) just rolled it up in a ball. Haven't even tried the pathway yet - positive it has crept under and over and headed for the main garden. I wouldn't even think about composting the stuff. At least the garbage can will smell great! piegirl

December 4, 2010	#46
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	I would think that you could just pop a bit of root and stem into a ziplock baggy and then into a bubble mailer, or just a brown manilla envelope with a bit of paper towel padding around the baggy, and it should ship ok. Since it's so cold hardy, I wouldn't think shipping in the winter would harm it. But no, I have not tried it myself. __________________ Dee **************

December 4, 2010	#47
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	I'm headed outside now to see how difficult pulling some up may be. The roots weave a dense surface mat that pretty much chokes out anything else that tries to share space with it, so I'm guessing it shouldn't be too much trouble. Will report back. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

January 8, 2011	#52
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	The ground is frozen solid and under 6" of snow now. The ground thaws here in April, so don't hesitate to remind me and I'll pull some up for you then. p.s. - no mailer or postage needed. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

January 23, 2011	#54
Shellben Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Clarkston, Michigan Posts: 1	Uses for Mint We grow about 10 varieties of mint every year (this year I'm eying Jim Westerfield's mints at Richter's), and we get so much use out of them! (Chocolate mint is always one of them.) We steep the mint while making a simple syrup to make a delightful mint syrup. We then use this syrup to make iced tea, mojitos, mint julep (with still more fresh mint leaves added to the pitcher or glass), and even mint pop! What a nice treat for the kids, with no high-fructose corn syrup. We just add some mint syrup to sparkling water, throw in some mint leaves, and voila! Homemade mint pop. And using this same simple syrup idea, we've made syrups out of lemon thyme, orange balsam thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, and ginger (can't grow the ginger here in Michigan, so we have to get that at the grocery store.) We even gave the syrups away in little jars as Christmas presents. The kids LOVE our herb garden. And the mint is an integral part of that. We just like to grow it in pots so that we can all stay friends. ; ) Good luck!

January 23, 2011	#56
Indyartist Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 229	Yikes! Peppermint! It spreads like crazy! The only use I have for mint (although I now have a 16 square foot area from one plant!), is that it attracts wonderful butterflies in late Summer. I have tons of Butterfly pictures thanks to the otherwise evil plant. Here is some in my Flickr photo stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopkins...n/photostream/ __________________ Indyartist Zone 5b, NE Indiana -------------------------- “Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects” Luther Burbank

December 5, 2010	#48
RinTinTin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle Posts: 581	Mints are like that. Years ago, I had a patch in a community garden, and while they would not prohibit growing mints, they strongly discouraged the practice. "If you do not control them, WE will pull all of them." It was understood that "we" meant the people who operated the garden, or ANY gardener who's plot was being invaded.

January 6, 2011	#49
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Mischka - you still game to send out some mint? Want a mailer or postage? Let's see how rampant Yankee mint can be down here in the hot, humid, sunny Southland!

January 7, 2011	#50
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	Those propane torch weed burning outfits are on sale at Harbor Freight for 29.99 if all else does not work burn it to the ground. I have some mint in flower beds but it says in control for me so must be a different kind or something

January 7, 2011	#51
gardenpaws_VA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern Virginia, USA - zone 7+ Posts: 161	Stormymater, I grow it (or it grows) in my yard in VA. Since Mischka may still be snowed in, I can try to get a piece of it for you out of my patch and send it along. Message me if you're interested - right now I have bare ground, albeit somewhat crunchy. (The only real challenge is making sure you get chocolate mint rather than curly spearmint, but you'll know which is which as soon as it matures a leaf or two - the shape and color are both different.) Robin

January 15, 2011	#53
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	TY - both of you!

January 23, 2011	#55
hmacdona Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Calgary, AB Canada (Zone 3A) Posts: 443	Chocolate mint is the favourite mint I have growing in my garden. When I get home from work in the summertime, I love picking the fresh leaves and brewing a fresh cup of chocolate mint tea to relax. I literally just wash the leaves, put them in the cup and pour boiling water in the cup. It makes the best mint tea. I love that it's leaves are much bigger than my other mints as well. I've never tried baking with it, but promised myself I'd try that this year It's funny, the chocolate mint is much better behaved in my garden than any of the other mints I'm growing.

March 16, 2011	#57
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	Just read thru this thread laughing. Years ago I brought home mint plants - black peppermint and golden mint from a public herb garden I was helping maintain. Both did well and were well behaved. When I bought the house I relocated both. Jammed the shovel into the peppermint and nearly gassed myself! Golden mint was planted in a sunny place and in a year was a nightmare - still can't believe I got rid of ALL of it. The peppermint was planted in a shady area and remained under relative control. Then the awful half dead trees next door came down and OMG - it is out of control. So maybe the secret to control is light to medium shade. DO NOT ever plant golden mint, very fragrant but - just don't! piegirl

March 18, 2011	#58
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	Yep I'll second that. Getting rid of the mint and lemon balm in my herb garden is gonna be one of my major projects this year. Took the one warm day we've had so far (about two weeks ago?) and dug up a lot of the roots but I know I'll be leaving that area unplanted this year and grabbing the round up to keep knocking down anything that comes up. I never planted peppermint but am always pulling it out of my strawberry beds, must've been from the previous owner before I built the strawberry beds. The only place where I have it and it seems to stay under control is a small patch of mint in the north flower bed that is shaded by the house and only gets an hour or two of evening sun each day. Shade must be the key around here too.

March 19, 2011	#59
jgaleota Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 133	LOL, what a great topic! Like Lurley, my major goal this year is to get rid of lemon balm, which is taking over. Years ago when I lived in Iowa I planted mint in an herb garden that we established around an abandoned well. When I went back to visit 20 years later, the new tenants had CEMENTED OVER the entire bed, but..........there was a little piece of mint growing out from under the edge of the concrete. No square-stemmed plants in the ground for me either.....

March 22, 2011	#60
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	AARRGGGHHHHH - just dug out a packed bushel basket of black peppermint from my one bed - spread about 12', just creeps along even in winter. I pulled a large section that was matted next to the garage wall (concrete) just rolled it up in a ball. Haven't even tried the pathway yet - positive it has crept under and over and headed for the main garden. I wouldn't even think about composting the stuff. At least the garbage can will smell great! piegirl