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From: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Re: query: how to prune an overgrown mint plant?
Message-ID: <427@hp-sdd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Sep-86 16:21:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: hp-sdd.427
Posted: Thu Sep  4 16:21:12 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Sep-86 10:13:01 EDT
References: <2259@hammer.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division
Lines: 23

It's impossible to overprune mint!  The stuff will grow back from the
teensiest piece of root left in the soil.  I have totally decimated it
on the surface, rototilled the soil, covered it with black plastic
and cooked it in the sun - and as soon as I stop actively fighting it,
the stuff comes back.  In fact, it seems to thrive on abuse - cutting
off all that brown woody stuff encourages succulent green growth.

Mint is considered a weed by most gardeners I know.  In fact, some
gardening books suggest not planting it except in containers or
containers sunk into the ground to sequester the roots.  My house
came with a mint patch (which I made the mistake of building a compost
pile on top of - boy, did the mint like that!).

It's a good thing I like fresh tabouli so much!

Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
 "every time that wheel goes round, bound to cover just a little more ground"
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