Thanks for the great info!! Your explanation makes a lot of sense, and it definitely sounds like getting rid of that pesky mint once and for all is doable. Thanks!!

~ Liz

Plants like mint send growing material down to their rhizomes for safe keeping. They are planning for when something comes by and nibbles (or cuts or pulls or otherwise kills off) the green stuff. Then they use their saved stash of sugars and nutrients to send up those pesky new sprouts.

The key to irradicating the mint is to exhaust these below-ground emergency stores of sugars and nutrients. How do you do this?

First, pot what you want to save. Second, pull or dig up as much of the plant from the ground as you can: every last little green sprig, and whatever roots come with. Next, check for resprouts at least once a week, and pluck them when they are still tiny. Do this for a growing season, or until you haven’t seen a sprout for a couple months. If any stray sprouts pop up after that, pounce on them immediately.

The reason why Ray’s strategy of clearing them 3 times/year doesn’t work, is that the plants have time to get big and replenish their below-ground emergency food supply. Their below-ground emergency supply never gets depleted. You have to stay on them while their small. I would shoot for plucking them when they’re still an inch high.

But if you pluck them often, when they are still tiny, they will consume the energy in their rhizomes, but not have the opportunity to replenish it. Repeat this again and again, and over time, the energy stored in the rhizomes will be drained down to nothing. Then the plant will stop resprouting, because it has no more below-ground reserves with which to do it. At this point, it’s (finally!) dead.

In other words, it’s true that if you yank them up, “any little pieces of root that are left behind will be called into action to sprout new mint plants.” But this doesn’t mean the yanking is “a no-no.” Quite the opposite: you have to do it A LOT. Get those little pieces of root to sprout, let them use up their energy, and then yank them before they get big enough to refill their tanks.

I’m guessing that a one-time herbicidal application won’t be very effective, because from the plant’s perspective, it’s the same as yanking them: Generally, you’re just killing the top, not the rhizomes. This should also “call into action” the roots alive underground.

If you want to go the herbicide route, it should be done analogously to the plucking-by-hand strategy above: Frequently, and when the plants are tiny. The disadvantage of using herbicides in this way is that it might add up to a lot of herbicide in your yard/garden, which might make your other plants unhappy–even if the remedy is homemade.

Personally, I would just hand-pluck them. It’s more work at the start–at first you’ll probably get a carpet of little sprouts. But, it lessens over time as the roots exhaust their energy reserves. Plus, it relieves some stress, and you can reward yourself with an herbicide-free mojito when you’re done.

I wish there was a quicker fix, but this should work if you’re persistent. Good luck!

My heart goes out to you in battling those pesky mint plants – mine aren’t nearly as crazy as yours, but I can certainly sympathize with how difficult they are to deal with! Good luck, and I hope you ultimately reign victorious over those evil plants!

~ Liz

Hey there! Here’s my advice for your ailing mint – curse it, pull it up by the roots and hope that it dies – then it will flourish! Or at least it should, based upon my experience with this lovely plant. :)

~ Liz

Ah, I’m dreaming that my mint will die a quick death like your mom’s basil plant . . . but sadly, I don’t think it’s going to happen. In the meantime, I’m definitely going to make the most of it and follow everyone’s suggestion to make mojitos. :)

I think my course of attack is going to be to try to dig up all of the little buggers and then douse them liberally (and repeatedly) with the homemade weed-killer combo of salt, dish soap and vinegar – I’m finding that there aren’t really any “selective” weed killers out there that will kill the weeds but not your lawn. But if you guys know of anything, let me know!!

~ Liz