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Why Mint stems don't remain the same?

healthexperts919healthexperts919 Posts: 12
in Problem solving
As the mint grows, they start to get hard stems and small leaves. The leaves are supposed to grow big, but they remain small. I believe it could have some kind of thing affecting its growth. Other plants are sort of alright.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 79,527
    Do you feed the plants?  Mint is a hungry plant. 

    How do you harvest your mint?  

    Dont pick off the individual leaves … cut the stems from near the base … new ones will regrowth and if the plants have sufficient water and nutrition you’ll get bigger leaves. 

    Renew the plants each spring … discarding the older roots and replanting the younger tours in newly enriched soil. 

    Keep the soil damp. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • healthexperts919healthexperts919 Posts: 12
    I cut leaves from the top as I want them to spread and not be very tall. They got nutrient-rich soil. I am not sure if we changed the soil recently. We don't want to add any chemical kind of stuff to grow so we use kitchen foodstuff as manure. The soil is damp enough, it's just those warm days it wasn't otherwise, it was alright.

  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 20,599
    What type of mint is it,  I don’t know one that the leaves grow big?
    How long have you had it?
    When you say other plants are sort of alright,  are they or are they not? 

    Mint grows everywhere here, I’ve confined some to a bucket,  soil’s never been changed, I forget about it, it rarely gets watered,  I also just pick the top shoots when I need it.
    It spreads underground and I’m still trying to dig it out of my veg patch, it’s coming up quite a way away now in a rough piece of ground amongst nettles that I leave.
    it behaves like Ground Elder, any bit of root you leave in will grow again. 

    There’s a good article here from the RHS,  you’ll note they say put it in a container in just multipurpose compost,  that doesn’t have much nutrition which is how it does best.
    The plants that are coming up in my rough patch are very good, the ground’s never been touched, very poor soil. 

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/herbs/mint



    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 79,527
    https://www.thehungrygardener.com.au/veggiepatch/2018/2/21/how-to-grow-mint
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 20,599
    Different conditions I expect in Australia Dove.
    I think the RHS are usually pretty good for tuition. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 79,527
    Works here in Norfolk UK @Lyn :)
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • healthexperts919healthexperts919 Posts: 12
    @Lyn Not sure of the kind but most likely it is Moroccon mint that had nice leaves. We planted it last year and later that year it grew nicely. Thank you :)
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 1,713
    We have Moroccan mint. It is brilliant for tea. We cut it fresh taking a whole stem at a time and then strip the leaves off and allow it to dry. This gives a far better flavour than fresh mint.
    We have had it in the garden now for 5 years and apart from above, we do nothing to it.
    It isn't watered or fed.
    It dies back in the winter and then new growths start in the spring....sometimes where we don't want them but then they are pulled up and dried for tea.
    The garden mint we use in cooking is hopefully confined but still finds a way to send out its runners. The leaves are just picked from the stems as and when needed.
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