Some strange kind of mint?

[K_mommy0407]

Ah, those sound just great.* I'm a fan of Celestial Seasonings and herbal teas.* I can't wait to try to make some.* I've never done it before.* Should be fun.

[Newt]

Btw, I've found that mint in sun tea is good too.* I also put some lemon verbena aka Aloysia tryphylla in it.* If you plant it be sure to keep an eye on it.* Once it blooms it will seed all over the garden and can become a pest.* I find it likes dry spots with lots of sun.* The bees and other beneficials love the flowers.
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...t_herb_tea.php
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/verlem05.html

You might like this site for reference if you haven't already found it.
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html

Newt

[K_mommy0407]

Thanks, Newt. The mystery mint is in a container, but I did put some spearmint in the ground yesterday, which I'm having second thoughts about.* I plan on keeping an eye on it and pruning as necessary, and putting it in a pot if it gets too aggressive.* I've got it near some lavender and sweet pepper.* Any advice for keeping the roots under control?

[Newt]

Not sure where you live, but unless you are in a cold zone like 5 or colder, I would put the mint in a pot and just sink the pot into the ground for the winter.* Mints root along their stems and will quickly get out of control.

Newt

[K_mommy0407]

Darn it!* *sigh* I guess I have another trip to the gardening center to make.* I'm in Florida.* It's between a lavender and sweet pepper.* It looks so sweet and unassuming at the moment, but I've heard it can become a monster.* My husband isn't too interested in me moving it unless it becomes a problem, but he may see it differently if it attacks his precious tomatoes.

Can I bury it in a terra-cotta pot, or does it need to be plastic?* Can I use a small pot, say about 6 inches in diameter?* It really is a pretty small little thing at the moment.* I just want it big enough to use and look nice without taking over.

[K_mommy0407]

Also, when I bury it, should I leave the rim of the pot above ground?* Just under the surface?

[Newt]

Florida has hardiness zones 8 through 10, so you should be ok with sinking a* pot into the soil.* If you are in the warmer part of zone 8 or warmer, you could sink a terracotta pot into the ground.* It's the freeze, thaw and freeze again that will crack the terracotta pots.* If you aren't sure of your hardiness zone you can use this zip code zone finder or the map.* The map gives the 'a' and 'b' zones.
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/c...ps/FLhardy.jpg

When we renovated the back garden I had to dig up all the plants.* I had 500 pots to sink into the ground for the winter in my zone 7 garden.* I used the plastic nursery pots that ranged in size from a 4" pot to 3 gallons.* I buried the pots up to their rims and put mulch on the ground up to the pot.* The rims were level with the ground.* I found that if there was more then 1" or so of space between the top of the soil IN the pot and the top of the rim of the pot, it became a bit of a problem in the spring when ice would form and melt and form again.* This was especially a problem with the smaller pots as the plants were small. Without knowing your hardiness zone it's difficult to say what to anticipate.

Newt

[K_mommy0407]

I'm zone 9.* I guess the question would be, how big of a pot would I have to sink?* If I use a small one, would it just keep the spearmint small, or kill it?

[Newt]

I would recommend you use the appropriate size pot for the size of the rootball, leaving an inch or two of width for growth.* If you plan on permanently having the pot sunken into the soil you should pull the pot each fall and check to see if it needs a pot that is 2" larger.* Repot if necessary in early fall.* Eventually you can root prune and top prune to keep it a certain size.* Maybe this will be helpful.
http://www.ourgardengang.com/containerpotting.htm
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=70

Newt

[K_mommy0407]

Well, I ended up putting it in a far corner of the yard that the previous owners used as a little garden.* I figure over there and can go wild to its heart's content.