Please help save my mint!

[Little tom]

Hello all,

I'm worried about my mint...
I bought it in March as a very small plant, potted it in good compost. It grew well and was the most beautiful lush green until the end of June. Then I went on holidays, it didn't get watered for 4 days (and weather was hot...). It was somewhat dry when I came back and since then, the leaves seem to have shrunk, many have fallen, and turned a paler green (or even yellow for the oldest leaves with brown spots). It became much more woody at the base.
I've watered it everyday and it doesn't get too much sun exposure (I believe mint does better in part shade). Plus it's fed every week (slightly) while I;m feeding my vegetables.

Would anyone know what the problem could be and how to save it?

I'll post photos...(but I have to buy a camera first...)

Thanks a lot!

[Little tom]

Here are some photos. I've read it could be rust, but I'm not sure. I think I'll only keep a few roots that look healthy and re-start from there...

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Tom, if it is rust then there should be orange spots or blobs underneath the leaves plus orange, yellow and black blobs develope on the stems. But, I think you are over watering the plant which will cause yellow leaves. You shouldn't need to water a mint plant everyday. My mint is basically ignored - with all the rain we get I just don't water and the same goes for my pot of chives.

Tom, can you post a photo of the underneath of the leaves that have the brown / black marks on them please??

[Little tom]

Must be overwatering...I did it again!

There were no colored spots or blobs under the leaves and on the stems. Just the same brown patches under and above the leaves.
I forgot to take a photo and now unfortunately the mint is no more

but it's worth explaining what I found out, the hard way:

Yesterday I decided to repot the plant. The pot turned out to be packed full with entangled roots. The plant was really short of space (2 plants were in the same medium-sized pot actually, can't have been good). That's probably partly the reason why the water wasn't draining well? I ended up breaking many roots accidentally to release the bulk of the plant from its 'prison' (the pot had ridges under which some roots had grown).

[Little tom]

Oh, I kept a few healthy roots to start new plants but I don't even know if now was a great time to repot and propagate it. I'll see. I'll update!

Thanks for your mint advice Lesley, anyway. This means I won't do the same mistakes!

I find it hard to know how to water...
That mint had been doing really great from more than 4 months with daily watering, then I went 4 days on holidays end of June just when it was so hot. Coming back, it was thirsty and many leaves had fallen (my neighbour hadn't managed to come to water the plants, that was bad luck). I started watering daily again but it's never it been the same. I think by then the pot was too full of roots already, and water didn't drain well, but I was blaming everything on the lack of watering during hot weather...

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Tom, I water every other day unless the weather is hot and then I water each day. If it rains (I don't mean a light shower) then there is no need to water that day. When growing in containers the compost does dry out quicker helped by the wind and the sun. Ignore whether the top of the compost looks dry - stick your finger into the container and see just how wet / dry the compost is lower down, which is where the roots are. Too much water starves the roots of oxygen.

Mint is pretty much bomb proof so the roots you saved should regrow Tom.

[Little tom]

Originally Posted by Lesley Jay

Mint is pretty much bomb proof so the roots you saved should regrow Tom.

Ah ah, I'm glad to hear this Lesley!

And I'll check below the surface from now on, you're so right.

I did remember that I started watering the mint regularly only in April (lots of rain before that month). And it was just every 1.5 day, doing really well. It's only after the hot spell in June that I thought 'Right, it's summer now, it needs more water'. I took into account the season rather than the actual temperatures, honestly, I don't know where I got this candid idea that summer ought to be hotter than spring

Anyway with the rain we had yesterday I don't have to water for at least a month!!!

[vegetable-gardener]

Yes sounds like over watering. But my mint and lemon balm go all woody and shrivelled and I cut it down and it will start growing new shouts.

[ale1981]

Tom, mint like most herbs needs to be used to keep growing healthfully.
I suggest you cut and harvest it a bit and you'll soon see the results!

[Little tom]

Thanks for the comments everyone!
(glad to be back to the garden forum after a week away).
I did trim it regularly for cooking and drinking (say a handful a week) - and yes this kept it nice and bushy for 5 months, but when the yellowing started it just didn't seem to be enough anymore to encourage growth... and I didn't dare cut more/to the ground.

But the roots that I replanted are doing well now, fortunately. So if I ever have other problems I will be less concerned about cutting hard!
But of course I won't have any problems now

[Maralyn45]

Kindly trim it a bit and it will be healthier as before...all the best..