The ultimate herb... kept in mint condition

MINT is the quintessential summer herb. A handful of crushed leaves are essential for adding zing to a refreshing mojito, while a tall glass of Pimm’s wouldn’t be complete without a sprig or two. Even a simple dish of buttered potatoes or boiled fresh peas can be turned into something special with a sprinkling of chopped leaves.

Apart from smelling and tasting pretty darned good, mint is probably the easiest of all herbs to grow. For a start, you don’t have to raise them from seeds. Simply snap up a few young plants, plant them in pots and water. Before you know it you’ll have your own supply of fresh, aromatic and tangy leaves. There are lots of tasty varieties. Moroccan mint (Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Moroccan’) has highly aromatic, narrow-toothed leaves and Tashkent mint (Mentha spicata ‘ Tashkent’) has slightly curled, rounded leaves. Chocolate peppermint (Mentha x piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’) has leaves that taste like After Eights.

Sadly, mint is a rampant thug that will spread all over the place if planted straight into the ground. Instead, confine plants to 12in-wide containers. Place in a sunny or partially shaded spot, or plunge into the soil, making sure the top of the pot is above the surface to prevent roots escaping over the top.

A few years ago I had a chat about mint with Jekka McVicar, the UK’s leading herb expert and winner of 62 Royal Horticultural Society gold medals. One of her top tips is to avoid setting different varieties too close to each other, because they have a tendency to lose their individual scent and flavour.

Looking after mint is easy. Water well, especially during hot, dry spells, and harvest regularly – take individual leaves as required or nip out the tops of shoots, which will encourage bushier growth further down. When plants have finished flowering, cut flowered shoots back to 1in above the surface.

In mid to late autumn, plants will start to die back. At this point, cut all top growth back and add to compost heaps. Lift containers from the ground and place them in the rain shadow of a wall or fence to prevent compost getting too wet. Standing them on bricks will stop puddles forming underneath.

After a year or so, plants will fill containers and need rejuvenating. When dormant plants wake in spring, decant the rootball from its container and divide it into three pieces – use a kitchen knife or hand-held pruning saw. Remove any obviously dead bits and repot a healthy portion in the same container, using fresh compost.