Who will win this years main event in my garden, the plucky upstart or the 5 ft tall giant?

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M

Methinks neither: they will learn to live together as friends, their above and below-ground parts mingling in harmony.

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God Bless,

Matthew

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Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.

I planted pineapple mint around my mailbox post last summer, which completely disappeared over winter but is happily back with a vengeance.
After seeing it, I was also considering getting more (or transplanting some) around my boos.

Ironic to see this post.

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Mint flowers attract beneficial insects like preditory wasps. Strong smelling plants (like mint), are said to help comfuse pests, and detur them. It is also said that some prlific, deep rooted plants (mint, confrey and jerusalem artichoke, can create a barrier for other prolific species. Apparently planting 2 fast spreading species can keep em both in check, that is, unless you plant one that will definitely out compete the other (ie - blackberries and raspberries, both very prolific spreaders, but blackberry will almost always out compete raspberry).

I personally encourage clover around my boos, to help em get some extra nitrogen!

i don't mean to hijack but this may be the right time to ask.

grasshoppers destroy my mint every spring. it just can't get a foothold because the little demons keep the leaves stripped.

cilantro tea sprayed every few days works great but its too much of a hassle because of the distance from my house. anyone know of a way to get my mint established?

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Jeremy

Attract and do not remove wasps nests. Thats all I do and I haven't seen a grasshopper in quite awhile.

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M

I tried mint in my bamboo grove a few years ago. I didn't like the way the mint grows as an understory plant. Once the bamboo got over six feet, the mint was shaded so much it got long and scraggly. Same happened with the oregano. I'm happiest with the bamboo leaf litter as a weed deterent.

David

Mid year update: In every location the various varieties of mint and bamboo met, the bamboo wins due to being a unfavorable host plant for pests. The mint gets eaten alive while the bamboo being less desirable nutrition wise is left alone. I expect the mint and bamboo to go through several seasonal swings each year till the bamboo just shades it out like DCBa said.

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M

Cool post. My basil grows harmoniously with my boo.