Mint Invasion!
 

I have a section my my yard that is covered with mint. It's an area
about 10' x 50'. I want to get rid of the stuff this fall. How can I make
sure that all the rhizomes are gone! I'd like to plant something else
there so I don't want to use chemicals that will not allow future
plants from growing there.

--
Paull -
It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Napalm, basically. Then, more napalm, followed by Agent Orange. :-)
Seriously...the stuff's a bitch to get rid of. I had just two spots in my
yard with mint many years ago, and no matter what I did, it kept coming
back. What do you want to plant there eventually? There may be some ground
covers that'll crowd it out, given enough time. And napalm.

"Paull" wrote in message
...
I have a section my my yard that is covered with mint. It's an area
about 10' x 50'. I want to get rid of the stuff this fall. How can I make
sure that all the rhizomes are gone! I'd like to plant something else
there so I don't want to use chemicals that will not allow future
plants from growing there.

--
Paull -
It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

It's not an attractive option -- especially for a 500 sq. ft. area -- but
you could probably kill it or put a good dent in it with a cover of black
plastic mulch for 3-6 months.

In article g14Xc.313618$%_6.155311@attbi_s01, "Alan Grossberg"
wrote:

It's not an attractive option -- especially for a 500 sq. ft. area -- but
you could probably kill it or put a good dent in it with a cover of black
plastic mulch for 3-6 months.

Could also lay down a layer of cardboard, put some black compost on top of
that, then four to six months later upturn the soil (the cardboard will be
rotted by then) & have some really good rich soil instead of a mess of
plastic to pull up & throw away.

In either case, SOME of the mint WILL survive around the edges, but it'll
be a more manageable amount to dig or pull.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com

"Alan Grossberg" wrote:

It's not an attractive option -- especially for a 500 sq. ft. area -- but
you could probably kill it or put a good dent in it with a cover of black
plastic mulch for 3-6 months.

Actually what also works is glass and sun light. If you ever left storm
windows lying flat on your lawn for a few hours, you may have come back
to a big brown spot. Some salvage yards or building material surplus
outlets sell storm windows for very little. You need to smash the plant
material down so that there is very little space under the glass and it
can build up enough heat to cook everything.

The other option is a propane weed burner. It will burn the plants and
weed seeds all at once.

"Paull" in :

assume spearmint, Mentha spicata

I have a section my my yard that is covered with mint. It's an area
about 10' x 50'. I want to get rid of the stuff this fall. How can I
make sure that all the rhizomes are gone! I'd like to plant something
else there so I don't want to use chemicals that will not allow future
plants from growing there.

where are you? htey grow near stremas in central CA. else they dry out.

if wihtin an irrigated area, cardboard cover, per paghat, will kill the
patch,

you can also rip repeatedly and presistnetly wiht a digging fork,
because the underground runners are shallow.