Keep mint contained on a balcony
Mint needs boundaries too
My mint has started behaving like a small landlord. It sends runners into the tomato container, crowds the chillies, and still looks innocent when I move it back. 🌿
I have learned to keep mint in its own pot, preferably one with enough depth and a little space around it. It likes regular water, but not a pot that stays soaked. Pinching the tips also gives a fuller plant instead of long, tired stems.
A useful balcony rule If one herb grows faster than you can use it, divide it before it becomes everybody’s problem. A few cuttings in clean water will root easily, then they can go into another container or be shared with family.
Small gardens do not need to produce baskets of food to be worthwhile. Fresh mint for tea, a handful of chillies, and tomatoes when they manage to survive the wind are already a good return. My notebook now has one more household rule: never trust a polite-looking mint plant.