Gardener shares hack for stretching store-bought herb to the max: 'It will keep coming back every year'

If you're tired of buying fresh mint to only use a little then watch the rest wilt in the fridge, one gardener on TikTok has an easy trick to grow mint plants that keep coming back. 

Just in time for making your favorite minty holiday treats, TikToker Martha (@marfskitchengarden) has shared a simple method for regrowing mint clippings that can help you save money and reduce plastic use. 

@marfskitchengarden Mint is a perenial meaning once you have it, it will keep coming back every year so cheap mint for life! #gardentip #gardenhack #freeplants #growfood ♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim

"Mint is a [perennial], meaning once you have it, it will keep coming back every year, so cheap mint for life!" reads the caption under the post. 

The scoop

Using a package of mint from your local grocery store, start by removing the mint leaves from the stems, keeping a few leaves near the top. Then, put the stalks into a glass of water and place it near a windowsill.

In about three weeks, your mint plants will have grown roots and be ready for planting.

"The most important thing to know about mint is that it is incredibly invasive, so don't put it straight in your garden," Martha stresses in her video. "Put it in a pot, otherwise it will pop up everywhere."

Martha adds her sprouted mint plants to a pot of soil enriched with compost and tops the dirt with gravel after watering to keep in the moisture.  

How it's helping

From soothing teas to herbaceous entrées, mint is a versatile ingredient in plenty of delicious recipes. Having bunches of mint at home can turn making a round of mojitos or fresh spring rolls into a breeze.

Growing your own herbs can save you from buying plastic-wrapped packets at the supermarket, cutting down on the amount of plastic you use.

Extra mint plants can be potted separately and brought to friends and family as a gift that keeps on giving.

What everyone's saying

Viewers were excited to try out this great gardening technique and start growing their own herbs.  

"Thanks for spreading the knowledge. I tried it once myself but didn't work because I used the wrong method. Gonna give it another go!" one user comments.

"A trick a gardener told me is put the pot underground in your garden and plant the mint in the pot and it won't spread," another user chimes in.

"Can you do the same with basil?" another user asks. 

"Yes," Martha responds. "Yes, I've got some growing in water."

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