Mint might be great in a salad or a cocktail, but it is a nightmare in the garden if you don't know what you're doing.
One gardener shared a video of what their planted mint accomplished in the r/hydroponics subreddit.
The video shows plants separated into hydroponic bins, but even so, the mint is growing over the edges into the other bins, and even from the other bins directly.
"The plant taking over my entire system," the OP wrote.
Mint is an extremely invasive plant that grows aggressively and is almost impossible to banish. It is a gardener's kryptonite, even if you like mint.
The problem is that invasive plants compete with native plants for soil, water, and nutrients, which can kill plants and damage ecosystems.
Native plants are better for your wallet since they require less maintenance, water, fertilizers, and zero pesticides.
There are plenty of options when it comes to rewilding your yard such as clovers, buffalo grass, wildflowers, tapestry lawns, and xeriscaping. You can mix and match to achieve the look you want for your yard or even try one alternative on a small area of the lawn to give it a little test drive.
Natural lawns will also help attract pollinators, the absolute powerhouses of our food supply, keeping all of us nourished. Planet Bee Foundation reported that one-third of our food is pollinated by bees.
The post serves as a cautionary tale to all gardeners.
"It's so invasive … my back yard is full of it," sympathized one Redditor.
"It's creeping back every time I look out there," said another gardener who thought they'd finally gotten rid of all of the mint in the yard.
"Planting mint was a mistake," the OP admitted.
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