this post was submitted on 17 May 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] TheSlad@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 hour ago

I'll plant it next to my invasive english ivy and see which one wins...

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 12 points 3 hours ago

Glad y'all warned me about mint! I'll just plant some nice snow-on-the-mountain in a small little patch over here.

[–] BierSoggyBeard@feddit.online 21 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

See also horseradish, amaranth, native sunflowers, and in my case, tomatoes.

Planted once, 10 yrs later still finding them in every nook and cranny of the neighborhood.

[–] Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 12 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

I think most people would be happy with your luck with tomatoes

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 4 points 3 hours ago

I got a weird twist of that: the cherry tomato plants were spreading like crazy, but the tomato fruits couldn't be eaten because they were all full of worms. (I think they were fruit fly larvae, not sure. Not a single one was fine.)

[–] BierSoggyBeard@feddit.online 1 points 3 hours ago

True, but I credit the environs being just right Enough sun, not too much moisture, decent soil, and also the specific variety. Probably a bunch of tomatoes I wouldn't be able to grow.

[–] BigBenis@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago

Somebody planted mint in one of my raised beds before I lived here and it's a constant battle to keep it at bay. At least I get refreshing mint tea out of the 20% of it I harvest.

[–] chris@l.roofo.cc 10 points 4 hours ago

I had mint on my balcony. This spring I saw mint grow around the corner. In my doormat!

[–] mimic_kry@sh.itjust.works 69 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I have no idea what I'm doing

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 15 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Well they're not dead so you're already doing better than me.

[–] mimic_kry@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 hours ago

Yet.

They're not dead yet.

[–] Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 28 points 6 hours ago

This bamboo grove is really taking off!

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 29 points 6 hours ago (5 children)

So I'm. Gardener who doesn't know. What is it that i should know?

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 31 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

Mint is extremely hardy, isn’t picky about soil type, spreads quickly, strangles and overtakes whatever is growing with it, and reproduces from the roots. If mint ever goes into the ground, your entire yard will very quickly be overtaken by it even if you start ripping it out as soon as you see it. It’s basically an invasive weed that happens to taste good. Anyone who intends to grow it will keep it in above-ground pots instead. But even then, all it takes is a small sprig landing in the grass, and suddenly your entire lawn is starting to smell minty when you mow.

[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 hour ago

My grandma's garden got a mint infestation, and I simply rip some up and make fresh mint tea whenever I visit :)

It's really really, good

[–] GiveOver@feddit.uk 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Well I know what to do if my gardener buddy ever pisses me off

[–] rainwall@piefed.social 2 points 1 hour ago

Toss Dandelion's in there too. Also very hardy, spreads well, almost entirely edible.

[–] sness@sh.itjust.works 36 points 4 hours ago

I had a potted mint in my parents backyard years ago. It grew through the bottom of the pot and started to invade the flower bed. Since then, my parents have drowned the entire bed in weed killer, pulled up everything they could find by the roots, and then put down a tarp and bark chips. Every year, some more mint pops up through all that.

[–] zeroConnection@programming.dev 24 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Not a gardener, but I've heard people say it grows like a weed and we should plant some on mars

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 12 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

If it likes your climate it'll spread fast and be hard to keep in check because it spreads underground

[–] Alenalda@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I seem to have the same problem with wild strawberries

[–] backalleycoyote@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago

Sound like you need to plant some mint and spend the summer enjoying all you can drink strawberry mojitos.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

We have minimal grass in our backyard. Whoever owned the property before us loved mint lol

[–] 4grams@awful.systems 49 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I have a mint plant in my house, in a pot, that I simply cannot seem keep alive. It has a single stem left that’s trying its hardest to die every moment. I’ve taken it as a personal challenge to nurse it back to health (I need an easy win these days)

Last time I mowed, I noticed a new weed in the yard, popping up all over; this one smelled different, pleasant even. Fuck me, I’ve got a yard full of mint that showed up on its own, I’m guessing to mock my black thumb.

[–] RamenDame@lemmy.world 23 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

If you bought a supermarket pot you need to separate it and put it into a bigger pot. Otherwise it will cannibalise itself.

In fairness, if I were made of mint, I would also cannibalise myself.

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[–] halferect@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

It really depends on where you live, but I can see in certain areas it going absolutely insane.

[–] Luminous5481@anarchist.nexus 23 points 7 hours ago (6 children)

you guys make a lot of fuss about a plant that is tasty and you can eat.

I just wish Kudzu tasted half as fun.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I doubt it is nutritious though

[–] Luminous5481@anarchist.nexus 5 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

if you're talking about Kudzu, it must have some value in that regard, it was introduced in the US during the Great Depression as a way to feed people. turns out though, when they aren't starving, people won't eat just anything.

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[–] abbadon420@sh.itjust.works 121 points 9 hours ago (10 children)

Haha! That's such a stupid thing to do. That's why I've only planted a blackberry in my garden.

[–] Gerudo@lemmy.zip 15 points 6 hours ago

It's ALMOST worth it for fresh Blackberries that actually taste like blackberries. Not that trash in the grocery store.

[–] Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 37 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Poppa_Mo@lemmy.world 10 points 6 hours ago

Hahaha. You poor soul.

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 15 points 7 hours ago (7 children)

Wait, do blackberries also grow like weeds? I've never had much interest in gardening, but like the one plant I'd genuinely like to have, due to loving the fruit, would be blackberry

Blackberries grow in thick brambles with nasty thorns. It also has a hardy root system that allows it to regrow if you just cut it down. They also spread a few feet per year, so keeping them contained is a constant (and often painful) battle. If you go too long without paying attention to it, your entire yard will be a mess of thorny brambles that are nearly impossible to kill.

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 25 points 7 hours ago (4 children)

Blackberry is evil.

If it is not native to your country don't plant it! Nothing eats it, grows extremely quickly and is very hard to get rid of.

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[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 95 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

fun fact: if you plant oragano next to mint, it will take on a minty flavor.

the tomato mozarella salad I made was... interesting

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[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 38 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Oooohhh noooo, not mint!! How can I ever live with a yard of short, lush, green, plants that smell nice when I cut them, keep pests away, and give me an endless supply of ingredients for drinks and desserts? It's going to cover up all my regular grass that I can't do shit with and benefits no one!

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 17 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

It’s going to cover up all my regular grass that I can’t do shit with and benefits no one!

If it only replaced regular grass, it would be fine. Problem is, it'll choke everything in its path, including parsley and roses aaand I hope you won't miss that chamomile patch, because it's now mint.

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[–] philipp_@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 7 hours ago

Me to weeds in other pots: "Die! You are taking away nutrients and water from my precious plants!

Me to weeds in the mint pot: "You poor things! You are going to suffer."

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