There are plants that need encouragement. Plants we fertilize. Plants we carefully water. Plants we protect from the weather. Plants we whisper motivational speeches to because they look slightly unhappy... And then there's 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐓. Mint doesn't need a motivational speech. Mint needs 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒. 😂 If you've ever planted mint directly into a garden bed and thought: "𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒..." ...you may already know where this story is going. Because mint has plans. 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬! Fortunately for us, there's a wonderfully simple solution: 🪴 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑! For once, being a container gardener gives us the advantage. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫? Mint spreads through underground stems called rhizomes. Those rhizomes travel outward and send up new shoots. One little mint plant can gradually become: 🌿 A mint patch. Then... 🌿🌿 A BIG mint patch. Then... 😳 "𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄?" Give mint open ground and enough time, and it can spread far beyond where you originally intended. Put it in a container? Now you've created a boundary. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭. And you get to keep the rest of your garden. 😂 🍂 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 Mint is a perennial herb in many climates and generally appreciates cooler conditions. If your plants have looked a little tired during intense summer heat, cooler late-summer and fall weather may encourage fresh growth. That makes this a great time to: ✂️ Trim tired plants 🌿 Refresh the potting mix 🪴 Divide overcrowded plants 🌱 Add a new mint variety to your herb collection And because many types are cold hardy, established plants may return again after winter dormancy, depending on your climate and variety. 🪴 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 I know we've been talking throughout Second Spring about combining plants to make the most of container space. Today I'm giving you different advice. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐭. Why? Because mint can quickly compete with neighboring plants for space.

How many of you are growing watermelons in containers? This is our second year growing them. Last year they were doing great, but the raccoons beat me to them. (See picuture below) Fingers crossed I'll get first dibs this year. If you're growing watermelons in a pot of some sort, share a pic with us.

I got to havest more of my mint plant and it's growing more branches and streams. I got to havest one head of my lettuce. On top of that two of my marigolds that the deer eat has recovered and my cucumber that the deer eat has recovered so well that it has flowers growing on it and many many leaves. A picture of my lettuce before harvesting.

You walk out to water your tomatoes. As soon as you brush against the leaves, a tiny cloud of white insects suddenly takes off into the air. If you've ever seen what looks like a miniature snowstorm coming from your plants in the middle of July, you've probably met whiteflies. These tiny sap-sucking pests may be small, but when their numbers grow, they can weaken plants and make a healthy container garden struggle. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬? Whiteflies are tiny, winged insects that are closely related to aphids. Adults are only about 1/16 inch long, with powdery white wings that give them their name. They spend most of their lives on the undersides of leaves, feeding by piercing the plant and sucking out its juices. When disturbed, they take flight all at once—often making them much easier to notice than to catch. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐭? Whiteflies enjoy many common garden plants, including: 🍅 Tomatoes 🌶️ Peppers 🍆 Eggplants 🥒 Cucumbers 🌿 Basil and other herbs 🌺 Hibiscus 🌸 Geraniums 🪴 Many houseplants that spend the summer outdoors Warm weather and sheltered patios create ideal conditions for them to thrive. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Look for: ✔ Tiny white insects flying up when you touch the plant ✔ Clusters of whiteflies on the undersides of leaves ✔ Sticky leaves (honeydew) ✔ Yellowing or pale leaves ✔ Black sooty mold growing on the sticky residue Like aphids, whiteflies leave behind honeydew that can attract ants and lead to mold growth. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 Whiteflies feed continuously on plant sap. Large populations can: • Weaken plants • Slow new growth • Cause leaves to yellow • Reduce flowering and fruit production • Spread certain plant diseases Because they reproduce quickly, a small infestation can become a major problem in just a few weeks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Early action makes all the difference. ✔ Gently spray the undersides of leaves with a strong stream of water. ✔ Remove heavily infested leaves if practical. ✔ Use yellow sticky traps to help monitor adult populations.

One evening your tomato plant is lush, green, and loaded with fruit. The next morning? Large sections of leaves have disappeared, stems are bare, and you can't figure out what happened. The culprit may still be there... Blending in almost perfectly with the leaves is one of the largest—and hungriest—garden pests you'll ever encounter: the Tomato Hornworm. The good news? Once you know what to look for, they're surprisingly easy to find. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦? Tomato hornworms are the larval stage of a large moth called the sphinx or hawk moth. These bright green caterpillars can grow up to 4 inches long, making them one of the biggest caterpillars found in vegetable gardens. Despite their size, their green color provides incredible camouflage. The black "horn" on their tail may look intimidating, but it's harmless to people and pets. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐭? Hornworms are especially fond of plants in the nightshade family, including: 🍅 Tomatoes 🌶️ Peppers 🍆 Eggplants 🥔 Potatoes While tomatoes are their favorite meal, they'll happily munch on several related plants if given the chance. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Look for: ✔ Large sections of missing leaves ✔ Bare stems with little foliage ✔ Dark green or black droppings (frass) on leaves or around the base of the plant ✔ Large green caterpillars blending into stems ✔ Chewed green tomatoes If you see piles of droppings but can't find the caterpillar, look directly above them—they're often hiding in plain sight. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 One hornworm can eat an astonishing amount of foliage in just a few days. Several hornworms feeding together can: • Strip large branches • Slow fruit production • Damage developing tomatoes • Stress otherwise healthy plants Young tomato plants are especially vulnerable. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Fortunately, hornworms are one of the easier pests to control. ✔ Hand-pick caterpillars and remove them from your plants. ✔ Drop them into a bucket of soapy water. ✔ Inspect plants every evening or early morning when they're easier to spot.