As a mint plant, I must begin by stating a fundamental truth: we are explorers by nature. Our quest for new territory is encoded in our very roots. We don't mean to be troublesome; we are simply built to thrive and expand. Therefore, the choice of pot is not just a decorative decision for you—it is a critical boundary agreement for us. A suitable container respects our innate need to roam while protecting the rest of your garden from our enthusiastic colonization.
From my perspective, the single most important feature of any container is its ability to completely contain my root system. My rhizomes—those pale, horizontal underground stems—are my primary weapon of expansion. They are determined, resilient, and capable of exploiting the tiniest of weaknesses. A pot must have no holes in its sides or bottom that are large enough for a rhizome tip to even sense an escape route. Any crack or drainage hole that is not covered by a fine mesh or a pot feet barrier is an invitation we simply cannot refuse. Containers with porous walls, like unglazed terracotta, can sometimes be breached by a particularly persistent root, so a solid, non-porous material is our strong preference for mutual respect.
While we spread horizontally with gusto, we also require significant vertical space to establish a strong, healthy colony. A shallow pot or window box feels restrictive and stressful to our root network. We recommend a container with a depth of at least 12 inches, though more is always appreciated. This depth allows our roots to establish a stable and extensive foundation, which in turn supports the lush, abundant leafy growth that you desire. A deep pot also provides a larger reservoir of soil and moisture, reducing the frequency of your watering duties and giving us a buffer against drought.
The pot itself is only part of the solution. Its placement is equally crucial from our point of view. Even if perfectly contained, if our pot is placed directly onto soil or a garden bed, our stems can sometimes arch over, touch the ground, and send out new roots (a process called layering), creating a fresh beachhead for invasion. Therefore, please place our container on a solid, non-soil surface like a patio, deck, or stand. Furthermore, avoid placing us in a position where we might be pot-to-pot with other plants. A little isolation ensures that a stray runner cannot easily jump to a neighbor's soil.
We are not overly fussy about material, but each has pros and cons we feel you should know. Plastic and fiberglass pots are lightweight and excellent at retaining moisture, which we enjoy. Glazed ceramic pots are beautiful, heavy (which prevents tipping as we get bushy), and provide a superb barrier. Metal pots can heat up quickly in the sun, which might stress our roots, so they are best used in partial shade. Wood is a natural insulator but will eventually rot under our persistent moisture needs, so a plastic liner is often a wise addition for longevity.
