Thursday, July 16, 2009

Cilantro-Mint Mojitos, anyone?

Square foot gardening update...

We planted a little 4x4 box and filled it with basil, cilantro, mint and oregano; green, red and yellow peppers; big tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, marigolds and are even trying our luck with a cantelope vine (which does not look promising).

As predicted though, I started off strong, going by the book, and then just sorta planted wherever it looked good to me. I didn't pay a lot of heed to the kind of space each plant would need. That being said, it's turned out ok. Tomatoes definitely need more space, but they're producing. The cucumbers are growing really well up the fence.

But the mint and cilantro....

are out of control. I had no idea mint would put off shoots like that! I've had to dig them up to keep them out of nearby plants.

And here's the real question: other than garnishing drinks and making mojitos, WHAT IN THE WORLD do you do with all of it???

Are you supposed to let cilantro flower? Does the coriander always turn back into cilantro? I'm still confused about all that. Oh yeah, and WHAT IN THE WORLD do you do with all of it???

(please let me know if you would like some)


And this yellow pepper (please excuse the blur)? Why isn't it yellow? In fact, why are all of my peppers green? Is it true that the longer they stay on the vine the more they will change colors? So, we're paying $3 a pop at the store for a pepper that just hung out in the sun longer?


Big Hoss...

And my faithful gardening companion...








1 comments:

Unknown said...

Mint is an "invasive," meaning it will take over if you let it. If I were you I would give it its own container so it can't strangle the other plants.
I've never planted it, though, so I am no help with what to do with it. It's good in iced tea, right?

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