Mint is one of my favorite scents and plants. It has such a crisp, clean, fresh aroma. We have a nice mint patch growing at our old house. Mint self propagates rapidly. This is a blessing as it is so easy to grow. However, you do want to give considerable thought to where you plant mint as it will spread and could become a nuisance if planted in the wrong location. Two months ago I dug up several of our spearmint and orange mint plants at the old house and put them in temporary pots. Those mint plants set for two months before I finally got around to transplanting them at our new home.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve transplanted mint. It transplants fairly easily.  I decided to plant my mint around the chicken coop, chicken run, and barn because mint is a great natural repellent for ants, mosquitoes, other insects, mice, and other rodents.  I know chickens love to eat many insects, but still in such a rural space we need help with the bugs and also keeping the mice out of the chicken feed in the barn! My Mama was even able to eradicate a gopher problem with spearmint!

My plan is to have a different type of mint on each side of the barn and chicken coop area. This way I can easily keep up with what kind of mint it is. If different varieties of mint are planted near each other it will spread and intermingle.  Before you know it, you have no idea which mint is which without sampling it.

I planted several plants of orange mint spaced a good bit apart along the north side of the new chicken run. Because they spread so nicely on their own, I did not plant them close together.

Orange Mint Transplanted Near Chicken Run for Rodent and Insect Repellent

Jon and our two oldest boys moved our large chicken coop made of pallets from the old place. That was a job, but they did it! Along the west side of the chicken run and the recently moved coop I planted several spearmint plants spaced far apart.

Spearmint Transplanted Near Chicken Run and Coop

Spearmint Planted Near the Chicken Coop

We haven’t sold the old house yet so if I need to I can dig up more to transplant. Once we have a good patch established then I can began harvesting it as well. For now, I can still harvest from the old place until it is sold.

Mint also has several great health benefits. The cleansing cooling aroma can aid in breathing and can freshen breath.  Mint can ease stomach discomfort and aid in healthy digestion.  Mint can also energize and having a cooling effect which is great on a summer day. It’s benefits can be shared by us as well as the chickens nibbling on it.

Go out and plant some mint and try it for yourself! You’ll love it.