Mint Compost - How to DIY?

General
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I just learned about mint compost for roses, and since I have a ton of it in my yard (didn’t realize it was invasive until it took over an entire planter box!) I’m wondering how I can DIY my own mint compost.

I read online that you have to soak it first to get out the oils, then use the liquid as a compost tea, and use the stems and leaves as top dressing. Is this correct? I’m also wondering if I can just be lazy and throw the whole mint stalks into my rose planter boxes and pots, letting them break down over the winter.

Lastly, does anyone have experience with the effectiveness of mint compost?

Thanks in advance, rose buds!

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To make mint compost, follow these steps:

  1. Collect mint leaves. You can use fresh or dried mint leaves. If you use fresh mint leaves, chop them into small pieces.
  2. Add the mint leaves to a compost bin or pile. If you use a compost bin, ensure the bin has a good drainage system. If you are using a compost pile, make sure that the pile is at least 3 feet high and 3 feet wide.
  3. Water the mint leaves. The mint leaves should be moist, but not soggy.
  4. Cover the mint leaves with a layer of soil. This will help to keep the mint leaves from drying out.
  5. Turn the compost pile or bin every few days. This will help to aerate the compost and speed up the decomposition process.
  6. Wait for the compost to decompose. The compost will be ready to use when it is dark brown and crumbly. This will typically take about 6-8 weeks.
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I have never tried to make mint compost. However, I have purchased mint compost from Heirloom Roses (not cheap!!) and make a ‘tea’ with a handful of it and a little neem seed meal in a bucket of water and pour it around the roots of my roses. It has helped both with insect damage and with blackspot.

Don’t have a precise recipe, but the ‘tea’ is perhaps a little on the weak side.

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I too have purchased Mint Compost from Heirloom and agree it’s costly, even if you get the 26-quart size when it’s 20% off (which it is 2-3 times per year). I have referred to Heirloom’s Mint Compost as “Rx” for an ailing rose bush. That is, it’s like a doctor-ordered prescription for better health. I don’t know why it works so well, but if I see some blackspot or insect damage low on a bush, I pull the affected foliage and then apply a goodly amount of the mint compost. It’s amazing how health will return to the bush. I will also apply it to a bush that seems to need a little “pick me up.”

I have not tried to make a tea from it, but I’ll give that a go sometime next season.

It strikes me that one would need a helluva lot of mint to make an appreciable amount of mint compost by DIY methods.

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