Cutting back Water mint?

[goosey]

This year I planted water mint for the first time ever in my mini pond (it is in one of those baskets). It has done very well, produced lots of flowers over the summer, now the flowers are over and the foliage has started to turn a yellow - pink colour, from the top downwards. Should I cut back this plant or totally leave it? Advice on what to do and when, or what to expect will be most welcome, thank you.

[smartie]

If you want it to propogate itself more widely then I'd leave it for a bit longer, as it doesn't usually set seed until about October. If not, then you can give it a haircut now and it will come again from the roots in the spring - essentially the same as any other mint. It won't harm the plant if you just leave it, but once it has gone over it isn't very attractive and the decaying matter will add nutrients you don't want to the water.

[goosey]

Excellent, thanks Smartie - everythng I wanted to know! I will leave it a while longer and cut it back in October .

[aeshna5]

Personally I'd chop it back now, though it won't hurt to leave it (though you won't want it rotting back in the pond). You don't have to worry about seed set as you'll have more than enough of it from its vegetative spread.