Hardy Tropicals UK

I can verify all the advice given on Mojito so far.

Mine was purchased last Autumn with two leaves. Initially, kept in the unheated greenhouse the leaf stems quickly mushed - too cold and wet. However, scraping back to clean tissue and keeping almost dry at 12-15c all winter saw two small leaves develop. This past week with slightly higher temperatures a third, much bigger leaf has opened.

Not looking quite as good as yours, Dave, but I intend to catch up!

Has anyone's mojito pupped yet? Mine has lots of little plants around the main plant. In fact all my colocasias pup really well. The only aroid I have that hasn't pupped it an alocasia Portadora (sp)

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Has anyone's mojito pupped yet? Mine has lots of little plants around the main plant. In fact all my colocasias pup really well. The only aroid I have that hasn't pupped it an alocasia Portadora (sp)

None of mine are, so must be peculiar to you

If you want your portora to pup have a little root around in it's compost and you'll find loads of little dormant corms(not sure what they're called)
Stick these in a pot in a heated prop and you'll soon have loads of new pups
Back to mojito,mines got 4 or 5 pups out in the greenhouse

SteveW wrote:If you want your portora to pup have a little root around in it's compost and you'll find loads of little dormant corms(not sure what they're called)
Stick these in a pot in a heated prop and you'll soon have loads of new pups
Back to mojito,mines got 4 or 5 pups out in the greenhouse

Cheers for the tip...I'll do some more propogating in spring.

I had two Mojitos last year. Neither survived the winter in the unheated conservatory some mammoths and Jack's giant did.

I have another I bought this year, it's around a foot tall with several leaves. I would imagine like yours Kris it'll have to get somewhat bigger before it does.

The most prolific is Pink stem and Black magic

Mine is now starting to take off in the size stakes. As this is from Burgundy Stem, I'm treating as I did my monster plant. Very dilute (1/8th) feed daily in tepid water. It is starting to show that it likes it Latest leaf is 54cm and growing a leaf a week

Dave Brown wrote:Mine is now starting to take off in the size stakes. As this is from Burgundy Stem, I'm treating as I did my monster plant. Very dilute (1/8th) feed daily in tepid water. It is starting to show that it likes it Latest leaf is 54cm and growing a leaf a week

That's really doing well Dave. Looks like mojito can grow to a decent size.

Another update Kris. The whole plant this time and here a close up of the amazing stems

Yours are looking much darker than mine Dave

I feed everything Steve, and it all gets Macxicrop and Epsom salts a couple of times a month

Dave Brown wrote:Another update Kris. The whole plant this time

2011-09-07 13-35-48 Colocasia Mojito.jpg

and here a close up of the amazing stems

2011-09-07 13-18-52 Colocasia Mojito stems.jpg

That's doing really well Dave. I have to admit I've been very lapse with feeding my plants this year, mainly because I've got a lot to feed and also because Red Spider Mite has made it kinda pointless. The Mojitos I have now are much lighter than yours. I put this down to the lack of feeding.

I'll get mine out of the pond for a picture tomorrow, as I'm going to do a line up of the big ones in there for comparison - seemingly being two types of mamoth and jack's giant.

My mojito is happier now than a couple of months ago. Only a couple of leaves, but colouration a nice crisp yellowy base with darker spots and a healthy pup alongside it in the pot

I thought it was about time for another update.

Plant Delights say that Mojito is not a strong grower and reached no more than 3ft for them (in better summers than we have)

Anyway here is mine today

Dave,

Any idea why these have completely disappeared from the UK market??

They came from nowhere two/three years ago, with suddenly everyone stocking them, to being impossible to get in 2011/12. Do you think the plant exporters tend to push a particular plant for a time, or is it the suppliers not re-stocking as the majority didn't survive the winter (mine rotted also).

I guess it's more a question for Simon or Liz, but I'm intrigued why some plants come and go like they do.

Jon