Mojito mint is the bartender’s mint par excellence. The special thing about this variety is that it hardly contains any menthol. This in turn is important for the drink, because menthol numbs the taste buds and who wants that? When it comes to care, mojito mint hardly differs from other types of mint. You have to be careful that it doesn’t spread too much and that it doesn’t die of thirst. Otherwise there is not much to do, but you can harvest plenty. The special thing about the mojito mint is probably the story behind it. It is said to have grown in the garden of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar and to have enchanted his drinks. That’s something!
Table of Contents
Characteristics
- Mint type, probably based on native species, because the winter hardiness is good
- Perennial herbaceous plant
- Approx. 50 cm high
- Square stems
- Jagged Leaves
- Light purple flowers from July to August
- Insect meadow
- Can be frozen
- Loses a lot of its great aroma when drying
- Do not use during pregnancy!!!
The care of the mojito mint
Mojito mint is very robust and easy to care for. Only the proliferation of the plants is a small disadvantage, but you can get a grip on it with a few tricks. The plants are easy to cultivate if a few things are taken care of. The location has to be sunny, but too bright midday sun is rather unfavorable. It is also important that the mint gets an airy place, just to prevent fungal diseases. The plant substrate should be permeable, loose and rich in humus. When planting is on a root barrierbe careful, otherwise mojito mint will also spread uncontrollably in the garden. The soil in the bucket should be changed annually. Outplanted specimens should also be replanted regularly. Watering is especially important for potted plants. Mint in the bed does not need as much water. Compost is suitable as fertilizer. You can cut the mojito mint as needed, whenever you need it. Hibernation outdoors is uncomplicated, since planted specimens are sufficiently hardy. Only those in jars need to be protected from freezing. Propagation succeeds through sowing, sinkers and sinkers. Diseases and pests are rare.
location
It is important for the location that it is bright and sunny. Midday sun does not have to be, but otherwise sun is needed just to develop the great aroma. An airy place is good so that the plants dry off quickly after getting wet.
- Best sunny – the sunnier the location, the stronger the aroma
- It is ideal when the strongest midday sun can be taken away, for 2 to 3 hours
- Half shade is tolerated, but without sufficient sun the plants become susceptible to powdery mildew
- An airy location is favourable. This prevents fungal diseases from spreading.
- Mint in containers that are in the sun must be supplied with sufficient water
plant substrate
These mint plants do not place such high demands on the plant substrate. It is important that it has a fairly large humus content. In addition, it should be permeable. Excess water must be able to drain off easily.
- Normal garden soil, enriched with some humus. The humus content can be high.
- Compost can also be added
- Something nutritious
- Definitely loose and permeable
- Not too dry soil
- Flower, vegetable or herb soil is suitable for pots
- Drainage in the bottom of the container is beneficial
- No compacted soil
plant
Mint plants can be bought wherever plants are sold. Such special varieties as Mojito mint are best bought from a specialist who knows about mints. I always buy my mints at the garden center from a herb gardener, who probably has 20 to 30 different types of mint on offer.
- Plan enough space – plants tend to overgrow
- Do not combine with slow-growing species, they will become overgrown
- A root barrier is ideal.
- Planting hole slightly larger than the root ball.
- Add humus to the planting hole at the same time
- Put the plant in water before planting so that the root ball can really soak up water
- When keeping in buckets, use a sufficiently large container, at least 10 liters
- Place potted plants in fresh substrate every one to two years and cut off all offshoots
- Also transplant mint that has been planted out every three years, as it has withdrawn all nutrients from the soil
watering and fertilizing
Like other mints, mojito mint does not like too much dryness or too much moisture. Plants in containers in particular need to be watered regularly when it is warm and sunny. At the latest when the leaves and shoots hang limply downwards, it must be watered.
- Allow to dry, but do not dry out
- Plants in the bed cope better with drought, but should not dry out completely.
- Water only moderately in winter and only on frost-free days
- Fertilize organically, preferably with vegetable fertilizer
- A fertilizer with a 1:1 ratio of nitrogen and potassium is ideal
- Do not fertilize too much, the plants can take on the taste of the fertilizer. This is why compost is often the best choice.
- Very humus-rich substrate requires an additional fertilizer.
- Fertilizing is important for pot culture, in the bed the plants usually get by without additional nutrients
- It is enough to fertilize all 4
To cut
Mojito mint is also mainly cut to harvest or to contain the plants. There are various options for a cut, depending on your needs. In any case, in autumn they are cut down close to the ground.
- Complete crop pruning – once or twice a year
- You can also regularly cut off and use shoots
hibernate
Mojito mint is a hardy mint, which means that planted out, the plants survive our winters without any problems. Things are a little different with plants in containers. There is no such high winter hardiness here. The root balls should not freeze through.
- Planted out, hardy to about -25°C
- Prevent the roots from freezing through in the container
- It is best to set it up next to a warm wall and pack the container well.
- Stand on styrofoam
- Water on frost-free days, but do not keep too moist
multiply
Like mint in general, mojito mint is easy to propagate. Rather, you have to be careful that such a plant does not spread too much in the bed. Propagation is by cuttings, cuttings, division of the rhizomes and by sowing.
sowing
- This mint is actually a hybrid that hardly ever produces seeds. Propagation of a pure variety can never be achieved by sowing, only through vegetative propagation. Seeds can, however, be bought.
- Sowing in spring
- Light germinator, do not cover seeds with soil, just press down
- Keep slightly moist
cuttings
- Cut in early summer
- Use the tips of strong new shoots
- About 15 cm long
- Remove lower leaves
- Plant cuttings in moist soil that has been mixed with sand
- Keep warm but not in the sun
- Keep the soil slightly moist evenly
lowering
- Cut off shoots that are on the ground and rooted
- Plant them separately
- Spreads through underground spurs and can become a nuisance
diseases and injuries
Diseases are not that common. It is usually fungal diseases that cause problems for the plants, primarily powdery mildew. But mint rust also occurs from time to time. To prevent this, an airy location is important so that the plants can always dry off quickly. Pests are rather rare.
- Powdery mildew – can be recognized by the whitish coating on or under the leaves. When it comes to fighting, a distinction is made between genuine and downy mildew. Real is easier to fight. It just sits on the leaves and can be sprayed with a mixture of milk and water (1:9). The treatment must be repeated several times. The downy mildew goes into the plant. Here it is better to remove affected parts of the plant or the entire plant (shoot). Otherwise there are chemical plant sprays that help, but then you should no longer use the mint for consumption.
- Mint rust – recognizable by rust-brown spore deposits on the underside of the leaf. When the infestation begins, cut off the affected parts or cut off the entire shoot.
- Mint Leaf Beetle – Small 8 to 10mm beetle with a gorgeous blue-green to black tinge on the carapace. Recognizable by holes in the leaves or completely absent foliage. The only thing that helps here is to cut the mint just above the ground and collect all the bugs from the ground. A suitable alternative is soapy water, with which the plants are sprayed.
- Aphids – can be easily rinsed off with a strong jet of water. If necessary, the process must be repeated.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to harvest mojito mint?
The leaves and young shoots are harvested. The taste is most intense before flowering. Therefore, it makes sense to harvest constantly. This suppresses flowering, even if you can’t prevent it. In winter, the aroma is not as intense, simply because there is no sun. It is ideal to harvest the mint in the morning, after the moisture of the night has dried off and before the midday heat. So all parts of the plant are still fresh and not wilted by too much sunlight.
How can plants be curbed in their growth?
The rhizome barrier in the larger bucket described above is a good thing. I do it differently myself. I don’t cut the stems of the mint, I pull them out of the ground by the root every time. The root is cut off and goes in the trash, not the compost. This is a good way to contain the plants. With my very sandy soil, pulling it out is a breeze and the roots don’t tear off either. It won’t work that way with clay soil, so the rhizome barrier is definitely the better way. Leave one or two stalks in winter and the shoots will spread again in spring. The plants are in the back row, behind the buddleia. So they have a lot of light at the beginning. Until the lilacs are taller, you can harvest and pull out well. The few plants that grow older also have enough space. It has worked well for years and I have had no problems with sprawling.