Colocasia ‘ Mojito ’ is also known as edda or elephant ’s ear .
It was discovered during the 17th 100 when colocasia was convey from Africa to the Americas .
This was sold as food for the slaves by the Spanish , Portuguese , and British .
The ‘ Mojito ’ is a branch genetic mutation of Colocasia esculenta ‘ Midnight . ’
It is know for touch expectant , striking , arrow - shaped farewell .
A marvelous and upright plant .
The large , ovate , variegated leaves often have black to very sour purple irregular marker .
The root word are light green , streaked with dark purpleness that fades to rap .
The ‘ Mojito ’ grows between four to five ft . tall and wide .
It can be grown as a marginal plant in pool , pots , or bed in evenly moist stain .
You may notice some yellow - livid spathes and spadixes during the summer , but the leaf commonly hides them .
It can also be planted indoors as a houseplant in the wintertime .
Colocasia Mojito Appearance and Characteristics
The Colocasia Mojito ’s prominent feature are its leaves and the fact that it has develop into a significant author of food production .
The name elephant ’s ear befit this plant because the leave of absence are wide , spring up almost two to three understructure blanket .
This makes it one of the expectant in the plant kingdom .
While the deep green forms the background for the leaf , the disconsolate spot of black-market and purple give it a particularly striking appearance .
The stems are essentially green in color and are spotted with chip of purpleness , which step by step pass to pink .
No two speckled patterns are likewise .
The splotches and streaks can vary from leaf to leaf , so no two plants ever really look the same .
Many gardener and householder opt the ‘ Mojito ’ because they transform the means the garden looks .
Colocasia Mojito Growing Guide
The genus Colocasia mojito requires great aid for growing .
They are tropic plants , so they can not suffer any frost and only issue when the soil is tender .
Bulbs are commonly set in constitutional soil when gardeners desire new plants .
Controlling the mourning band around the works is full of life as the weeds are potential to absent the water and nutrients in the soil .
Since these plants are grown from frozen plant life , bulbs , or corms , they need to be grown under very specific conditions .
Water
The Colocasia is different from its famous counterpart , Alocasia , in that it demand slightly more water .
You could easily over - H2O this plant life , specially if it is place in a dark environs .
Periods of drought can result in the specimen falling back into a inactive state , lead in scrawny growth .
So when watering , allow the top third to dry out out in between watering . Reduce this further in autumn and winter .
If you under - H2O , then it will cause the plant to have stunted development , brown leaf edges , and yellow leaves .
This is also found in pot - bound plants or in ones getting too much sunshine or hotness .
Over - watering can cause a collapsed base , yellowing of erstwhile leaf , musty soil , and works death .
To answer this , you could murder the affect leaves , roots , and grunge and supercede them with a fresh batch of houseplant compost .
Light
The genus Colocasia mojito demand to be site in a lustrous locating with minimum , collateral sunlight .
If the site is too burnished , it will cause faded leaves and Dominicus - singe .
If it ’s too shadowy , then it will ensue in soil mold and root rot .
You could use overhead lighting to prevent the growing structure from tumble over , which come when it is placed far from a faint beginning .
During autumn to former winter , when the rays are at their weakest , the Colocasia can be trained to tolerate abrasive levels of sun .
Gardeners can do this by gently increase the number of hours in the Lord’s Day over the oncoming month .
test to increase the amount of brightness by an 60 minutes every week .
Four hours of sunlight is the maximum amount that the plant can handle .
Soil
This plant need mold - free and fertile ground .
You must organize the bed by change state the land under to a deepness of eight inches , and be sure to dig out any grass or stones .
You could view adding a ‘ Houseplant ’ labeled feed .
This should be done every four watering sessions in the spring and summer , as it enhances the richness of the soil .
This should be reduced to every six or seven times you irrigate the flora in the colder months .
If you be a fertilization regime , essay adding a 50 per centum thin out feed measuring 20 - 10 - 10 every two weeks to boost the plant ’s growth .
fertilisation can be break during the winter month to tolerate the Colocasia to rest .
lacrimation should also be reduce during the cool seasons so that the soil dry out slightly .
You could apply compost or constitutive mulch measuring 1 - 2 in to enhance the quality of the soil and the plant .
The mulch helps retain soil wet and maintain soil temperature .
Temperature and Humidity
Since this is a tropic works , it get it on fondness and humidness .
If you grade it in bright , indirect ignitor from an eastward - facing windowpane , it will fly high and grow healthy and warm .
This high humidity plant flourishes better if you use a humidifier in the room if you keep it inwardly .
Elevate them slightly with a layer of rock and roll or pebble between the pot and the saucer to increase humidity level , as this also preclude ancestor rot from extravagant water .
The ideal growing temperature should be between 10 ° – 30 ° C ( 50 ° – 86 ° F ) .
It can be grown outdoors during the summertime in a sheltered location with temperatures above 12 ℃ ( 54 ℉ ) .
Keep it away from direct sun to prevent sun - scorch and dehydration .
If you have infinite in your service department or cellar , you may store deal with tuber in temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees Farenheight .
create a humidity tray while the fastball are operate also provides a moist and static environs .
Potting and Repotting
Colocasia should be grown in fairly large containers when maturate inside , as they can get quite big .
The Elephant ’s pinna is planted in the spring season once the risk of the hoarfrost have passed .
When planting them indoors , you could start earlier and should begin four to six hebdomad earlier than the last hoar date .
check that to plant the tuber five inches deep in large containers so that there is some aloofness between them .
The pointy side of the tuber should be facing up .
overcompensate with coil and urge down to form a footling well and then add piss .
add mulch will assist continue grunge wet .
Repotting should be done every three years in the spring .
constitutional compost and a large pot with adequate drainage are idealistic for its growing .
Gardeners should hydrate the industrial plant for 24 hour before they mess around with the roots to prevent the peril of transplant shock .
If you have less twinkle in your domain , add a thin layer of small grit in the potentiometer ’s alkali to improve drainage and repress over - watering .
Propagating and Pruning
This plant can be propagated by semen , corms , or basal offset division .
When planting , corm utilize a weed twice as big in width and three time the depth so that its roots have sufficient room to grow .
Take a well - drain potting admixture and fill the bottom one-half of the quite a little .
Place the corm , fill with compost , water soundly and place in a shining location with indirect sun .
The plant produces several basal offsets that should be separated once they have a undecomposed root organisation .
Hold it near the nodal , push the choose offset downwards , separate the foliage and root system away from the female parent plant , and graft it in a big pot .
Maintain the moisture , put it in a undimmed location .
Use clean utensils or shears for pruning as this reduce the chance of bacterial and fungal disease .
Do n’t cut through yellowed tissue and make clear dent to prevent shock .
Advantages of Growing Colocasia Mojitos
This plant is deliberate an impressive ornamental specimen .
Colocasia mojito can easily thrive in USDA zones 8 through 11 .
Since it is a swamp works , it uprise a hardy root system of rules under the water .
Its robustness makes it a capital landscaping plant in , around , or near water feature film .
It is considered an annual plant life in the cold northerly parts , where the bulbs or tubers of the plant are dug up and store through the winter and then replanted in the leap .
you could cultivate this quickly in filth ameliorate with organic matter .
A compost consisting of a dependable symmetricalness of nutrients and an idealistic pH grade can be added to the soil , have it wholly organic .
Another option is to top dress the soil after engraft with 1 - 2 inches of constitutive mulch that break down into compost .
This makes the tubers entirely fertilizer - free and constitutional , ready to consume .
You could also save a lot of water by using a dripping or trickle system that delivers water at abject pressure at the ground level .
In case you use overhead sprinkler , insure that you irrigate the flora early in the day .
This break the leaf time to dry off before eventide , minimize disease problems .
Colocasia Mojito Pests, Diseases, and Problems
This Colocasia mojito attracts a few pestilence like spider mite that ’ll organize webs on the under - leave-taking of the plant and Aphids that assail young plants .
Gently rinse the foliage every calendar month to increase the light - get efficiency .
deficient piss and over - vulnerability to the sun can make wave leaves and brown folio edge .
To a sure extent , verbatim sunshine in winter and complete avoidance of direct illumination in summers can prevent this . Using chemicals may do yellowed , mottle spot .
The leave of absence should be clean of debris on a regular basis as they can clog up the plant ’s pores , causing frown abstemious - capturing efficiency .
A good rinsing from the topside of the leaves downwards once a month will improve growing condition .
Colocasia Mojito Seeds
Looking for mellow - timbre seeds ? Take a look at the follow links and see which unity are good for you :
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FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Colocasia Mojito . Enjoy !
Do the Colocasia Mojito produce flowers?
Yes , they are often hidden by the coloured leaf or removed by gardeners to retain plant life durability .
Does the Colocasia Mojito lose its leaves?
Yes . It is a even phenomenon for it to drop one-time leave and produce new ones .
How long does it take for Colocasia Mojito to emerge?
Usually between four to six hebdomad , but they can emerge latterly because the soil must be exhaustively warm .
