
Grow a Mojito
Grow a Mojito

No herb garden should be without mint to add flavour to food and minty freshness to punches and cocktails. Plant it at the base of a potted lime tree, and you have the perfect combination for a mojito!
Citrus trees grow well in pots, but ensure you choose a large container – the larger the pot, the more productive the lime tree. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage holes and that they don’t become blocked over time. Plant into a mixture of potting soil, compost and fertiliser. Plant mint around the base of the tree and water well.
Pot Care tips
Potted trees can be allowed to dry out a bit before watering, but shouldn’t remain dry for prolonged periods. Take care to water citrus trees well when in blossom and when the fruit is starting to form. Reduce watering when the fruit starts swelling and changing colour. Citrus trees, unlike deciduous fruit trees, don’t require vigorous pruning. It is only done to shape and neaten the tree into an attractive specimen, and to remove branches and leaves showing signs of damage or any insect infestation. Use secateurs to harvest fruit rather than simply plucking it off the tree. Both citrus trees and mint growing in pots need feeding regularly with a watersoluble fertiliser, which contains all the microelements needed to keep the plants lush. Your mint will die down in winter but will come up again in spring. Mint plants do tend to lose their vigour so it is a good idea to grow or buy new plants every
year, or they can be propagated from root cuttings.
The rewards
Make a traditional Cuban Mojito cocktail by crushing six mint leaves with two teaspoons of sugar and a tablespoon of lime juice. Add ice and rum and top with soda water.