Beginner Growing Jaboticaba - Help?

[Scuppe]

I don't know much about gardening in general and even less about an exotic plant like the Jabuticabeira.  I fell in love with the plant and its delicious fruit when I was in Sao Paulo and recently purchased one here in the US.  Here is what I know:  It likes acidic soil, plenty of water, sunlight, and hates salt.

That being said, I live two blocks from the ocean and I have partial sunlight.  Will this be an issue?

I replanted my Jabuticabeira from a small bonsai pot to a large pot from Home Depot.  I placed two layers of large stones at the bottom and filled with a mixture of potting soil and potting soil with nutrients (vigoro) also from HD.  I have been watering it regularly with water from the tap, but have noticed that the sweet smell of the leaves has diminished as well as a moldy smell coming from the soil.  I would appreciate any and all advice on the next steps I should take (even steps backwards).  Especially from the fabled ASaffronĄ

Sidenote: I've had the tree for about a week and a half now.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

sounds like u have the right idea...

except most Myrciaria can fruit quite well in the shade.

tap water can be an issue for some of the rare species, but doesn't seem to bother Sabara (and Grimal, and the Red Jabo)

careful not to over fertilize them, high nitrogen is bad.

btw, u don't need to do all that with the rocks at the bottom of the pot...u can simply pot them up like any other fruit tree...and put a dish at the bottom of the pot so you don't have to water every day.

good luck with your tree...you should watch the video I made about how to prune them!

I don't know much about gardening in general and even less about an exotic plant like the Jabuticabeira.  I fell in love with the plant and its delicious fruit when I was in Sao Paulo and recently purchased one here in the US.  Here is what I know:  It likes acidic soil, plenty of water, sunlight, and hates salt.

That being said, I live two blocks from the ocean and I have partial sunlight.  Will this be an issue?

I replanted my Jabuticabeira from a small bonsai pot to a large pot from Home Depot.  I placed two layers of large stones at the bottom and filled with a mixture of potting soil and potting soil with nutrients (vigoro) also from HD.  I have been watering it regularly with water from the tap, but have noticed that the sweet smell of the leaves has diminished as well as a moldy smell coming from the soil.  I would appreciate any and all advice on the next steps I should take (even steps backwards).  Especially from the fabled ASaffronĄ

Sidenote: I've had the tree for about a week and a half now.

[bsbullie]

From the smell you say is coming from the potting mix,  I worry about what is going on.  The mix you used is very heavy and can stay wet, in a bad way.  If it stays too wet it can rot.  I also do not recommend potting mix with "built in " incorporated fertilizer.

What size pot was your Jabo in and what size pot did you put it in?   Pictures?

As Adam said, rocks arent necessary. 

[Scuppe]

Much appreciated!  It looks like my soil has about 10% nitrogen.  Is that considered too much?

It was in a rectangular 12 x 6 and I replanted it into the pot in the picture.  The new pot doesn't have a hole or a dish at the bottom... maybe buy a new pot?


Also, found your video and will check it out!

[Scuppe]

[bsbullie]

Yes, pot should have holes in the bottom.   Best pots to use are black nursery pots. You dont want the pot to taper like that.  It can limit root growth and development.  You dont want to go up too large of pot size at a time.  Itis really best to go up one size at a time, eespecially when the plant is young.

[fisherking73]

Ditto on the potting mix that stays wet not good. Not a Jabo, but my mulberry I planted with crappy soil that was like a sponge. Tree started looking like crap in less than a week, then I noticed mold growing on the surface of the soil. I had not watered since planting, and it had not rained, grabbed a hand full of soil and squeezed, and too much water came out. Replanted it asap in the dirt, I have fast draining soil. In less than 2 weeks she is FULL of new growth. It was BSbullie who told me to replant and suspected soil.  And as for Jabo, be careful with the fertilizer, another lesson learned that Adam helped me with and probably saved my Jabo.  Potting mix the Jabo was in from Nursery had fertilizer (did not know) and I added just a little to help it along. BAD idea. Leaves started burning in a day or 2 after.  Repotted, before putting it in, washed of as much of the fertilizer of root ball as I could as instructed by Adam.  Put in good soil as taught by BSbullie. Browning has completly come to a hault, plant is doing better.  So advice from 2 better sources on this might be hard to find LOL  Try not to learn the hard way like me. But lessons I will never forget as my growing experience continues.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

fisherking73,
you have successfully defertilized a jaboticaba!

that is one of the hardest things you'll have to do!

nice save!  now you're learning some advanced techniques...I'd say you lost your status as a newbie quickly.

Ditto on the potting mix that stays wet not good. Not a Jabo, but my mulberry I planted with crappy soil that was like a sponge. Tree started looking like crap in less than a week, then I noticed mold growing on the surface of the soil. I had not watered since planting, and it had not rained, grabbed a hand full of soil and squeezed, and too much water came out. Replanted it asap in the dirt, I have fast draining soil. In less than 2 weeks she is FULL of new growth. It was BSbullie who told me to replant and suspected soil.  And as for Jabo, be careful with the fertilizer, another lesson learned that Adam helped me with and probably saved my Jabo.  Potting mix the Jabo was in from Nursery had fertilizer (did not know) and I added just a little to help it along. BAD idea. Leaves started burning in a day or 2 after.  Repotted, before putting it in, washed of as much of the fertilizer of root ball as I could as instructed by Adam.  Put in good soil as taught by BSbullie. Browning has completly come to a hault, plant is doing better.  So advice from 2 better sources on this might be hard to find LOL  Try not to learn the hard way like me. But lessons I will never forget as my growing experience continues.

[fisherking73]

I am actually building a "shrine" area for my Jabo LOL will post pics on Jabo Anon thread when it is done. I figured this tree deserves a special area for herself.  Studied my yard for a month now. Found a spot next to my coco palm, Gets full morning sun till about 10-11ish, then filtered light the rest of the day through coco palms. Never fully blacked out, never fully all day full sun. Revamping sprinkler pipes in that area to run a dripper to the base of the Jabo to run somewhere between 2-5 GPH When sprinkler is on.  Re configuring all my sprinkler heads so fruit trees do not get sprinkle spray, and running drip lines to all fruit trees that like/need water more than mangoes (Jabo, Rollinia, Naners)

[Scuppe]

I appreciate all the advice!  Fisherking-  I agree.  The Jabo does deserve its own special place:P

I think I will end up going to a nursery in Davie this weekend to buy new soil, pot, and other accoutrements.  Any other things a beginner should buy?

[bsbullie]

I appreciate all the advice!  Fisherking-  I agree.  The Jabo does deserve its own special place:P

I think I will end up going to a nursery in Davie this weekend to buy new soil, pot, and other accoutrements.  Any other things a beginner should buy?

As far as supplies, for the pot, dont go to a commercial retail nursery "store", try a smaller nursery where you can just buy one of their nursery pots, it will save you money.  As far as potting mix, search out Fafard,  ProMix or MetroMix and you want their commercial line, not their retail line.  You should be able to find a source if you call around.  You can also purchase via mailorder and have it shipped to you.

[fisherking73]

If u find the Fafard commercial down here please pm me! I only found Fafard retail and it says "professional potting mix" on it but its not what BSbullie is talking about.  But i used the retail soil and it is MUCH better than the crap "organic potting" soils at HD.

[Scuppe]

If u find the Fafard commercial down here please pm me! I only found Fafard retail and it says "professional potting mix" on it but its not what BSbullie is talking about.  But i used the retail soil and it is MUCH better than the crap "organic potting" soils at HD.

I bought the HD organic soil and I've found out that it gave me gnats:/ I might try to use 2 inches of sand to kill them, but Im worried that the salt content might harm my jabos... (I bought another! Let the addiction begin).  I'll probably end up using some plant safe pesticide...

I will let you know if I find Fafard commercial, but so far no luck.  I've called quite a number of places and only found one that caries the potting mix. 

[gnappi]

"except most Myrciaria can fruit quite well in the shade."

Good news, but then what's the purpose of extreme pruning that exposes more trunk? Airflow?

[Droshi]

Is the tree on a patio or indoors? Hard to tell from the pictures.

I also ended up switching entirely to grow bags. For my cheaper plants I go with Wal-Mart sacks that are made from recycled bottles and cost a whopping $0.50 each. They hold about 7 gallons of soil in my experience. Helps a lot with over-watering and root rot problems that can happen in other pots. For you I'd suggest to keep your current pot, but plant the tree in a cloth bag and put that inside the pot so it's nested. That way excess water will just go into the pot and you get the benefits of a grow bag.

I've been thinking myself of trying out some form of gritty mix for my containers. It seems hard to justify for just a couple plants, but once you get more it seems more worth the effort. I've heard some people like growing in just the Turface stuff with cloth pots. Or a 1/1 ratio mix of turface and pine bark fines.

I couldn't find Fafard, so I ended up with regular old potting mix, but I know I'll likely have to repot most of my stuff after a couple years.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

"except most Myrciaria can fruit quite well in the shade."

Good news, but then what's the purpose of extreme pruning that exposes more trunk? Airflow?

the pruning is by no means extreme....it serves to allow more light to penetrate the caulis, thus producing more flowers.

also increasing air circulation.

(just because they can fruit in the shade, it doesn't mean you will get lots of fruits...especially if you don't prune the tree...a well pruned tree in the shade will make much more fruit when compared to one that is left unattended).

[Scuppe]

They are both inside.  What is the rust color on one of the plants?

[greenman62]

personally, i like the air-pots
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2719178/The-plant-pot-gets-makeover-Container-HOLES-boosts-growth-produces-giant-vegetables.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RootMaker-5-gallon-Air-Pot-pruning-Superoots-terrahydro-Root-maker-container-/221543333069?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339502fccd

but, since i am a cheap bastard, i use a regular container
and poke holes in the sides with a knife  :0)

[rambutantx]

Scuppe, hope you don't mind, I rotated your pic.

[Scuppe]

Scuppe, hope you don't mind, I rotated your pic.

I appreciate it!