Seedlings of red jaboticaba just sprouted and are dying back.

[Jose Spain]

Hi everyone,

I sown a few seeds of red jabo in September and finally two of them sprouted. Although didn't grow at all, they seemed OK until few days ago when I noticed that one had started to die back. Now the other one is dying back too. They are both still alive but it's plain that something is wrong in the conditions.They received some sun throw a window a few minutes per day (not anymore). Also I added by mistake water with some citric fertilise into the pot, in a normal dosis for mangoes. I wonder if any of these factors could explain this problem or could be something else. They are kept in a temperature of 64-74F. Any clue will be deeply appreciated.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Lack of humidity may be the issue, if not maybe the fertilizer, they hate excess Nitrogen

[Jose Spain]

There wasn't lack of humidity in the soil, and the air here in the coast is not dry either, so I think you are probably right about the second option. I gonna try to wash out the excess of nitrogen with rain water and  let's hope they recover, although being so small I'm not too much optimistic. Let's see... Thank you!!

[sildanani]

Lack of humidity may be the issue, if not maybe the fertilizer, they hate excess Nitrogen

Hey Adam, what substrate/soil mixes do you use for germinating Myrciaria and Eugenia seeds? What do you you recommend for fertilizer for seedlings vs established plants? I can always get both species to germinate, but many eventually get dieback. :/

Thanks in advance!

[achetadomestica]

I have noticed something with my seedlings. I start seeds out in a real good mix I get from
a vegetable farm. It has heavy perlite and peat and some vermiculite. It drains well but is easy to
stay moist. I have no problem for seeds to germinate, What I recently figured out was when I up pot the
seedling into a gallon pot I use the same mix but I add rabbit manure about 40-50%. Then my plants
crash? This year I had E. lutescens X E. pyrifomis, E repanda, M. pungens, Branco vinho or ribbed jabo,
all doing great and when I add the rich organics to the potting mix the plants put out yellow leaves and
go down hill? For the next few plants I will continue to use the potting mix that works so well and water
with miracle grow infrequently and see what happens? When I have up potted red jabos and added the
organic manure immediately the leaves tips burn? I have one left that is from March and is doing great.
I up potted it a couple weeks ago and put it in the potting mix without organics, so far so good?
Who would think adding rabbit manure would make plants crash? I wish I would have figured it out
sooner?

[Jose Spain]

Reading your experiences it definitely seems that the problem is an excess of Nitrogen. Fortunately I have 4 other seeds in other pots (thank you Mike for that extra ), I won't add any fertilizer until they are big enough, and then will be only Nutricote in very small dosis. Better to let them grow slowly that to kill them. These other seeds that are dying back had 2 heavy watering of rain water today, and will have more within the next days. I hope most of the citric fertilizer in the soil will be washed out and some survive.

[Vernmented]

These don’t like to be over watered when young. It might help to let them dry out every now and then.

[Jose Spain]

These don’t like to be over watered when young. It might help to let them dry out every now and then.

Thank you! I'll keep that in mind too!