Rooting Jaboticaba Cuttings

[John Travis]

So I came across these videos showing how to root cuttings, but they are in Portuguese. I think I get the gist os it. Take a big limb, strip the bark at the bottom, put it in a bottle with a hose, put that into a bucket, cover with gravel, theme pete moss.

I guess I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and if anyone has experience with this method? Thanks for the feedback.

https://youtu.be/vsoY7RFMOew

[zands]

Time of year is important for rooting most plants trees.... I know nothing about jaboticaba

[FlyingFoxFruits]

You can root all sorts of Myrciaria but I think u gotta have the right pH, and use the right hormones...takes a long time to root I've heard..

I have a friend who has rooted cuttings of all sorts of Eugenia and Myrciaria

I have only done it a few times, and I didn't use hormone..but took a long time root

[fourseasonsflorida]

John, I'd be interested in meeting you since I live in Maitland probably just down the road from you.

It's definitely possible to root jaboticaba cuttings.  Although I had always heard that it was difficult, I figured I would try it on a small branch of my Sabara that I was thinning out.

I took the cutting right at the beginning of October.  It was about 16 inches long after cutting off some of the tip, but I left about ten green leaves on it.  The diameter of the base was about 1/2 inch.  I lightly scraped the bark off the last 2 inches of the base, applied powder rooting hormone, then planted about 3 inches deep in a 6 inch pot.  The potting soil was basically a mixture of mushroom compost and fine bits of a stump that had rotted in my yard. 

I placed in the shade and watered every few days.  Six weeks later, it started pushing out new growth.  That was a few weeks ago and it's still growing fine.  I figure I'll let it stay in that pot for a while until it definitely roots well, maybe up to a year.  I've read about rooting large diameter branches, but it looks like it's possible with small branches as well.

So, all in all, it was one of my greatest surprises and successes so far.  Maybe I just got lucky... who knows what the success rate would be if I did this on a large scale.  I'm going to try it again in the spring with similarly sized branches and see what happens.  My mother Sabara plant is not fruiting, so there is no benefit as far as the cutting fruiting faster (I think) but it might take a Sabara seedling a couple years to develop a 1/2 inch base, so there is benefit there and, of course, simply the aspect of cloning. 

[John Travis]

Thanks for the replies! fourseasonsflorida, I'm curious to know how your cutting do. If you're looking for like minded locals the central florida fruit society meets 3rd Mondays at East End Market 7:00 pm. I'm usually at the meetings.

[zands]

I took the cutting right at the beginning of October.  It was about 16 inches long after cutting off some of the tip, but I left about ten green leaves on it.  The diameter of the base was about 1/2 inch.  I lightly scraped the bark off the last 2 inches of the base, applied powder rooting hormone, then planted about 3 inches deep in a 6 inch pot.  The potting soil was basically a mixture of mushroom compost and fine bits of a stump that had rotted in my yard. 

Scraping the bark off, lightly, carefully, helped a lot. Bark is water repellent, keeps water out. I have done this with something else. Next time I root something I am going to scrape off the last five inches of bark. Another thing I did was to split the stem where I scraped off the bark figuring water would get in easier

[fourseasonsflorida]

I'm curious to know how your cutting do. If you're looking for like minded locals the central florida fruit society meets 3rd Mondays at East End Market 7:00 pm. I'm usually at the meetings.

Thanks, John - I'll have to check out the C FL Fruit Society meeting.  I'll also take a pic of the cutting tomorrow to give a sense of how it's doing so far.  - Nate

[Cassio]

...takes a long time to root I've heard..

I have a friend who has rooted cuttings of all sorts of Eugenia and Myrciaria

I have only done it a few times, and I didn't use hormone..but took a long time root

Jabuticaba cuttings are harder to root than you think. Read this article: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-29452010000200030. The abstract is in english, but you´ll need of Google translator to read the rest.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

although it's a good sign, don't get too excited about cuttings pushing new growth...I have seen them put out at least an inch or two of new growth without having any roots.

for instance, i have taken cuttings of eugenia pyriformis (another hard species to root) and left them in a ziplock bag (for about 2-3 months, having forgot them), they all had pushed out leaves, but had no roots.

and the same of course is true for jaboticaba cuttings, i have tried to root them in the past, they will push out new leaves without forming roots (although nodules may be present).

[huertasurbanas]

You can root all sorts of Myrciaria but I think u gotta have the right pH, and use the right hormones...takes a long time to root I've heard..

I have a friend who has rooted cuttings of all sorts of Eugenia and Myrciaria

I have only done it a few times, and I didn't use hormone..but took a long time root

How many time? 6 months? I am trying to root jambolan, e. pyriformis, p. eugeniaefolia and others...

[simon_grow]

John, I'd be interested in meeting you since I live in Maitland probably just down the road from you.

It's definitely possible to root jaboticaba cuttings.  Although I had always heard that it was difficult, I figured I would try it on a small branch of my Sabara that I was thinning out.

I took the cutting right at the beginning of October.  It was about 16 inches long after cutting off some of the tip, but I left about ten green leaves on it.  The diameter of the base was about 1/2 inch.  I lightly scraped the bark off the last 2 inches of the base, applied powder rooting hormone, then planted about 3 inches deep in a 6 inch pot.  The potting soil was basically a mixture of mushroom compost and fine bits of a stump that had rotted in my yard. 

I placed in the shade and watered every few days.  Six weeks later, it started pushing out new growth.  That was a few weeks ago and it's still growing fine.  I figure I'll let it stay in that pot for a while until it definitely roots well, maybe up to a year.  I've read about rooting large diameter branches, but it looks like it's possible with small branches as well.

So, all in all, it was one of my greatest surprises and successes so far.  Maybe I just got lucky... who knows what the success rate would be if I did this on a large scale.  I'm going to try it again in the spring with similarly sized branches and see what happens.  My mother Sabara plant is not fruiting, so there is no benefit as far as the cutting fruiting faster (I think) but it might take a Sabara seedling a couple years to develop a 1/2 inch base, so there is benefit there and, of course, simply the aspect of cloning.

Hello Nate, thanks for the information! Can you see if any roots have actually formed? It would be awesome if you actually got roots growing out. Thanks,

Simon

[fourseasonsflorida]

Jabuticaba cuttings are harder to root than you think. Read this article: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-29452010000200030. The abstract is in english, but you´ll need of Google translator to read the rest.

Cassio, I believe you (and others) - thanks for the info.  I think your link got cut off so it didn't work for me, but this looks like the study: http://tinyurl.com/nk88nd6

It's interesting - I've never taken a cutting from another plant that pushed out new growth and didn't root.  Time will tell...  If anything, I think I should bring it indoors for the winter near a south facing window.

The article above mentions: "It was observed that most jabuticabeira cuttings has not kept their leaves, including those rooted. So it looks like rooting potential of hardwood cuttings of jabuticabeira is not related to the maintenance of the leaves."  My cutting lost most of it's leaves, but kept 25% before it started new growth and it still has those original leaves on it.  Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but interesting.

"Evaluation of rooting percentage was held 180 days after implementation" so it looks like it is much too early to tell for sure.  They had 50% success with hardwood cuttings, which is probably a higher rate of success than air layering.  At least, I haven't talked to anyone who has successfully air layered, so I assume it's a low percentage.

[fourseasonsflorida]

Hello Nate, thanks for the information! Can you see if any roots have actually formed? It would be awesome if you actually got roots growing out. Thanks,

Simon

Simon, I don't know that I want to pull it out to check at this point.  I would be more apt to wait until the spring, see if it makes it, then try to re-pot and check the root development at that point.  But, yes, I would be glad to report back on how it ultimately turned out.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I always mess them up by disturbing them while they are starting to root...

better to leave them alone...if the leaves don't wilt, you are doing something right.

you will know the cutting has failed when it finally wilts, and refuses to grow...it can take a long time to figure out...like I said, 6 months easy.

Hello Nate, thanks for the information! Can you see if any roots have actually formed? It would be awesome if you actually got roots growing out. Thanks,

Simon

Simon, I don't know that I want to pull it out to check at this point.  I would be more apt to wait until the spring, see if it makes it, then try to re-pot and check the root development at that point.  But, yes, I would be glad to report back on how it ultimately turned out.

[simon_grow]

Thanks Nate, it would be wonderful if your cutting survives. My friend has a very large Fruiting Jab in need of pruning and I would love to try to root some cuttings. Please don't disturb the plants, if you happen to see roots from the holes in the bottom of the pot, that would probably be easiest. Fingers crossed!

Simon

[greenman62]

I always mess them up by disturbing them while they are starting to root...

ive done the same a couple of times.
after i thought they took, i tried to transplant, and it killed them.

i have one going now with new growth, but its very thin/small.
a 2 inch shoot came up from the roots, i pulled it out
and stuck it in some soil for the hell of it.

[John Travis]

Cassio, Thanks for that article.

Four Seasons, keep us posted on your cuttings. I hope you have good news to report in the spring!

FFF as always, keep up the great work!

[fourseasonsflorida]

I moved the cutting indoors next to a south facing window in the kitchen for the winter.  Here are a few pics.  It stands 13 inches out of the soil.  Various new growth, longest about 2 inches.  It has pushed out new growth at various places lower on the "trunk", but I've removed it as I want to encourage growth at the top.  There's only one original leaf on it now, the rest have gradually dropped over the past 2 months.  Will update in spring unless it dies before that... knock on some wood! 

[Cassio]

Cassio, I believe you (and others) - thanks for the info.  I think your link got cut off so it didn't work for me, but this looks like the study: http://tinyurl.com/nk88nd6

It's interesting - I've never taken a cutting from another plant that pushed out new growth and didn't root.  Time will tell...  If anything, I think I should bring it indoors for the winter near a south facing window.

The article above mentions: "It was observed that most jabuticabeira cuttings has not kept their leaves, including those rooted. So it looks like rooting potential of hardwood cuttings of jabuticabeira is not related to the maintenance of the leaves."  My cutting lost most of it's leaves, but kept 25% before it started new growth and it still has those original leaves on it.  Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but interesting.

"Evaluation of rooting percentage was held 180 days after implementation" so it looks like it is much too early to tell for sure.  They had 50% success with hardwood cuttings, which is probably a higher rate of success than air layering.  At least, I haven't talked to anyone who has successfully air layered, so I assume it's a low percentage.

Yes, that is the article.
All the rest is right. Good luck!

Cassio, Thanks for that article.

 

[Cassio]

It's definitely possible to root jaboticaba cuttings.  Although I had always heard that it was difficult, I figured I would try it on a small branch of my Sabara that I was thinning out.

I took the cutting right at the beginning of October.  It was about 16 inches long after cutting off some of the tip, but I left about ten green leaves on it.  The diameter of the base was about 1/2 inch.  I lightly scraped the bark off the last 2 inches of the base, applied powder rooting hormone, then planted about 3 inches deep in a 6 inch pot.  The potting soil was basically a mixture of mushroom compost and fine bits of a stump that had rotted in my yard. 

I placed in the shade and watered every few days.  Six weeks later, it started pushing out new growth.  That was a few weeks ago and it's still growing fine.  I figure I'll let it stay in that pot for a while until it definitely roots well, maybe up to a year.  I've read about rooting large diameter branches, but it looks like it's possible with small branches as well.
 

I´ll have to try something like this with cambucá. 

[fourseasonsflorida]

Ok, guys.  The sad truth is that the cutting never actually rooted.  It flushed out numerous times with new growth, yet eventually, it all died.  I pulled the cutting out yesterday and there was nothing - no roots at all. 

Amazing how this plant can fool you with all that new growth, but develop no roots whatsoever!

[John Travis]

Sorry to hear it, but thanks for the update.

[huertasurbanas]

Sorry to hear it, but thanks for the update.

+1

keep trying

I will try it too

[luc]

You will get better results airlayering .

[fyliu]

Thanks for the update. I had the same experience with atemoya cuttings. They were just extras I couldn't graft so I put them in perlite+water and they did well for several months until I decided to check for roots. It went downhill fast after that.

[fourseasonsflorida]

You will get better results airlayering .

I read about airlayering jaboticaba and talked to a couple people who tried, but were unsuccessful.  Has anyone had success?

I've airlayered other plants such as Natal Plum (Carissa) with excellent results.  But, my understanding is that it is very difficult to air layer jaboticaba.

[Grapebush]

I also tried, to root Jaboticaba cuttings, and can confirm it is not easy!
Before start with my experiments, I've read a few things on the web, to have one idea, with what I was dealing, and ended up with a lot of diferent forms to do it, but none seemed to be really 100% guaranteed. So I decided to try it in a few diferent ways (those that seemed to me to be the best), and for the first experience, I've done, I get an incredible success, of 0%.
So I had revised a few things and decided to try it again, and this time I get a better result of 0%.
I read a bit more about it, and tried it a third time, and finally I get one rooted, out of about 20. And this one was the one I used the most unsuspicious method... I simply take a small cutting, no more than 15cm, and less than 5mm diameter, and put it in a muddy terrain, where there's allways some water in the soil (almost a swamp), and about 9months later, after having lost every single leave, it has set a new shoot from the soil level, I let it stay for another month or so, and then my curiosity made me dig it to see if there were roots, and I confirmed success.

After that I've read a few more things, and discovered, that the main problem is that right after cutting the stems from the mother tree, it's sap, and bark start to oxidate, and this oxidation acts as a root inhibitor, and this is one of the main causes, for these type of plants, dont get rooted cuttings. One technique to avoid this, is having everything ready, for placing it in the soil right after cutting it from the mother tree; and in the impossibility of this, use a bucket, or similar with water and some lemon juice (as it acts as an antioxidant) to put the cuttings on it and transport it that way; then, before planting it, cut about 2 inches, of the base of the cuttings, so you have a fresh area to set roots.