Plinia sp. Peluda de Alagoas, an early bearing variety of Jaboticaba (Grimal)

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Not a huge crop, but I have more coming...

Grimal fruits with some Avri loquats

[shah8]

Harvested my first fruit.  Could use a bit more time, and definitely could use more sun, but it was somewhat sweet and it was rich.

Tastes like grapes, but the musk quality is definitely more like litchee.  Not particularly juicy.  Yes, I can eat these like bunches of grapes.  Too bad it's never going to be a big tree with big production.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I'm starting to think...maybe Grimal was smarter than we give him credit for?

I'm noticing the jaboticaba that he introduced is one of the most drought and heat tolerant varieties I have come across...perfectly suited for the Keys.

It can actually suffer if it's kept flooded too long, and it's one of the varieties that's most sensitive to rust (high humidity and rainfall) ...and if the tree is irrigated too much when the fruits are developing, they will split!

I strongly recommend the Grimal Jaboticaba for growers who are pushing the limits, in dry, hot areas, like CA, TX, AZ, and of course all of the other places in the world with similar climates.

This year I figured out how to help the fruits achieve the best flavor....

when the flower buds start to emerge, you must water religiously, (not over watering, but not skimping either), keep this routine up, until the fruit is full size and fully colored...here comes the hard part...you must try to starve the tree for water, but do not let it dry out...the best way to do this, is by looking at the leaves...wait for them to slightly wilt...then water. 

Keep doing this (for about 8-14 days, depending on your growing conditions, my trees in the greenhouse took about 14 days), until the fruits are finally like under-inflated basketballs...you will notice they have a very slightly wrinkled appearance, and they will be soft to the touch.

if you do this, the fruit will taste amazing...super sweet, totally different than a fruit that is picked improperly (even if they are fully colored, and sit on the tree for over 5 days, they still won't taste the same)  I see so many people who have eaten a jaboticaba fruit, but didn't know how to pick them properly, or how to let them ripen.

it's a real challenge, because you are contending with all the animals...they will eat them long before the full flavor is achieved...and that is why they are uncivilized, and do not deserve to raid our trees! 

[FlyingFoxFruits]

had a very large Grimal fruit on my tree today!

I took a pic with some other jaboticaba fruits I had on hand....(Red, and white).

and also took a pic on a plate, with some pitangatubas (notice the difference in shape? one type has ridges, one doesn't!  Also on the plate are some miracle fruit and muntingia fruits

Grimal is hard to beat!!

[xshen]

Very nice looking grimal Adam.  Looks like there are plenty of pulp to eat on that grimal!

[Scuppe]

I bought a Grimal from Pine Island a couple of months ago! Growing in a 5lb pot and sprouting new growth!  I'm going to repot it within the next few months

[FlyingFoxFruits]

the Grimal trees are fruiting nicely!  this is the second crop of the year (they don't seem to fruit much more than 2-3 times per year so I'm excited).

so far this is still the best tasting variety I've had (out of about 10 different Myrciarias/Plinias)

I have been letting customers who have eaten Sabara or Red jaboticaba before, taste the Grimal fruits, and everyone agrees, Grimal is king!

[barath]

My Grimal plants seem to be surviving better out here than any of the other Jaboticabas I've grown so far -- most seems to end up a bit burned with strange leaf growth unless I care for them really well, but the Grimal plants are doing well (though growing slowly, like Eugenias).  A lot of the Jaboticabas I've started from seed tend to germinate and then die after a few weeks -- probably the lowest survival rate of any of the plant categories I have grown from seed.  (Well, except Muntingia, which I have yet to get to survive from seed.)

[FlyingFoxFruits]

My Grimal plants seem to be surviving better out here than any of the other Jaboticabas I've grown so far -- most seems to end up a bit burned with strange leaf growth unless I care for them really well, but the Grimal plants are doing well (though growing slowly, like Eugenias).  A lot of the Jaboticabas I've started from seed tend to germinate and then die after a few weeks -- probably the lowest survival rate of any of the plant categories I have grown from seed.  (Well, except Muntingia, which I have yet to get to survive from seed.)

thanks for this info Barath,

I agree the Grimal is a tank!

it can handle much higher temps than the Red, or white Jabo in my experience (i have all 3 growing as small seedlings in a very hot greenhouse)

i wonder how high your average temps have been?
and what kind of soil mix you are using?

i bet I can help you figure out why you are killing small seedlings.

it's usually poor soil mix, too much heat, or too much sun....or poor water quality, or improper pH.

[barath]

thanks for this info Barath,

I agree the Grimal is a tank!

it can handle much higher temps than the Red, or white Jabo in my experience (i have all 3 growing as small seedlings in a very hot greenhouse)

i wonder how high your average temps have been?
and what kind of soil mix you are using?

i bet I can help you figure out why you are killing small seedlings.

it's usually poor soil mix, too much heat, or too much sun....or poor water quality, or improper pH.

The Grimal is growing in a fairly warm location -- summer highs in the 90s, sunny, and relatively dry.  They're in (I think, but can't remember for sure) 1/3 peat, 1/3 perlite, 1/3 misc soil.

I've started most Jaboticaba seeds in 50/50 peat/perlite, but what seems to happen is that half the time the tiny leaves wither after sprouting and then the seedling dies and the other half the time the tiny leaves get eaten by cutworms or something else.  I've started them in a number of environments, though the consistent thing you may have identified is that I usually have them in part to full sun, and the city water here is slightly alkaline.  (I had hoped the peat would counter that.)

[huertasurbanas]

part sun or full sun also killed my small jabos, so I am doing it in the shade now, and they are ok

[pschill444@aol.com]

Hi guys a friend was telling me about a grimel tree sounds like a jaboticaba  i do not know if this is the correct spelling , could not find anything on the internet ,any one know what im talking about ??   Patrick

[FlyingFoxFruits]

you have found one of the best fruit trees you can grow!

you have found her, now go and get her!

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3826.msg53198#msg53198

[From the sea]

Grimal Jabotacaba it is a good tree more tolerant of alkali soils than other jabos. The original tree in the US is about a mile from my house.

[phantomcrab]

A grafted Grimal I got from Adam 3 years ago. It did not grow very much the first 2 years in the ground but this summer it grew well. It's getting bushy but not fruiting yet.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

A grafted Grimal I got from Adam 3 years ago. It did not grow very much the first 2 years in the ground but this summer it grew well. It's getting bushy but not fruiting yet.

tree is looking great, thanks for the update!

I have several grafted Grimals, none of them have flowered yet.

the oldest is 4 yrs old, but I the scion I used was immature.

I planted that tree, and now it looks like it could flower any day.

Yours should flower by this year or next!

Sometimes you get lucky and they flower in 2-3yrs from grafting....

sometimes it takes 4-5yrs....

but it always takes at least 6-7yrs to get a decent crop with more than a handful of fruits.

[chicomoralessxm]

Hey adam do you have any more of the grimalGRAFTED? IF SO WHAT SIZES?

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Hey adam do you have any more of the grimalGRAFTED? IF SO WHAT SIZES?

Plants are too fragile to ship, but I have a few one gal trees now...they were just recently grafted...I have already sold a few for local pick up.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

one of the Grimal trees is making a nice crop now....some of the others have spots with fruit, but nothing substantial.

this time of year (early winter) seems to have the best quality fruit....some of these are really big...I'm going to weigh the largest fruit to see if I can break my old record of 13.8g.

there is one fruit that's wedged in between two branches at the base of the trunk, looks like it could take the title.

[Mike T]

Mine get wedged all the time and I am sure are bigger than 14g routinely.Rapid succession of crops this year has been crazy with the 4th crop in a row winding up on my grimal.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Mine get wedged all the time and I am sure are bigger than 14g routinely.Rapid succession of crops this year has been crazy with the 4th crop in a row winding up on my grimal.

get a digital scale and see if you can beat my heavyweight Grimals...anything over 13.8g takes the cake for now....I think I might have a 16 gram fruit on the vine, almost ripe...will post pics soon as I pick it.

[fourseasonsflorida]

Grimal is one I don't have yet.  How does the growth rate and ultimate height of the tree compare to Sabara or Red?

Personally, I like the growth habit of the Sabara the best so far.  But, Grimal seems worth getting for the size/taste of the fruit and ease of care.  Can't attest to the best tasting jabo (haven't tried enough varieties yet) but looks like the Grimal is topping most people's list!

[gunnar429]

Grimal is one I don't have yet.  How does the growth rate and ultimate height of the tree compare to Sabara or Red?

Personally, I like the growth habit of the Sabara the best so far.  But, Grimal seems worth getting for the size/taste of the fruit and ease of care.  Can't attest to the best tasting jabo (haven't tried enough varieties yet) but looks like the Grimal is topping most people's list!

i don't think many people have tasted phitrantha but it's supposed to be up there in terms of flavor, IIRC

[Joshua]

Here here I'm very impressed with the grim and have just come across my first fruit last week. I still love the difference sabra offers also but I'm going into grim production now planted about 50 yesterday. If anyone in Australia would like seeds or material Ishould be able to help. It's not my tree but he's a nice fellow

[Joshua]

re classification Adam or someone else. has the genus recently changed. what is plinia sp vs myrciaria. and is grimal named after a person ?