jaboticabas and zone 9a

[Miguel.pt]

I would love to know more about the M. Trunciflora varieties.
I  have killed so many Jabo's in their indoor seedling stages already, that I was a bit turned away from Jaboticaba's. I figured they are just too delicate to grow. But now that I learned that in the south of Brasil and north of Argentina, they mainly grow named varieties of M. Trunciflora, I think it might be worth trying to find the cold hardiest variety again. Some of my small Red ones are outside now, taking some regular -2 C frosts and looking pretty good.

Luis, or Miguel, do you have any more precise information on this legendary Jaboticaba in Braga, the north of Portugal? If this one is for real, it is probably the most northern Jaboticaba, grown outside in Europe. I would love to check this out on my next trip to Portugal, so if you have any concrete information, please let me know.

Hi Solko,
You don't need to search any further for M. trunciflora... I happen to know someone that can get one for you... that person is me of course!

The jaboticaba in Braga is currently growing inside a GH, although the owner said it spent some years outside... even if Braga can have a 9a climate the owners place is located in a slope so I suspect this can help to drain the cold.
The owner says it is a Sabará but I have some doubts because the leaves seem too big for Sabará... I suspect it is an Hybrid one but not sure yet... last visit I collected some branches that I tried to graft in one of mine but to soon to say if I was lucky or not... my last visit was when I decided to take the afternoon off and go to Oporto just to collect your parcel...remember?!

Take care my friend

[Solko]

Thank you Luis, for the info on that Jaboticaba. If it is really outside, that would be pretty amazing. In any case, his greenhouse looks very interesting!


Hey Miguel,

Thank you so much, that is very generous of you, again!  I would love to get some seeds or a plant of M. Trunciflora of you when I will visit Portugal this year.
I am very curious to see this Jaboticaba in Braga. What a funny coincidence that you went to see that place the same day you picked up my package 
In any case, if the Trunciflora would be able to handle the climate in the North of Portugal, that would be great news. Of all the Myrtaceae I tried, I find the Jaboticaba's pretty demanding - hard to germinate, slow to grow, and hard to get to a decent size in my pots further up north. I was hoping that once in the ground they would do better, because they would get rainwater. It is just the cold tolerance that worries me. And maybe the drought in summer.

Good growing!

Solko

[Solko]

Here is a report on my potted Myrtaceae in the snowy Alps.




We are having a very mild winter, with regular frost at night, but never more than -3 Celsius. That means that all my Feijoa, Ugni and hardy Myrtaceae stayed outside all winter, some in the ground, but most of them in pots. Even though these are pretty frost hardy, they really suffer from the snow - their wood is too soft to take the load and branches can break.




I even have Guabiju seedlings that are only six months old sitting outside in the frost and they are taking it like a champ.

[Solko]

I have kept my other potted Myrtaceae outside under an overhang. And apart from one week in which the temperature didn't come above freezing during the day, they have stayed outside all winter so far. That spot is the lowest spot in my yard, so it is also a cold sink and won't protect them from the cold, but the plants do get some protection from the snow.
In this picture are Strawberry Guava, Red Jaboticaba, M Delicatula, Uvaia, Cherry of the Rio Grande, Sour Orange, Campomanesia Xanthocarpa and Psidium Myrtoides.
Most of them are two or three years old. They have taken the nightly frosts extremely well so far, I only have had damage to the upper branches of my Cherry of the Rio Grande and my Myrciaria Delicatula(1 and a half years old this winter)



Here a close up of the damage on M. Delicatula: some burnt leaves and top branches. What amazes me is that the Red jaboticaba and the Uvaia in the background haven't even lost a single leaf. So that does suggest the Red jabo should be pretty hardy when it gets even bigger and older...



Those two just look green and happy, while C Xanthocarpa, Cherry of the RG, Psidium Myrtoides and also even my Pitanga - reported to be pretty cold hardy - have all lost some or most of their leaves and look a bit miserable.