Hi all,
I have a young (approximately 3 years old) miracle fruit planted in 50% acidic potting mix (primarily peat) and 50% perlite. The rationale for this ratio of perlite to potting mix was to improve drainage. However, the peat is still retaining a considerable amount of moisture, which makes me wonder when a good time is to water the plant without creating an edaphic environment conducive to root rot. The last time I watered the plant was almost 2 weeks ago. The upper 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot is dry, but the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the pot is extremely wet (reading a 10 on a 1-10 scale moisture gauge). So, basically, it ranges from 3 (dry) for most of the pot, to a 10 (very wet) near the bottom.
The plant itself appears very healthy, although it hasn't put on any new growth for about 2 weeks. It is summer here, and the plant is subject to temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius daily, in full-sun.
Does this plant mind a lot of water or does it prefer to dry out before watering?
Any advice appreciated.