Author Topic: Eugenia seedling dieback  (Read 1304 times)

Nick C

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 361
    • New Jersey Zone 7A
    • View Profile
Eugenia seedling dieback
« on: May 31, 2022, 10:23:21 PM »
I consistently have problems with getting Eugenia seedlings over the hump. The first growth start out strong and then the tips turn brown and die back. They will then send out new growth and repeat the process over again. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Example below




brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3357
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2022, 10:46:49 PM »
Me too.  Many start a radicle root but no shoot.  Some start a shoot but it dies at under 1cm. 

Nick C

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 361
    • New Jersey Zone 7A
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2022, 10:57:17 PM »
Me too.  Many start a radicle root but no shoot.  Some start a shoot but it dies at under 1cm.

At least I'm not alone on this lol I don't get it. It sucks too cause I manage to get some nice varieties/species and the majority never amount to anything. Pretty discouraging sometimes.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3357
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2022, 11:10:12 PM »
Tiny seedlings are the way to go I think.  I only buy seeds when I can't find a seedling for sale.  Premium is worth it if you only want one

digigarden

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 589
  • Maurice or digigarden
    • Dominican Republic,Santo Domingo- Miami.FL addr
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2022, 11:15:54 PM »
yeh that's the problem i told you about eugenias and jabos...some do this but i keep taking care of them and eventually they will grow another shoot that is normal or they will eventually grow a main stem.

that happened to me with grimal jabo and eugenia dysenterica(still hasn't gotten over it) now i tried to give a bit of worm casting if that gives it more strength.

edit you know they like some humidity and when they are very young some shade...it must be the conditions as i grow about 40 different eugenias and most came from one or two seeds they don't have these problems...now don't ever let all the leaves dry out!
« Last Edit: May 31, 2022, 11:20:55 PM by digigarden »

elouicious

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1355
    • Houston, Tx
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2022, 11:15:37 AM »
Gonna need some more info-

what medium are you sprouting in? How often are you watering? Do the roots also die or does it seem like you have just the tops dying?

Indoors or Outdoors? Lighting? Temps? Any general sickness around your large healthy plants?

TropicalFruitSeeker

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 99
    • Vancouver, Wa
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2022, 11:37:41 AM »
oh , wow. I thought I was alone on the getting the first ~2cm breakthrough then top dying. Spent a bit on eugenia squamiflora seeds and was excited when 5 popped up, then all but 1 died back. I use potting soil and a grow light ~4ft above, indoors. mist every other day, water when dirt is no longer moist ~4 days.
but then i had 8/8 zill surinam cherries sprout, so I'm always wondering why some but not the others just dont want to grow.

Jaboticaba45

  • Check out TN Tropical Fruits!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2358
  • Tropical Fruit Tree Connoisseur
    • Chattanooga TN 7b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2022, 11:57:24 AM »
It can be frustrating. There are so many factors.
A lot of my seeds came up then some shriveled and died back and re grew. Now they are decent looking. But yes, all the plants I have purchased that are over the hump never die even up here.
Maybe higher humidity? I want to start experimenting, but am busy for now.

Nick C

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 361
    • New Jersey Zone 7A
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2022, 10:22:01 PM »
Finally had some more recent luck






Kevin Jones

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2174
    • Alabama - USA
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2022, 10:35:32 AM »
Fresh Seeds.... Really makes the difference.
Although not convenient for everyone...
it's best when you can eat the fruit and then plant the seed right away.
Much higher germination rate.
I can't tell you how much money and time I've wasted over the past years trying to sprout Old seeds someone was selling on ebay.
Best to find a trusted grower to get fresh seeds from and then plant them as soon as possible after harvest.

Kevin


Jaboticaba45

  • Check out TN Tropical Fruits!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2358
  • Tropical Fruit Tree Connoisseur
    • Chattanooga TN 7b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2022, 11:33:18 AM »
Fresh Seeds.... Really makes the difference.
Although not convenient for everyone...
it's best when you can eat the fruit and then plant the seed right away.
Much higher germination rate.
I can't tell you how much money and time I've wasted over the past years trying to sprout Old seeds someone was selling on ebay.
Best to find a trusted grower to get fresh seeds from and then plant them as soon as possible after harvest.

Kevin
I can agree to that, but the rare stuff coming from Brazil and such is old…the seeds can be of good quality, just harder to sprout. Maybe there is a correlation between seed age? I’m not sure as if they are stored correctly, they can last a while. I’m assuming the main cause is from change in climate difference.

digigarden

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 589
  • Maurice or digigarden
    • Dominican Republic,Santo Domingo- Miami.FL addr
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2022, 04:21:50 PM »
It can be frustrating. There are so many factors.
A lot of my seeds came up then some shriveled and died back and re grew. Now they are decent looking. But yes, all the plants I have purchased that are over the hump never die even up here.
Maybe higher humidity? I want to start experimenting, but am busy for now.

it's this...the humidity and best to avoid that scorching sun when they're young..can tell you most of the eugenias sold here in the forum do sprout...it's the guabiju that doesn't sprout for me and i've tried from 3 different sources but nothing.
most eugenias are delicate like that for a while...if they need watering and receive direct sunlight that day they will dry up and probably die!! if you water them right away they may send another shoot...so many eugenia species have trouble putting up new leaves so what they do is send more shoots.

however eugenia uniflora is more torelant of cold, heat, dry conditions, disease and all of that...that's why it's nearly unkillable once established and can become invasive in some tropical/subtropical countries.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2022, 04:30:16 PM by digigarden »

CeeJey

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
    • Arizona 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2022, 05:32:11 PM »

it's this...the humidity and best to avoid that scorching sun when they're young..can tell you most of the eugenias sold here in the forum do sprout...it's the guabiju that doesn't sprout for me and i've tried from 3 different sources but nothing.

I tried guabiju for the first time this year; first batch 0%. Spoke with Marcos and he suggested more light (planting them not too deep) and not to over-water. So I tried a second batch in wrung-out damp coco-coir with plastic wrap over the top of the cup to keep the humidity high, with the seed planted just under the surface and then sat them under an old crappy grow-light I had lying around. I would mist or bottom-water when the top of the coir started looking dry. That worked for me for the majority of that batch.

For the plinias/eugenias the issue for me beyond seed quality seems to be mostly humidity. I try to keep them in a dome or with plastic over them now until they have two sets of leaves and that has a dramatically higher success rate for me. Also switching to relatively loose well-washed coir instead of heavier soil mix, I don't know what combination of water retention/ aeration is helping but it has. I'm in an exceptionally dry climate though so my issues may not be other peoples' issues.

driftwood

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 167
  • my name is driftwood, nice to meet you
    • Arizona 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2022, 11:28:12 PM »

it's this...the humidity and best to avoid that scorching sun when they're young..can tell you most of the eugenias sold here in the forum do sprout...it's the guabiju that doesn't sprout for me and i've tried from 3 different sources but nothing.

I tried guabiju for the first time this year; first batch 0%. Spoke with Marcos and he suggested more light (planting them not too deep) and not to over-water. So I tried a second batch in wrung-out damp coco-coir with plastic wrap over the top of the cup to keep the humidity high, with the seed planted just under the surface and then sat them under an old crappy grow-light I had lying around. I would mist or bottom-water when the top of the coir started looking dry. That worked for me for the majority of that batch.

For the plinias/eugenias the issue for me beyond seed quality seems to be mostly humidity. I try to keep them in a dome or with plastic over them now until they have two sets of leaves and that has a dramatically higher success rate for me. Also switching to relatively loose well-washed coir instead of heavier soil mix, I don't know what combination of water retention/ aeration is helping but it has. I'm in an exceptionally dry climate though so my issues may not be other peoples' issues.

I have basically the same problems, i think too much organic matter, alternating between too dry/overwatering and planting the seed too deep..they basically develop a fungal infection on the new shoot. sprouted in coco or pro mix do much better and regulating humidity like a dome to keep it from drying out then over watering

Rispa

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 300
    • Houston, TX
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2022, 03:20:16 AM »
Do you guys have any thoughts on how much humidity is too much? I'm about to try growing some and I'm thinking to get plastic containers to make greenhouses, but I also worry about making the humidity too high.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3357
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2022, 01:24:24 PM »
I haven't noticed any sensitivity to low humidity in any of the eugenias I've grown. 

CeeJey

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
    • Arizona 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2022, 02:37:31 AM »
The level of ambient moisture where you're at might have something to do with it. Some of them definitely don't like the desert here until they get acclimated for instance... Also seems to be species dependent for me, like pitanga doesn't seem to care too much, but I haven't been able to sprout any grumichama so far here (multiple sources, fresh) without a humidity dome or plastic over the top of the container. In fact a sprouted grumichama just dried out on me within a day of opening up the container a little earlier than I planned to, although it might push up another stalk (hopefully)
« Last Edit: June 26, 2022, 02:48:51 AM by CeeJey »

Timbogrow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 519
    • Naples, FL 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Eugenia seedling dieback
« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2022, 07:49:20 AM »
The best premixed soil for seeds I've found is the miracle grow citrus and cactus soil for containers in the orange bag. Cuttimgs root well in it also. I tried making my own numerous times in the past but found myself searching all over for ingredients and nothing worked as well.