How to Grow Miracle Fruit? The Latest Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The fruit of the miracle fruit is sweet and sour; after eating it, eating other acidic foods again can turn sourness into sweetness, hence the name “miracle fruit”. The miracle fruit grows slowly, and its pruned crown is round and very attractive; the ripe fruit is bright red, making it a rising star among foliage and fruit ornamental potted plants in southern regions.

Growth Habits of the Miracle Fruit

It prefers slightly acidic or neutral soil, and grows best in well-drained sandy loam. It is suitable for cultivation in tropical and southern subtropical low-altitude areas of China. The plant prefers a high-temperature, high-humidity climate environment. It has a certain tolerance to drought and cold; at 3--5 degrees Celsius in winter, young branches and leaves suffer cold damage, but this is not fatal, and it can overwinter safely at 8--10 degrees Celsius. The miracle fruit is light-loving, and even at the seedling stage it can receive direct sunlight. However, it can also flower and bear fruit normally under slightly shaded conditions.

Propagation Techniques for the Miracle Fruit

The miracle fruit can be propagated by sowing, cuttings and air layering.

1. Propagation by sowing

Pick fresh ripe fruit, wash away the flesh and skin, scoop out the seeds and dry them in the air. The seeds should not be stored for long; it is best to sow them as soon as they are collected, with a germination rate of over 90 percent. Before sowing, prepare a seedbed, using clean, loose potting soil as the substrate. Broadcast or sow in spots on the seedbed, cover with 2 cm of soil after sowing, keep the temperature at 26--28 degrees Celsius, keep the potting soil moist, and they will germinate in 60--80 days. When the seedlings have 4--5 true leaves, they can be planted with their soil balls into flower pots or nutrient bags filled with potting soil for cultivation and management. Seedlings grow slowly.

2. Propagation by cuttings

From April to June, cut current-year semi-lignified or fully lignified branches as cuttings, about 6--10 cm long. Cut the lower end of the cutting into an axe-head shape, dip it appropriately in a hormone solution (NAA 1000 mg per liter), and insert it into clean sandy loam. Treating miracle fruit cuttings with hormones not only promotes rooting, but also gives a high rooting rate, early root formation and early new leaf bud sprouting, clearly superior to direct cuttings. The cutting bed should maintain suitable temperature and shade. After new roots form, transplant into nutrient bags and care for them in the nursery. Cutting-propagated plants can finish early and can also dwarf the tree shape.

3. Propagation by air layering

From April to June, select robust 1--2-year-old mature branches. The length of the air-layering girdling cut should be 3--4 cm; the upper and lower cuts of the girdle should be neat, reaching the xylem, with the bark removed and the cambium scraped clean. Because the miracle fruit's wood is hard, air layering makes it difficult to root, and the propagation success rate is low. Therefore, at the girdled area, first evenly brush on a prepared rooting powder (ABT No. 2) at 500 mg per liter or IBA at 500 mg per liter on the girdling cut; this helps promote root growth and can effectively increase the survival rate of air layering.

Planting Techniques for the Miracle Fruit

For pot cultivation, use fertile, loose pond mud or humus soil. April to August is the best period for transplanting into pots. After potting, the plants should be placed in a shade shed and watered thoroughly. After 10--15 days, they can be transferred to normal management. To keep the leaves glossy, appropriate shading can be provided; especially in summer and autumn, direct sunlight should be prevented, and a 50 percent shade net can be used to set up a shade shed.

In autumn, keep warm and moist. Fertilization should be carried out according to the size of the seedling and the different seasons. Apply less concentrated fertilizer and more dilute fertilizer; apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. During the fruiting period, foliar topdressing should be carried out; as a potted ornamental, when the seedling height is 15--30 cm, begin shaping and pruning to develop a round crown.

The main pests of the miracle fruit include round scale insects, cottony cushion scale, and others, which occur more concentratedly during the flowering and fruiting period. Therefore, when flower buds form, 40 percent omethoate or 2.5 percent cypermethrin can be sprayed for control. Diseases occur less often.