How to Grow Jaboticaba? Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
The scientific name of jaboticaba is Plinia cauliflora, also known as the Brazilian grape tree, jaboticaba, etc. It is native to South America and is an evergreen shrub of the genus Plinia in the family Myrtaceae. It is suitable as a bonsai and garden tree. Its fruit is both edible and ornamental, and it is extremely suitable for balcony container planting, garden landscaping, or potted appreciation. Now let us take a look at jaboticaba cultivation techniques!
Growth Habits of Jaboticaba
Jaboticaba is suitable for growing in cooler tropical and subtropical climates with medium to high rainfall. Most varieties can tolerate low temperatures of -2.8°C, while some varieties can tolerate low temperatures of -4.4°C. It is a sun-loving tree species that requires full sun, or tolerates slight shade. It requires moist soil but is averse to waterlogging, and can tolerate short-term drought. It has strong adaptability to soil, but the best is deep, fertile, well-drained slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5) sandy loam. It grows poorly on calcareous soil and is not tolerant of salinity and alkalinity.
Propagation Techniques for Jaboticaba
1. Seed propagation: Seed propagation is currently the most important propagation method for jaboticaba, and fresh seeds germinate better. After harvesting, the fruit is stored in plastic bags and refrigerated at 5-8°C. When ready to sow, the seeds are removed, washed, and sown. Cold storage can maintain viability for 1-2 months, and there is still a certain germination rate. Seeds germinate 20-40 days after sowing, and germination is slower at low temperatures.
2. Grafting propagation: Seedling trees of most jaboticaba varieties need 6-10 years before they begin to bear fruit. Grafting can advance fruiting, with fruit being produced about 3 years after grafting. Two-year-old seedlings are selected as rootstock, and one-year-old branches are cut from fruiting mother trees as scions. Cut grafting or approach grafting in autumn and winter gives a higher survival rate, while the survival rate after March-April is poorer, and grafting in summer is not easily successful.
3. Cutting propagation: Jaboticaba is not easy to root from cuttings. Domestic research has found it to be a typically difficult-to-root species. In May each year, semi-hardwood cuttings (2 nodes, 4 leaves) can be quickly dipped in NAA 2000 ppm, with peat soil as the rooting medium, and the rooting rate can reach 90%. Foreign research, however, uses 10 cm long cuttings with 3-4 pairs of mature leaves, and finds it best to root them in a medium of sand mixed with peat soil (ratio 1:1). Making 4 longitudinal cuts at the base of the cutting and treating with IBA 1000 ppm can promote rooting.
Cultivation Techniques for Jaboticaba
1. Seedling stage management: After jaboticaba sprouts, remove double buds, multiple-head buds, and overly weak buds. After new shoots form, tie them to wires on both sides, set shoots at 15-20 cm intervals, and promptly spray Flower Promoter No. 3, which can effectively control excessive shoot growth, promote more flowering branches, promote flower bud differentiation, effectively balance large and small flower clusters, and save the trouble of flower and fruit thinning.
2. Reasonable fertilization: Jaboticaba cultivation should be top-dressed according to the growth stage, namely flower and fruit fertilizer, fruit swelling fertilizer, coloring fertilizer, and post-harvest growth-promoting fertilizer. Special attention should be paid to achieving a reasonable match of various nutrients such as N, P, and K to ensure a balanced nutrient supply. Farmyard manure mixed with corn stalks must undergo high-temperature fermentation for more than 60 days and be fully decomposed before it can be applied.
3. Timely pruning: Jaboticaba fruit develops slowly, and strong pruning is usually unnecessary. However, to control plant height and potted tree shape, it is advisable to timely prune the vigorously growing top branches. In cultivation, it is generally recommended to prune low and inner thin, short branches to create a ventilated tree shape with beautiful branches and trunk. In addition, in autumn and winter, dense or leggy branches can be pruned.
4. Pest and disease management: Jaboticaba has few pests and diseases in domestic cultivation, and pesticides are rarely used in management. However, during the fruiting period, it is easily damaged by birds. Black nets can be covered around the plants or net rooms can be set up to prevent birds from eating the fruit. Double-layer newspaper bagging can also be used to protect the fruit. If tussock moth larvae harm the leaves, recommended pesticides from the plant protection manual can be applied for control.