A Detailed Guide to Jabuticaba Planting Techniques and Management Methods
The scientific name of jabuticaba is Plinia cauliflora, also known as the Brazilian grape tree and jaboticaba, among other names. It originated in South America and is an evergreen shrub of the genus Plinia in the family Myrtaceae. It is suitable for use as a bonsai and garden tree. Its fruit is both edible and ornamental, making it extremely well suited for balcony container planting, garden landscaping, or potted display. Let us now take a look at jabuticaba planting techniques!
Jabuticaba Growth Habits
Jabuticaba is suited to cooler tropical and subtropical climates with moderate 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 dislikes 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 saline-alkaline conditions.
Jabuticaba Propagation Techniques
1. Seed propagation: Seed propagation is currently the most important propagation method for jabuticaba, and fresh seeds germinate better. After the fruit is harvested, it is stored in plastic bags and refrigerated at 5-8°C. When ready to sow, the seeds are removed, washed, and then sown. Cold storage can be maintained for 1-2 months and still retain a certain germination rate. Seeds germinate 20-40 days after sowing, and germination is slower when the temperature is low.
2. Grafting propagation: Seedling trees of most jabuticaba varieties require 6-10 years before they begin to bear fruit. Grafting can advance fruiting, with fruit production 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 success rate after March-April is poorer, and grafting in summer is not easy to succeed.
3. Cutting propagation: Jabuticaba is not easy to root from cuttings, and domestic research has identified it as a typically difficult-to-root species. In May each year, semi-hardwood cuttings (2 nodes and 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, found that cuttings 10 cm long with 3-4 pairs of mature leaves are best inserted in a medium of sand mixed with peat soil (ratio 1:1), and longitudinal cuts at the base of the cutting plus treatment with IBA 1000 ppm can promote rooting.
Jabuticaba Planting Techniques
1. Seedling stage management: After jabuticaba sprouts, remove double buds, multiple-head buds, and overly weak buds. After new shoots form, tie them along the wire on both sides, set the shoots at 15-20 cm spacing, and promptly spray No. 3 Flower Promoter, 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: Jabuticaba planting requires timely topdressing according to the growth stage, namely flower and fruit fertilizer, fruit swelling fertilizer, coloring fertilizer, and post-harvest growth-promoting fertilizer. Special attention must 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 application.
3. Timely pruning: Jabuticaba 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. In addition, in autumn and winter, densely growing or leggy branches can be pruned.
4. Pest and disease management: Jabuticaba has few pests and diseases when cultivated in China, and pesticides are rarely used in management. However, during the fruiting period it is easily harmed by birds, so black netting can be covered around the plants or a net house 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.