How to Grow Miracle Fruit? Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Key Techniques
Miracle fruit belongs to the genus Synsepalum in the family Sapotaceae. It is a typical tropical fruit, native to Africa, and was introduced to China in the 1960s. As a result, artificial cultivation of miracle fruit began in China. Just like its name suggests, it contains a protein called miraculin. Although the fruit itself tastes somewhat sour and astringent, after eating miracle fruit, any sour fruit eaten within the next two hours will taste sweet, with no sourness at all. Today, the editor brings you the planting methods for miracle fruit.
1. Site Selection
Miracle fruit is native to the tropics and prefers fertile soil with high organic content and strong moisture-retention capacity. The soil should be acidic or neutral. It is suitable for planting in low-altitude subtropical areas. Tropical plants also have relatively high temperature requirements: the average daily temperature should reach around 25°C, and in winter it should also stay above 10°C, with the minimum not falling below 5°C, otherwise frost damage will occur. The site should be far from urban areas, busy roads, factories and other noisy places, and the water source should be abundant and clean. It is best to build the plantation on a south-facing or southeast-facing sheltered hillside.
2. Transplanting Seedlings
Miracle fruit seedlings should be transplanted in spring or autumn. Pay attention to the planting density at transplanting; the row spacing between each plant should be determined according to plant size, averaging 150*200 cm between rows. The planting holes should be 40*40*40 cm in height, depth and width. Before transplanting, apply base fertilizer to the planting holes according to the soil fertility and soil conditions, generally by mixing compound fertilizer, organic fertilizer and topsoil. Then place it into the planting hole, and put about 10 cm of soil on top of the base fertilizer to prevent the seedling roots from touching the base fertilizer and rotting. After transplanting, build a planting mound at the base of the tree and tamp it down with your foot. Keep the soil moist for ten days after transplanting, and then decide whether to water based on humidity.
3. Fertilizer and Water Management
Miracle fruit is a perennial fruit tree that can bloom and bear fruit multiple times a year, so its fertilizer demand is also relatively high. During the seedling stage, compound fertilizer should be used scientifically, following the principle of applying small amounts frequently, together with foliar fertilizer, to effectively promote the development of the fruit seedlings. For mature fruit trees, organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer should be used together, and nitrogen fertilizer should be used reasonably to promote branch and shoot growth; never apply nitrogen fertilizer indiscriminately. Use compound fertilizer together with potassium dihydrogen phosphate to protect and strengthen the fruit. Miracle fruit also has a relatively high water demand. After transplanting, keep the soil moist and also spray water on the branches and leaves to keep them moist. To prevent excessively high summer temperatures and water evaporation, do a certain amount of moisture conservation work and strengthen water management.
4. Shaping and Pruning
Prune miracle fruit before it enters the vigorous growth period. Be careful not to prune heavily, because at this time the main focus is still on promoting growth and shaping. Generally, the natural open-center form is used for pruning. When pruning, combine it with work such as bud rubbing and shoot positioning, distribute the branches reasonably, and select buds with strong vigor and healthy growth in different directions as side branches. Remove dense branches and leggy branches from the fruit tree, which is beneficial for the heading-back work on the outer parts. After harvest in winter, promptly remove all diseased, pest-damaged, overly dense and other undesirable branches.
The above is a brief introduction to the planting methods for miracle fruit. If you want to grow miracle fruit, you still need to have the right planting methods. Miracle fruit has a particularly high demand for water and fertilizer, so be sure to pay attention to water and fertilizer supplementation when planting. If they are not replenished in time, the yield and quality of miracle fruit will be reduced. What attracts people to miracle fruit is not its taste, but the magical effect after eating it. Although it is relatively rare on the market now, it will certainly gradually enter the market. You might consider growing it!