Growing Jaboticaba trees
Myrciaria cauliflora
Delicious exotic fruit and easy to grow too!
The Jaboticaba, also known as the Brazilian Grape Tree, is quite an interesting exotic tree to grow but you better have some patience. This versatile fruit tree just might be the perfect tree for your edible landscape. These trees can also be excellent container trees and make spectacular bonsai.
The Jaboticaba is native to Brazil and also grows in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru. These trees are widely grown in Australian and in the United States as well. Florida and California are excellent growing regions in the USA. The trees branch profusely, close to the ground and slant upwards and outwards with a dense, rounded crown. They can spread as wide as the overall height. The tree is a very attractive specimen in the edible landscape. Jaboticabas have an interesting reddish beige flaking bark that resembles the bark of guava trees.
These trees, also known as Brazilian Grape trees, produce delicious fruit right on the trunk and main branches. Trees that produce fruit right on the branches exhibit: Cauliflory a botanical term referring to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks and not from new growth and shoots.
When the Jaboticaba reaches maturity it begins to flower and puts on an attractive display. Hundreds of tiny white flowers bloom all over the trunk and branches. It is a lovely site and often an emotional one for people. Imagine you waited 10 years and finally fruit is almost in your mouth.
Trees may fruit as often as five or six times per year. The fruit is eaten freshly picked. This delicious fruit can be made into jellies, jams and wine. The skin is tough and that is a good thing because it prevents fruit flies. Actually, the tree is not prone to many pests at all. The skin is best removed and not eaten. You can pinch the fruit and separate the skin to avoid consuming the high concentrations of tannin found in it. Eating a few with skin is probably no big deal cause I ain't dead yet!
Pruning your Jaboticaba is very important. It is a good idea to prune away small growth and maintain an open canopy for good light and air circulation. You want to have the bottom of the tree open. Maintain main branches clean and free of smaller branches that rob the tree of energy. A ratio of about 40% clean trunk to canopy is good. Heavy thick main trunks is the goal, with a good airy canopy above. You want lots of thick healthy wood for the fruit to grow on.
Most of these trees are propagated from seed. The seeds germinate in as little as 30-45 days. One seed will produce multiple seedlings that are defined as polyembryonic. These seedlings are clones of the mother plant. They will be as good as the fruit from the mother plant and exhibit the same characteristics. The seedlings will take an average of 8- 10 years before producing fruit. In rare cases they do produce fruit in 3 years.
The Jaboticaba is native to Brazil and also grows in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru. These trees are widely grown in Australian and in the United States as well. Florida and California are excellent growing regions in the USA. The trees branch profusely, close to the ground and slant upwards and outwards with a dense, rounded crown. They can spread as wide as the overall height. The tree is a very attractive specimen in the edible landscape. Jaboticabas have an interesting reddish beige flaking bark that resembles the bark of guava trees.
These trees, also known as Brazilian Grape trees, produce delicious fruit right on the trunk and main branches. Trees that produce fruit right on the branches exhibit: Cauliflory a botanical term referring to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks and not from new growth and shoots.
When the Jaboticaba reaches maturity it begins to flower and puts on an attractive display. Hundreds of tiny white flowers bloom all over the trunk and branches. It is a lovely site and often an emotional one for people. Imagine you waited 10 years and finally fruit is almost in your mouth.
Trees may fruit as often as five or six times per year. The fruit is eaten freshly picked. This delicious fruit can be made into jellies, jams and wine. The skin is tough and that is a good thing because it prevents fruit flies. Actually, the tree is not prone to many pests at all. The skin is best removed and not eaten. You can pinch the fruit and separate the skin to avoid consuming the high concentrations of tannin found in it. Eating a few with skin is probably no big deal cause I ain't dead yet!
Pruning your Jaboticaba is very important. It is a good idea to prune away small growth and maintain an open canopy for good light and air circulation. You want to have the bottom of the tree open. Maintain main branches clean and free of smaller branches that rob the tree of energy. A ratio of about 40% clean trunk to canopy is good. Heavy thick main trunks is the goal, with a good airy canopy above. You want lots of thick healthy wood for the fruit to grow on.
Most of these trees are propagated from seed. The seeds germinate in as little as 30-45 days. One seed will produce multiple seedlings that are defined as polyembryonic. These seedlings are clones of the mother plant. They will be as good as the fruit from the mother plant and exhibit the same characteristics. The seedlings will take an average of 8- 10 years before producing fruit. In rare cases they do produce fruit in 3 years.
Jaboticaba trees will adapt to full sun or part shade. Seedlings are best grown in bright filtered light for the first year and then acclimated to full sun if that will be the future growing conditions planned for the tree. Consider providing some wind protection to the young trees.
Many people kill Jaboticabas because they just don't give them enough water. The tree needs plenty of water at all times, irrigation in the top 1-2 inches of soil. Keep the tree well mulched. The trees are naturally adapted to areas along riverbanks with plenty of water and lots of organic material along the forest floor. Give the tree similar growing conditions but don't let them get flooded for any extended period of more than 24 hours. Container grown trees need a top quality potting soil. Strive to maintain soil that is a bit on the acid side. A pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 is good.
Fertilize landscape trees at least 3 times a year with organic fertilizers. Container grown trees can be fertilized monthly at half strength fertilizer during spring and summer. Don't fertilize in winter to avoid cold damage to new growth. Mineral supplements with iron are recommended a few times a year and consider foliar feeding them also for best growth and health.
Many people kill Jaboticabas because they just don't give them enough water. The tree needs plenty of water at all times, irrigation in the top 1-2 inches of soil. Keep the tree well mulched. The trees are naturally adapted to areas along riverbanks with plenty of water and lots of organic material along the forest floor. Give the tree similar growing conditions but don't let them get flooded for any extended period of more than 24 hours. Container grown trees need a top quality potting soil. Strive to maintain soil that is a bit on the acid side. A pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 is good.
Fertilize landscape trees at least 3 times a year with organic fertilizers. Container grown trees can be fertilized monthly at half strength fertilizer during spring and summer. Don't fertilize in winter to avoid cold damage to new growth. Mineral supplements with iron are recommended a few times a year and consider foliar feeding them also for best growth and health.
Propagating Jaboticaba for faster fruit production
You can achieve faster fruit production from an air layered tree or a grafted tree. Finding a tree that is grafted or air layered is not common. The process of air layering can take more than a year. Grafting takes great skill and is often carried out by true enthusiasts and rarely by nursery operators. Time is money and growing seed grown trees is just more cost effective. Grafting techniques that have been successful are micro grafts, cleft graft and side veneer grafts. A successful grafted tree is started by selecting a healthy root stock and binding with a scion from a fruiting mother plant. Grafts can be joined using a top quality, sharp, clean grafting knife and some buddy tape. Water the plant well and place in full sun or bright filtered sunlight. No need to use a plastic bag to cover the plant. Make sure you are keeping the soil moist and that the union is making good cambium contact.
Planting:
When planting a jaboticaba, the crown (uppermost) roots should be at least 1-2 inches higher than the surrounding grade. Consider spreading some quality mycorrhizal fungi all around the roots when planting the tree and do not use tap water. Avoid the tap water, use lake or rain water from a storage tank if available. Always try to replicate nature. When container growing your tree do the same and use a well-aerated potting soil. For those with only tap water the mycorrhizal fungi may not provide the optimum benefits desired. Learn More Here:
When planting a jaboticaba, the crown (uppermost) roots should be at least 1-2 inches higher than the surrounding grade. Consider spreading some quality mycorrhizal fungi all around the roots when planting the tree and do not use tap water. Avoid the tap water, use lake or rain water from a storage tank if available. Always try to replicate nature. When container growing your tree do the same and use a well-aerated potting soil. For those with only tap water the mycorrhizal fungi may not provide the optimum benefits desired. Learn More Here:
I want fruit now!
Okay no problem, with money anything is possible right. A fruiting tree can be found in containers at some nurseries. These are not necessarily grafted or air layered trees. They are mature trees that have produced fruit. The grower waited a long time 8, 10, maybe 12 years in some cases. Now that tree can cost anywhere from $800.00 to $1,200 dollars or more and it's maybe 8-9 foot tall.
The most common cultivar found in Florida is Sabara
Fruit is small, thin-skinned and sweet. Tree medium-sized, precocious and very productive. Produces 4 crops per year.
The most common cultivar found in Florida is Sabara
Fruit is small, thin-skinned and sweet. Tree medium-sized, precocious and very productive. Produces 4 crops per year.
