I want to plant a jaboticaba on the hillside where I'm planting palms. I think that it would look great among the palms, with the berries on the trunk, but I'm wondering how it will do in the decomposed granite. DG isn't exactly acidic.

I was going to dig a big hole and basically use the hole like a pot and fill it in with a more acidic planting mix. I'm going to be chipping the DG out -- probably with a jack hammer -- so I'm not too worried about forming a "plow pan".

Am I making a mistake doing this? How do you grow jaboticaba in Southern California -- in Escondido?

I have the purple variety, but I've heard that the yellow fruited type tastes even better. Do any of you guys grow that?

I have yellow and regular. Yellow is good but less cold tolerant. Water is key for both, as well as neutral to acid soil. Axid is better. My purple is in too much shade, I think and has yet to flower after 7 years, and was not a small plant when installed.

The yellow has grown well and fruits well. Did not like 27 degrees. But recovered well.

Good luck.

Alan

As long as the DG isn't extremely alkaline (not likely, by SoFla standards), you shouldn't have any trouble. A very nice, heavily fruiting specimen is at Fullerton Arboretum. In addition. several specimens fruit well at Fruit and Spice Park in The Redland (Dade Co, FL) on limestone. I don't think pH is a huge issue.

It grows beautifully in pots for me in Virginia Beach,VA. Slow from seed but looks like a Bonsai at any size. Fruit is great and no special care at all-regular potting mix, etc. I do keep it 50 degrees or above and water it a bit more than some other plants. I like the multitude of flowers as well. Easy in Puerto Rico but the birds like the fruit too there. As usual, my reply is really of no help to anyone trying to grow it outside in California-- unless root confinement in granite is like my largest which is root confined in the pot and needs repotting...

Is there any suggestions as to how to induce this tree to fruit?

It grows beautifully in pots for me in Virginia Beach,VA. Slow from seed but looks like a Bonsai at any size. Fruit is great and no special care at all-regular potting mix, etc. I do keep it 50 degrees or above and water it a bit more than some other plants. I like the multitude of flowers as well. Easy in Puerto Rico but the birds like the fruit too there. As usual, my reply is really of no help to anyone trying to grow it outside in California-- unless root confinement in granite is like my largest which is root confined in the pot and needs repotting...

It should have the room to grow if the soil doesn't bother it. Mine is not the most impressively leafed out specimen yet.

Is there any suggestions as to how to induce this tree to fruit?

I think mine in a pot just finally got big enough since I didn't do anything differently. It was probably 4 feet above the soil level when it first fruited and I'd had it at least a decade in a pot. Not a good time for a photo because it's still crowded in my greenhouse. Maybe next week it'll be safe to move it outside here.

As to yellow jaboticaba or cabelluda (Plinia glomerulata), it's a great plant and delicious too. You need at least one of each!

Is there any suggestions as to how to induce this tree to fruit?

I think mine in a pot just finally got big enough since I didn't do anything differently. It was probably 4 feet above the soil level when it first fruited and I'd had it at least a decade in a pot. Not a good time for a photo because it's still crowded in my greenhouse. Maybe next week it'll be safe to move it outside here.

As to yellow jaboticaba or cabelluda (Plinia glomerulata), it's a great plant and delicious too. You need at least one of each!

Curious if some Potassium Sulphate will encourage it to fruit? Or perhaps its an issue of time. My tree (large shrub) is over 6 ft tall and nearly as wide. Hmmm ...

Is there any suggestions as to how to induce this tree to fruit?

I think mine in a pot just finally got big enough since I didn't do anything differently. It was probably 4 feet above the soil level when it first fruited and I'd had it at least a decade in a pot. Not a good time for a photo because it's still crowded in my greenhouse. Maybe next week it'll be safe to move it outside here.

As to yellow jaboticaba or cabelluda (Plinia glomerulata), it's a great plant and delicious too. You need at least one of each!

Curious if some Potassium Sulphate will encourage it to fruit? Or perhaps its an issue of time. My tree (large shrub) is over 6 ft tall and nearly as wide. Hmmm ...

As usual, I have no idea myself. However I would think to ask someone in the Rare Fruit Council based in Florida or call the wonderful Fruit and Spice Park in the Redlands. Both have been of great help to me and both have websites.

I grow jaboticaba and have three that are fruiting age. they need acidic soil, and good quality non-salty water. Never let them dry out. In the book Five Decades with Tropical Fruit by Whitman he says potash helps. I tried it once and I put some wood ash around one of my trees and it fruited in two weeks afterwards. Maybe the tree would have flowered any way but it seemed to help. Be aware that woodash is alkaline so don't use much. I just used two cups for the one tree I tried it on.

I also just picked up a Red Jaboticaba. They say this one fruits quicker and has high quality fruit.

The tree grows super slow so buy the biggest one you can afford. My trees are around 15 years old and started fruiting around the ten year mark.

Good luck!

I grow jaboticaba and have three that are fruiting age. they need acidic soil, and good quality non-salty water. Never let them dry out. In the book Five Decades with Tropical Fruit by Whitman he says potash helps. I tried it once and I put some wood ash around one of my trees and it fruited in two weeks afterwards. Maybe the tree would have flowered any way but it seemed to help. Be aware that woodash is alkaline so don't use much. I just used two cups for the one tree I tried it on.

I also just picked up a Red Jaboticaba. They say this one fruits quicker and has high quality fruit.

The tree grows super slow so buy the biggest one you can afford. My trees are around 15 years old and started fruiting around the ten year mark.

Good luck!

Is your red Jaboticaba the hybrid I've read about at Fruitlover's nursery site? I'm always interested in new fruits. I do like vexator but mine hasn't produced yet.

I grow jaboticaba and have three that are fruiting age. they need acidic soil, and good quality non-salty water. Never let them dry out. In the book Five Decades with Tropical Fruit by Whitman he says potash helps. I tried it once and I put some wood ash around one of my trees and it fruited in two weeks afterwards. Maybe the tree would have flowered any way but it seemed to help. Be aware that woodash is alkaline so don't use much. I just used two cups for the one tree I tried it on.

I also just picked up a Red Jaboticaba. They say this one fruits quicker and has high quality fruit.

The tree grows super slow so buy the biggest one you can afford. My trees are around 15 years old and started fruiting around the ten year mark.

Good luck!

Thanks Dave !

Mine is around 5 years in the ground. Heavily mulched and fertilized with fertilzer for acid loving plants. Gets hit with sequestrian 138 (Ionized Iron supplement) annually. Definitely not a fast fruit tree.

It looks like I need to be patient.

Ron

Jaboticaba definately is not a fast grower - mine took 8 years growing before it first gave some fruit. They like a lot of water. I neglected mine during the El Nino weather pattern drought we had and it suffered and lost a lot of leaves as it dried out too much. I also have a good size plant of the yellow jaboticaba - Cabelluda glomerulata. I found it to be more drought tolerant. The yellow fruit has a good sweet taste with a rather thin layer of fruit around a big seed. Are they all that way with minimal fruit around a big seed? I tend to prefer the purple jaboticaba. Infact, I'm eating some right now as we have a bowl full setting on the table.

sorry, I'm not familiar with Fruitlover's nursery site. I got it at the Brevard tropical fruit sale which Pine Island Nursery was the vendor. The Red Jaboticaba is from someone (forgot the name) in Orlando.

I haven't planted it yet and having trouble finding a spot in the yard for it. I'm all overgrown. I guess it will be a understory tree!

Here is one of my largest trees

and the beginnings of the 2nd flower flush of the year.

I wonder if my Jaboticaba is too healthy.

Its 14 years old from seed, 10 ft tall and almost as wide . Very lush, Trunk at soil level is as thick as 5 to 6 inches across.

My soil ph is kinda high, around 7.5 and my water is way high at 8.1. I do throw sulpher down every now and again. But still no flowers or fruit!

Anyone have any ideas as to how I can force this otherwise healthy tree to flower? I have tried girdling a branch one time, still no luck.

Jeff

I wonder if my Jaboticaba is too healthy.

Its 14 years old from seed, 10 ft tall and almost as wide . Very lush, Trunk at soil level is as thick as 5 to 6 inches across.

My soil ph is kinda high, around 7.5 and my water is way high at 8.1. I do throw sulpher down every now and again. But still no flowers or fruit!

Anyone have any ideas as to how I can force this otherwise healthy tree to flower? I have tried girdling a branch one time, still no luck.

Jeff

I wonder if a high phosphorus "bloom" fertilizer would help?

I wonder if my Jaboticaba is too healthy.

Its 14 years old from seed, 10 ft tall and almost as wide . Very lush, Trunk at soil level is as thick as 5 to 6 inches across.

My soil ph is kinda high, around 7.5 and my water is way high at 8.1. I do throw sulpher down every now and again. But still no flowers or fruit!

Anyone have any ideas as to how I can force this otherwise healthy tree to flower? I have tried girdling a branch one time, still no luck.

Jeff

I wonder if a high phosphorus "bloom" fertilizer would help?

I agree. Stop all Nitrogen for a while and load on the P and K.

I'm a big admirer of Central Floridave's happy, flowering, fruiting trees. They've managed to survive saline irrigation water. My healthy one is approaching 5 feet tall after about 6 years of growth. It's on the hot west side of the house, of all places.

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i have a couple Jaboticaba , that do well in N. san diego co. my largest has been fruiting for several years now. I dont give them any special treatment just a little palm plus once a year..., they are related to a crape myrtle. here are some pictures i took yesterday. prob. the best tasting fruit (in my opinion) but if you eat too many it'll clog you up.

btw ... anyone know what the plant is that grows under it. i was told it was some kinda spice or ???

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ok my pc froze up let me try to put the pictures back...sorry for the multiple postings.

I'll load it up on the p and k and what happens