HELP!! Jaboticaba is not responding!

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

We are two months into the hot and humid summer here in Mexico and my Jaboticabas have not had a flush of leaves the entire year, and in the photo attached i had a flush of leaves but they come out dead and crinkled.

Anyone have any idea of what I can do to recover these plants? I have gave it a little bit of fertilizer this summer, and the soil is a mix of compost with lava rock.

 

[JackHammer]

This is what my azaleas look like in full sun. What does the light situation look like? Full sun? I don't know these plants bit maybe someone else can help.

 

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

They were in shade for a while until about 1 week ago i put one in full sun. I had them in the shade because their leaves were dying and they didnt look healthy

 

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

anyone??

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

We are two months into the hot and humid summer here in Mexico and my Jaboticabas have not had a flush of leaves the entire year, and in the photo attached i had a flush of leaves but they come out dead and crinkled.

Anyone have any idea of what I can do to recover these plants? I have gave it a little bit of fertilizer this summer, and the soil is a mix of compost with lava rock.

Just an FYI. I know nothing about Jaboticabas, but it looks like dryness to me, The tree may be drying out between waterings, which will cause the leaves to brown. Your heat with shallow roots can cause it to dry out easily. If it's windy that's even worse. Also using fertilizer on a tree that isn't healthy may burn it, especially nitrogen. I'd stick it back in the shade until it recovers from the leaf burn, and up my watering by not letting it dry out.

How often are you watering it? Do you have other plants showing the same symptoms?

 

[Gabler]

Weak trees also invite pests. Check for scale insects, fungus, etc.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I also think there may be more than one factor contributing to this plants state.
My thoughts are, Definitely take a close peak for pests (which I’m guessing you already have). I would sprAy with an anti fungal. Could try water, baking soda, vegetable oil, and liquid soap mix. Recipes online.

I would continue very regular watering of just the soil keeping the foliage dry.

Place in dappled shade and on the ground.
Just what I would do. So you should probably do just the opposite.

 

[Carol 83]

@Clicio has an awesome one, maybe he can be of assistance.

 

[Clicio]

@Clicio has an awesome one, maybe he can be of assistance.

Thanks @Carol 83 .
It looks like it is underwatered.
Jaboticabas thrive in lowlands with very wet soil.
If it helps, mine I water twice a day in the summer, sometimes 3 times a day.
The main problem, as said above, is the sad cycle; plant is weak, pests appear, plant gets weaker.

 

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

Thanks for replying. The plant has always been heavily watered, and all three of jaboticabas kept getting sick. 1 has completely died, 1 is on its last piece of live trunk, and one still has a life up to the tips (the big on in the photo) but seems to be hanging on by a thread.

I think it has to be the water. I have moved them to shade during the hot, season, watered well, used fungacide, pesticide, a little bit of fertilizer, and recently did a repot in better drained soil. I will go back to purified water because it just seems since I came to this house, it took about a year, but then all the jaboticabas started to wilt.

I just looked at photos of plants affected by lime in water, and it seems like that's what could be happening. I will report on whither or not it survives. im so desperate for it to survive it is one of my best trees.

I just found out today that about the time this plan started to take a turn, is when i started watering it with the city water that comes to my house from a nearby well that is located next to a mine....

Thanks @Carol 83 .

It looks like it is underwatered.
Jaboticabas thrive in lowlands with very wet soil.
If it helps, mine I water twice a day in the summer, sometimes 3 times a day.
The main problem, as said above, is the sad cycle; plant is weak, pests appear, plant gets weaker.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I am sorry I missed this thread earlier. Check your water - particularly its pH and sodium and chloride levels. Jaboticabas prefer slightly acidic, soft water (6.0-6.5 pH). If your city water is anything like the irrigation water we would get in southern California, it will have a high pH (8.0 or higher), and be high in sodium and chloride. You can soften the water and address the sodium and chloride by using reverse osmosis filtration, or by using a water softener with potassium to recharge the softener elements.

I would also recommend using acid fertilizer (in the form of elemental sulfur) to bring your soil pH down.

 

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

I am sorry I missed this thread earlier. Check your water - particularly its pH and sodium and chloride levels. Jaboticabas prefer slightly acidic, soft water (6.0-6.5 pH). If your city water is anything like the irrigation water we would get in southern California, it will have a high pH (8.0 or higher), and be high in sodium and chloride. You can soften the water and address the sodium and chloride by using reverse osmosis filtration, or by using a water softener with potassium to recharge the softener elements.

I would also recommend using acid fertilizer (in the form of element sulfur) to bring your soil pH down.

i switched it to filtered water today and I ordered a pH test on amazon to see whats going on with the city water.

do you have problem with cold? Where I am during these next couple months it remains 75-85 mid day, but at night its getting down to 47 f.

Could i put coffee grounds on the top of it to increase acidity? what is a brand/product for acidic fertilizer you would recommend? Im not sure how accessible those kind of things are where i am located in mexico. The home depot and greenhouses i go to usually have very basic stuff, but i imagine i might be able to get a small bag of sulfer maybe because they sell a lot of products like that.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Coffee grounds will definitely work - if you have enough of them. I had about 20 mature citrus trees in my landscape, so I had to buy large bags of the stuff. In Southern California I used a produce called "Super Iron 9-9-9". I bought it at a landscaping store.

A homogeneous fertilizer enriched with 11% iron & 10.5% sulfur. This is a complete, balanced, homogeneous, pelletized fertilizer. This special formula will help counteract alkaline soil and will enable plants to overcome iron-induced chlorosis. Super Iron® promotes good health, slower growth, and great color.



However there are many similar products out there. Look for "acid fertilizer" or "soil acidifier". You will usually see sulfur listed in the ingredient label, or else sulfated minerals like zinc sulfate or iron sulfate.

Ironically, now that I live in North Carolina, we have the exact opposite problem. Our soil is very iron rich and acidic. People spread lime on their lawns in the spring to raise the pH. If you ever wondered whether pine trees like acidic, iron-rich soil, come to North Carolina!

 

[El Tigre de Bonsai]

thanks! I will try to find something like this.

What about the temperature? you think its okay if we have a few mights that get down to 47f?

saludos

 

[cockroach]

I had , and occasionally still do have this during hot summers. No matter how wet.
Best thing I did was found a plastic pot plant tray that the bonsai pot could fit into and kept my Jaboticaba feet wet. Moss and tree responded well.
I think during periods of a week or more rain I removed so it could drain.
The rest of the time it was biscuits in the tray.
Below is an example of overkill. You could try either tray with water, or " double" potting. This premna needed the boost as it was neglected and needed strong growth to develop. But the 2 extra measures in tandem made even the hottest Taiwanese summer days, as in 38°C with a real feel of about 43°C and humidity 98%, no issue and no problems. Other species might not appreciate it but so far it has worked with the following for me：
Jaboticaba
Chinese Elm
Premna
Ficus
Duranta Erecta
Hibiscus
So tropical species.

Tray underneath to hold a pool of water, second larger pot for extra roots and water retention. This was watered everyday, most days twice a day. Only during prolonged rains was it remoived from the tray.