leatherback
The Treedeemer
I have a small Jabuticaba her in the cold north. Does anyone have experience keeping these in non-tropical zones? Any recommendations?
Jabuticaba care?
- Thread starter leatherback
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coh
Imperial Masterpiece
I had one for about 7 years (just sold it on facebook). Outside in full sun during the summer, in the fall I'd do the "two-step" keeping it outside in the sun as long as possible while bringing into the garage when outdoor temps fell below 50 F. Winters I generally kept it under a strong (metal halide) grow light and could usually coax one growth spurt out of it, but even with that strong light the winter growth tended to be weaker, pale, etc. Tried a humidity box one winter (plastic covered frame made of pvc) but didn't seem to make much difference.
I like them but have decided that the effort required during the winter is not worth it, so I've been reducing my tropical collection.
BTW, mine did produce a couple of fruit last summer.
I like them but have decided that the effort required during the winter is not worth it, so I've been reducing my tropical collection.
BTW, mine did produce a couple of fruit last summer.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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I run mine indoors in winter - I put it in with the orchids. They dislike cold temperatures. They will stop growing and go dormant anytime temps drop below +10 C. about 50 F. It may take time at temps above 20 C (68 F) to wake them up again. They are happiest with daytime temps in the 20 to 32 C range, and nights above 15 C.
But mine limps along okay in my relatively cool orchid set up, temps only in the 15 to 20 C range, day and night. Humidity, they get by through episodes of very low humidity, they are happiest with relative humidities above 35%. I have never gotten a jaboticaba to flower in captivity. THough there is a mature tree at our local botanic garden that blooms regularly.
But mine limps along okay in my relatively cool orchid set up, temps only in the 15 to 20 C range, day and night. Humidity, they get by through episodes of very low humidity, they are happiest with relative humidities above 35%. I have never gotten a jaboticaba to flower in captivity. THough there is a mature tree at our local botanic garden that blooms regularly.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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leatherback
The Treedeemer
Cool. Mine is no indoors in a plastic bag 'greenhouse' in the sunniest spot in the house. As it got to me bare-rooted and trunk chopped and we are entering winter.. I am only hoping it breaks a few buds and gets some leaves. Once the heating comes on it will move on top of it, keeping the top covered. Maybe I will add some light, but I think it will be OK.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
After trimming, before rootwork. For quaranteen reasons the plant was complete;y bare-rooted and most of the rootmass was taken off, and dipped in insecticide before transport, after which it was kept in isolation.
With the days getting longer, it is now starting to recover it seems:
Since ~ november this has been receiving 3 hours of additional light, on top of our 6-7 hrs of winter daylight
With the days getting longer, it is now starting to recover it seems:
Since ~ november this has been receiving 3 hours of additional light, on top of our 6-7 hrs of winter daylight
leatherback
The Treedeemer
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Any thoughts on wiring these? Do they get insulted and throw the wired branches? Or ignore the wire and just keep going? I noticed that a reduction of the top branches did nothing; It just decided to grow the lower branches faster.
Matt H.
Yamadori
I haven't seen any issues in wiring them...
leatherback
The Treedeemer
{scrambling to pull wiring out of the shed}
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
I sold mine but while I had it, I never noticed any problems with wiring. Other than, when actively growing the branches can thicken quickly leading to wire scars.
The biggest problem I had was that I couldn't get mine to bud back on the trunk or even the older branches near the trunk. There weren't enough branches in the upper part of the tree and I tried all kinds of ways to encourage new growth. I chopped, cut back branches hard, made cuts in the trunk to try to stimulate buds. None of that worked. I tried both thread and appproach grafting and had limited success (probably technique or lack thereof). Eventually I just got tired of dealing with that.
I may eventually try another one as I do really like the bark, the new foliage (reddish), and the flowers/fruit.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Pruning, wiring, position change.. Now it is starting to look like a tree again!
Wiring looks sloppy and loose; THis is on purpose as I do not know how much these will take. More guidance wires than full on styling at this point. All new growth will be reduced to 2 inches mid-summer anyway!
Wiring looks sloppy and loose; THis is on purpose as I do not know how much these will take. More guidance wires than full on styling at this point. All new growth will be reduced to 2 inches mid-summer anyway!
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
leatherback
The Treedeemer
@penumbra take a look at the first picture and the last picture in this thread. I removed about half the branches when I did the first wiring last week: These things backbud like manic for me, also on the trunk. If yours is healthy, I see no reason why it would not do the same for you?
Maybe do a light prune, to side-branches that you can work with to see? I would be curious to see whether I was lucky and that as bonsai they stop, or whether @coh was having bad luck
Maybe do a light prune, to side-branches that you can work with to see? I would be curious to see whether I was lucky and that as bonsai they stop, or whether @coh was having bad luck
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks. I am going to "restructure" mine this weekend. So many things I love about this plant.@penumbra take a look at the first picture and the last picture in this thread. I removed about half the branches when I did the first wiring last week: These things backbud like manic for me, also on the trunk. If yours is healthy, I see no reason why it would not do the same for you?
Maybe do a light prune, to side-branches that you can work with to see? I would be curious to see whether I was lucky and that as bonsai they stop, or whether @coh was having bad luck
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Indeed. A crazy beast that grows like one too!
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Could be I had a "dud" or there was something lacking in my care. I don't know a lot of people who are growing them so it wasn't easy to compare notes with other growers.@penumbra take a look at the first picture and the last picture in this thread. I removed about half the branches when I did the first wiring last week: These things backbud like manic for me, also on the trunk. If yours is healthy, I see no reason why it would not do the same for you?
Maybe do a light prune, to side-branches that you can work with to see? I would be curious to see whether I was lucky and that as bonsai they stop, or whether @coh was having bad luck
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Anybody tried rooting the cut offs on this plant?
leatherback
The Treedeemer
I have been doing a bit of research. A bunch of papers saying it cannot be done, or at least, it has a low successrate (1% or so). And the you come across the odd page that sais this is one of the main propagation routes...
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Yeah, its does seem this plant has a lot of ambiguous information regarding propagation by cutting. However, most propagators say to give it 4 months. I don't have enough space inside for a plant with a dubious success rate. I have too many other cuttings that will produce the results I am after, 65% or greater rooting in 4 to 6 weeks, namely all of my varieties of ficus.I cut it back pretty hard today, cuttings in the compost.
