Just got a very young Jabuticaba tree, what kind of soil ...
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@GenteelFicus Welcome to Greg!
Jaboticaba:
Carefully unpack the tree as soon as possible. Remove moss from around the roots before planting if it's packed that way. Shipping stress may cause some plants to arrive with a varying amount of dry, drooping or yellow leaves and or branches. Remove them. Do not plant it directly into the ground. A plastic pot slightly larger than the diameter of the root ball with large drainage holes is ideal. Do not use clay pots. A layer of river rock or pebbles at the bottom of the pot can be beneficial for improving drainage. Plant at the same root level with a well draining mix utilizing a combination of any of the following mediums, peat moss, perlite, coco coir, vermiculite, pine bark, sand. Do not use "native" or "garden" soil. Water your plants and place them in bright indirect light away from full sun and drying winds. Your tree will benefit from providing an environment of enhanced humidity until root function has normalized, typically from a few days to as much as 1 or 2 months. Once new growth appears you can step up to a larger pot or plant it in the ground. At this point you can gradually move it into an area with more sunlight and you can begin fertilizing using a balanced slow release fertilizer.
Light- Likes partial to full sun. Fairly wind tolerant but does not like salty sea air.
Water- Abundant water is essential to survival. The root system of Jaboticaba is somewhat shallow and watering is generally required when the upper 1 to 2 inches of soil becomes dry. Wilting and browning at the leaf tips will occur when they become too dry.
Soil- Will grow in a wide variety of soil mediums but prefers rich, slightly acidic soil high in organic matter. I've read that sphagnum peat moss and perlite (½ and ½), works well, and you can amend with organic matter (compost).
Disease- The biggest pests are animals that like the fruit.
Feed- Acid fertilizer is best but Jaboticaba likes lots of food and will be thankful for just about anything you give it. For young plants half ratio fertilizer at monthly intervals will speed the plant's very slow growth rate. When older, any well-balanced fertilizer applied three times per year will keep the plant healthy. Because of its shallow root system, it is suggested that a series of small holes be dug and filled with organic material around the plant's base. The organic material can contain a balanced fertilizer which will be released during watering. Be sure to flush the soil with clear, unchlorinated water periodically to remove any salt build up. It is sensitive to high salt levels.
Temperature- Mature trees will tolerate temp drops to around 30F for a few hours if in good condition, but it doesn't survive in freezing areas.
Jaboticaba:
Carefully unpack the tree as soon as possible. Remove moss from around the roots before planting if it's packed that way. Shipping stress may cause some plants to arrive with a varying amount of dry, drooping or yellow leaves and or branches. Remove them. Do not plant it directly into the ground. A plastic pot slightly larger than the diameter of the root ball with large drainage holes is ideal. Do not use clay pots. A layer of river rock or pebbles at the bottom of the pot can be beneficial for improving drainage. Plant at the same root level with a well draining mix utilizing a combination of any of the following mediums, peat moss, perlite, coco coir, vermiculite, pine bark, sand. Do not use "native" or "garden" soil. Water your plants and place them in bright indirect light away from full sun and drying winds. Your tree will benefit from providing an environment of enhanced humidity until root function has normalized, typically from a few days to as much as 1 or 2 months. Once new growth appears you can step up to a larger pot or plant it in the ground. At this point you can gradually move it into an area with more sunlight and you can begin fertilizing using a balanced slow release fertilizer.
Light- Likes partial to full sun. Fairly wind tolerant but does not like salty sea air.
Water- Abundant water is essential to survival. The root system of Jaboticaba is somewhat shallow and watering is generally required when the upper 1 to 2 inches of soil becomes dry. Wilting and browning at the leaf tips will occur when they become too dry.
Soil- Will grow in a wide variety of soil mediums but prefers rich, slightly acidic soil high in organic matter. I've read that sphagnum peat moss and perlite (½ and ½), works well, and you can amend with organic matter (compost).
Disease- The biggest pests are animals that like the fruit.
Feed- Acid fertilizer is best but Jaboticaba likes lots of food and will be thankful for just about anything you give it. For young plants half ratio fertilizer at monthly intervals will speed the plant's very slow growth rate. When older, any well-balanced fertilizer applied three times per year will keep the plant healthy. Because of its shallow root system, it is suggested that a series of small holes be dug and filled with organic material around the plant's base. The organic material can contain a balanced fertilizer which will be released during watering. Be sure to flush the soil with clear, unchlorinated water periodically to remove any salt build up. It is sensitive to high salt levels.
Temperature- Mature trees will tolerate temp drops to around 30F for a few hours if in good condition, but it doesn't survive in freezing areas.
