Description:
Jaboticaba is a sweet fruit that has the taste like grape. It is a purple coloured fruit, 3–4 cm in diameter, with one to four large seeds, have white, sweet, juicy pulp, closely resembling grapes and with a similar flavour. They are born directly on the main trunks and branches of the tree, which looks very distinctive and odd-looking. They do well in tropical and subtropical climates.
Sowing:
They should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand and kept moist. Space the seeds 1/2 inch apart on the surface of the medium. Gently press them onto the medium to anchor them. Cover them with a 1/8-inch-thick layer of sand. Mist the sand liberally to settle it. Keep at between 15 and 25 degrees C. Seeds generally germinate within 4 to 6 weeks although they make take up to 6 months.
Plant Care:
The tree is a slow-growing evergreen that can reach a height of 15 meters if not pruned.
A slow growing tree, requires medium to high sun exposure and prefers moist, rich, lightly acidic soil. In general, feed the tree three times a year with a complete fertilizer. In an uncultivated state, the tree may flower and fruit only once or twice a year, but when continuously irrigated it flowers frequently, and fresh fruit can be available year round in tropical regions.
