The craze must be off miracle fruit trees as they are once again available from the usual sources. The one on the left came from Pine Island for $117.50 for 2 and the one on the right came for $99 from Ethan Bradley including shipping. The one from Ethan Bradley is twice as big of caliper. I'm crossing my fingers again but I think I finally know how to grow them.

I've got the miracle fruit trees to sprout new leaves for the first time and looking healthy! Leaves aren't dark green yet though. I'm using blood meal and 3 3 3 acidic fertilizer slowly and cautiously and rain water in a shady spot without direct sunlight behind my rabbit cages. I also ordered some pH paper. I bought some pool chemical called something like "pH Down" and it is sodium bisulphate. It will be lots more convenient and safe to use than battery acid. My plan is to add the chemical to 5 gallons of rain water and lower the pH to 5 and use it to water my trees. Hopefully the leaves will turn a dark green with that. A friend gave me an article on bonzai growing that stated the soil pH eventually goes to the pH of the water used for irrigation.

I've also managed to sell 3 small 6 inch tall(although blooming) seedlings for $25 each that I bought for $3.50 from a local wholesale nursery to offset some of the expensive mailorder trees I've bought. One of my 3 home grown seedlings managed to re-prout leaves after losing all last winter.

Phil, as you surely already know, Miracle Fruit trees require low pH to grow properly. In past posts, Dr. Manners, has recommended growing Miracle Fruit trees in straight peat moss. You can find his instruction on this forum by using the search function. They are not an easy tree to grow, (unless your Lazz), I have killed several Miracle Fruit trees myself. Millet (938-)

I have had mine for about 8 months and no new leaves. Actually the leaves are starting to turn dark greenish brown.

I discovered new leaves coming out on mine today. I want to replant it in peat and perlite. But what kind of peat do I need. Is it the peat moss that is more like dirt or the long stringy stuff? Also with the coffee, I am not a coffee drinker so I do not have used grounds. Can I just sprinkle unused grounds on top of the soil or water with instant coffee?

I'm calling off my experiment with 5/6 pH water and the miracle fruit trees. After only about a week, the tree watered with 5 pH water already has darker green leaves.

Next step is to try bone meal.

My Miracle Fruit plant is rebounding nicely from the winter. Contrary to contemporary popular opinions out there (that the plants needs a lot of water), I have been watering it less and less and it has looked better and better.

Believe it or not, the nearest coffee house to me is about a 40 minute drive. Living in the country does have disadvantages at times. I suppose I could just buy a cheap maker and coffee just to get used grounds.

What can you do with miracle fruit? Is it edible?

It's a novelty. When you chew on a fruit, it makes sour taste sweet for a half hour or so. The sweet taste is pretty odd though. I'm trying again to grow as I am stubborn and I killed at least 5 large trees with city high pH water about 5 years ago. They died a slow death in about 18 months or so.

Google it. It was quite a fad about a year ago with people paying $3 a fruit and $300 for a tree. There were articles in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Tree prices are back to normal now. The tree is slow growing and requires a very low pH, like 5. The fruit is red and about a half inch long and 1/4 inch in diameter.