Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit)

I Synsepalum dulcificum seeds finally arrived! It's taken several weeks and the seeds seem to be a little dried out. I'm hoping that they'll be all right but they should be kept as fresh as possible and not be allowed to dry out if it can be avoided. To rehydrate them I removed their outer coating (which was easy because the seeds shrunk when they dried) and put them in water to sit for 24 hours. The temperature is about 33C and part of each seeds is exposed to air. I will plant and care for them following the instructions in this post. I'm going to see if I can get some Gibberellic acid from work. Yeah!!

UPDATE: All but one of the seeds have swollen in the water. The one that hasn't swollen has taken on a grey colour. I thought it looked odd when it first arrived so I'm not surprised. I'm hoping the remainder of the seeds are viable but I'll have to wait and see. I added a pinch of coffee grounds to the water. It's an experiment to see if the acidity will aid in germination.

Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit)

I haven't received the seeds yet, but this is the information that I've managed to put together on germination and propagation of this amazing fruit. If any one has tried growing it for themselves I would really appreciate any tips or recommendations.

Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit) is native to Western Africa and has been known for hundreds of years. The indigenous peoples of the region eat the berries prior to meals, as most of the food in the region is bitter. It was rediscovered by the West about 50 years ago but attempts to commercialize it's sweetening properties have so far failed. The protein responsible for these properties only lasts about two days after the berry is picked and is destroyed by cooking.


GERMINATION:

Clean seeds
Soak for 24 hours (about 1/4 of seeds should be exposed to air)
Temperatures around 30 - 35C
Biodegradable pots to protect roots from future transplant trauma
Depth of minimum 10cm, long root grows before germination visible on surface
Soil 1/2 peat moss, 1/2 perlite
About 25% germination so gibberrelic acid helps, takes several weeks
Push seeds into soil until just barely visible
Warmth, humidity and indirect sunlight are important
*Note: I found one website where fresh seeds were germinated in warm, moist paper towel with a high success rate

EARLY CARE:

Transplant when roots are showing (be very careful not to damage the roots)
One quart size should be fine for quite some time
Use same soil mix as before or you're own version but with 5% by volume coffee grinds
If you choose a different soil it must be well drained and rich
Growth is slow
Expect fruit in 2 - 3 years (possibly earlier under ideal conditions), usually at 30cm height
30 - 45 days from flower to fruit
*Note: Acidic soil is essential or the plant will die

CARE:

Can take full sun if close to 100% humidity maintained, but partial recommended
Mixing in bone and blood meal is said to help
Never let the plant dry out
Enjoys being pot bound
Fertilize 20-20-20 1/4 tsp per gallon or tree fertilizer
*Note: Temperatures below 18C (65F) are not good for this plant


Hopefully this information is useful and you can start some plants of your own. Many nurseries offer plants that are about a year old to speed up the process and get past the issue of poor germination rates. These tend to be very expensive and difficult to get across a border so I decided to go with seeds.