A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum New gardener wants to grow Miracle Fruit

Hey everyone!

I have zero experience growing anything. I've been doing a little research but I've found mostly the same sort of general guidelines (what pH to use, what temperature will kill it, etc) but not really good instructions for a complete novice. So the first thing I'm here to seek is perhaps an idiots guide to general indoor (inside a home) gardening.

I live in zone 5 (USA) and Miracle Fruit needs zone 10+ so I cannot plant it outside as it is guaranteed to die quickly. It's a small enough plant that I should be able to keep it in a pot in my house by a window. I figure that during the summer when it is warm I can move the plant outdoors (in it's container to avoid shock) as it like warm weather, but keeping it indoors at 60F-65F should keep it healthy enough through the winter, so I think I should be able to do it. But I've not been able to find anything online about people growing them inside their homes yet. I've seen stuff about growing outside in Southern Florida and in some green houses. So does anyone have some information for growing "outdoor" plants inside the home?

In addition, I want to buy an older plant that is already bearing fruit (I understand I'll probably have to wait until April/May so it doesn't freeze on shipping). I'm not allowed to post links but I've found that these places sell them at the age/size I'm looking at and will ship them outside of Southern Florida. I want to know if there are others, or if you guys have any reviews of these places. In addition, before I buy the plant what should I find out about the plant. I have no problem investing a few hundred into it, but I need to make sure I get the most idiot-proofed one possible.

Black River Nursery
Ethan's Garden
Miracle Fruit Express
Miracle Fruit Hut

And there's a few sellers on Ebay but someone on another forum I noticed said that those plants are usually not very good. They are far cheaper though so it might be worth buying to see and getting a better one from one of these guys if it doesn't work out.

Any answers to my questions or any comments/advice you can give me is appreciated.

Thanks,
William

I have never heard of "Miracle Fruit"
Do you have a botanical name for the plant?

Miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum. They can be successfully grown indoors. They need pretty acidic soil. Lots of sphagnum moss and perlite.
Good luck!

Light is also a critical factor to growing something indoors that is usually grown outdoors. I would suggest you study up on a practical system for your own situation, so you can add artificial light to your tree's environment. There's a good reason you couldn't find much information on growing Miracle Fruit indoors - it's very difficult. Not a beginner's plant, for sure. That's no reason not to try, of course. But while you're experimenting with this difficult plant, why don't you also get a few much easier plants, like a pothos, a corn plant, or a peace lily, depending on what you like. Most important, read, study, learn as much as you can, haunt the forums, follow specialized plant societies, etc. In the end, the thing that will bring you success, is knowledge.