Thanks for the replies. I have pretty much been following your recommendations already. Do you think I should add some sulfur granules to lower the pH so that it can recover faster? I was going to wait until the plant was more developed before I fertilized it, but I'm not sure if it can grow in the 7pH soil. theloud- MF requires high humidity and low pH (around 5.3), so the sphagnum peat moss is supposed to have a low pH and the perlite retains the moisture. I am very surprised that the pH is so high though... it should be around 5.5. I might add some sulfur granules to get it back into the optimal range.

Gabi, It is truly a rare gem. The berry (when chewed) releases a protein called Miraculin that wraps itself temporarily around the taste buds and makes bitter and acidic foods taste sweet for about 30 min or so. The fruit itself is bland. Miracle fruit was supposely banned in the 70's because of the sugar/fake diet sugar industry (so goes the story) loosing money and so it was 'silenced' in some ways. Saccharin/Aspartame (formaldehyde) vs fresh fruit...ban fresh fruit, yeah that makes sense! No harm to the fruit though. Plants are sold online to various home grow sites incl ebay and the bidding wars for a fruit baring plant goes anywhere between $100 -$250, ($18 is probably not a real miracle fruit) Well deserved however considering rarity and growth rate to maturity. Plus each single berry goes for around $2 if sold with 2 harvests per year. It's true...the benefit of curbing (actual sugar) cravings or intake is undeniable. Awesome diet support, that's one more miracle. I've heard of cancer patients raving about it because it eases the metallic taste during chemo, that's another miracle. If you want to grow them from seeds, be careful about buying seeds. Some people offer sterile seeds without even knowing. Once picked of the plant the germination rate decreases rapidly in about a week. Be sure to get your hands on fresh berries to harvest the seed from. Expect a harvest in 6+ years from a seed-grown plant, maybe 2 years from a rooted cutting. Make sure berries come from a trusted and reliable source if you intend to eat them. You want to know what you're eating and where it came from!! Hope this helped! Good Luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Miraculin Miracle Fuit

Joanmary, Last year I didn't get many berries at all. The only thing I can figure is the ample dose of acid fertilizer about a month ago. And watering more frequently since then. It is thick with flowers and at least a dozen fruits ripening every day. My neighbor's kids have gotten a big kick out of them with the key limes. I wish I had a camera and a way to post pics. My bush is much shorter and wider and thicker with smaller leaves than Ricki's, but the same berries. It's also different looking than Lisa's. Is there more than one variety of miracle fruit? Anyway, you're all invited for mojitos as long as the fruiting holds up! Treefrog

The problem is not a disease. The problem is low functioning roots. The reason is that peat moss and top soil *don't drain well* in a container. You must use a mix that is specifically formulated for container growing. One person in the other thread mentioned 1:1 perlite and peat works. Or you could try an "acid mix" for containers such as one to use for azaleas and camellias. If you want it to be less moisture retentive, add some perlite. You didn't make any comment re temperature. In one site, it was said 65F is a minimum but higher is better. One link below. Another is this: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/miracle-berry/miracle-fruit-plant.htm Here is a link that might be useful: how to grow it - from CA Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG).