How to Grow a Noni Tree

Опубликовал Admin

12-09-2020, 17:13

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Noni trees are a plant in the coffee family that grow in numerous tropical environments from India to South America, and also in greenhouses in cooler climates. Their fruits are used for food or medicinal treatments. Noni trees require a lot of care and maintenance, so be prepared if you’d like to grow your own. Harvest seeds from mature fruits and plant them, or use branch clippings for faster growth. Provide enough care, water, and fertilizer for the trees to start sprouting fruit. At this point, you can enjoy the fruits or use them to harvest even more seeds for new trees.

Planting from Seeds

Cut ripe noni fruit into small sections. Seeds from ripe fruits are the healthiest and most likely to germinate. Place the fruit on a firm, flat surface. Use a sharp knife and chop it up into small cubes. Be careful and keep your fingers away from the blade while you’re chopping.
- Ripe noni fruits are soft and have a translucent-white color. Use these fruits to harvest the seeds. Unripe noni fruits are green and firm. Let these fruits ripen longer before harvesting seeds from them.
- Don’t worry about being gentle or precise when cutting. Just cut the fruit up without worrying about keeping the pieces the same size or shape.
- If you don’t have a knife, you can also tear the fruit up with your hands. Ripe noni fruits are soft enough to separate by hand.
Pulse the fruit pulp in a blender to scarify the seeds. Noni seeds germinate better if you scarify them, or break the surface slightly. The easiest method to do this is with a blender. Place the fruit pieces into the blender. Then, pulse it by pressing and releasing the On button repeatedly. Stop when the fruit grinds into a pulp.
- You could also use a food processor, but make sure it's on a low setting so it doesn't break up the seeds.
- There are other, more time-consuming methods to scarify the seeds as well. Other methods are clipping the tip of the seed off with a nail clipper or scissors, and rubbing the seeds on sandpaper.
- Note that scarification is not required to grow noni trees. However, the seeds will grow much faster if you scarify them first.
Rinse the pulp and seeds through a mesh colander. The fruit pulp on the seeds should wash off with a steady stream of water. Dump all the pulp out of the blender and into a colander. Hold the colander under cold, running water on a high setting. Rinse the seeds until most of the pulp separates and you just have seeds left in the colander.
- Make sure the colander openings are small enough so the seeds won’t fit through. They are small, a bit smaller than sunflower seeds, so use a colander that will contain them.
- Depending on how ripe the fruit was, the separation process could take 10-15 minutes. Continue rinsing and shaking the seeds to dislodge the pulp.
Soak the seeds in water for 1-2 days to aid germination. Fill a bucket with clean water and dump the seeds in. The soaking process removes the remaining pulp and helps the seeds germinate faster. Noni seeds float in water, so they’ll rise to the surface when all the pulp washes off. Leave them soaking for 1-2 days for the best results.
- This step is not mandatory, and some farmers plant the seeds directly after separating the pulp. Soaking helps the germination process, however, and the seedlings will develop faster.
Sprinkle the seeds into a pot with potting soil and organic compost. To get the seedlings started, use a wide pot, about 12–15 inches (30–38 cm) in width. The pot only needs to be a few inches deep because the seedlings have shallow roots. Fill the pot with a 1:1 mixture of potting soil and an organic compost like vermiculite. Stir the components together to create an even mixture. Then, spread the seeds across the soil surface in an even layer. The distance between seeds isn't important at this point. Sprinkle enough soil and compost to cover the seeds lightly.
- Other organic compounds like peat moss will also work.
- If you use natural soil for potting the plants, make sure it’s free of parasitic nematodes. These can kill seedlings.
Place the container in a hot, sunny location. Noni seeds require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day and high temperatures. They germinate best if the temperature is consistently 90–100 °F (32–38 °C), although they will still grow in lower temperatures. Find the sunniest spot of your property and leave the pot there to soak up the heat and sunlight.
- Noni seeds will still grow in partial shade, but much more slowly than if they were in direct sunlight.
- Noni plants will usually not grow if the temperature gets below 70 °F (21 °C). If it drops below 60 °F (16 °C), the plant could start dying. If the weather is not warm enough or you suspect there may be a cold snap, try placing the pot in a greenhouse instead.
Water the seeds every day so the soil remains moist. Wet the soil as soon as you plant the seeds. Continue watering every day so the soil stays moist at all times.
- Use a low-pressure hose with a mist setting or a watering pot. Using high-pressure can knock the seeds out of the pot.
- Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. If puddles form on the surface, you’re using too much water.
Transplant the seedlings into individual pots when they reach about 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall. After about 4-6 weeks, the seeds should produce a small sprout that looks like a piece of grass with a leaf on top. Continue caring for the seedlings until the sprouts are about 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall. Then carefully dig each one up and transfer it into its own pot.
- These new pots should be at least 6 inches (15 cm) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) deep to accommodate the plant.
- Continue the same care techniques after you transfer the seedlings. They’ll continue growing for about 9 months, then they’ll be ready for transplant into the field.
- The germination time varies depending on how ripe the fruit was, and how well the seeds were soaked and scarified.

Growing Trees from Stem Cuttings

Cut off an 8–16 in (20–41 cm) piece of noni branch with good sap flow. First, find a healthy branch with good sap flow. Puncture the branch and see if sap flows out. This indicates that the branch is healthy. Then, measure 8–16 in (20–41 cm) in from the end of the branch and cut it off.
- The advantage of using stem cuttings instead of seeds is that stem cuttings grow much faster. The trees will be ready for transplanting in 6-9 weeks instead of 9-12 months.
- Use a sharp tree saw or pruning saw to remove the branch cleanly.
Fill a 6 in (15 cm) x 6 in (15 cm) pot with a mixture of potting soil and organic compost. Fill the pot with a 1:1 mixture of potting soil and an organic compost like vermiculite. Stir the components together to create an even mixture.
- You can also use other organic compounds like peat moss or your own compost.
- Only use 1 stem per pot, so if you want to grow multiple trees, fill as many pots as you need.
Insert the cut end into the soil. Angle the stem so the cut end is facing the soil. Then, insert it straight down into the soil so it stands up. Let the cut end go about halfway down the pot so there is room for the roots to grow in.
- Insert the stem deep enough so it stays upright on its own. If it keeps falling over, try piling soil up around its base.
Keep the soil moist at all times. Water the plant as soon as you insert it into the soil. Put the plant on a consistent watering schedule every day and keep the soil moist at all times. If the soil ever looks dry, water it again.
- Remember that the soil should only be moist, not flooded. If puddles form on the surface, the plant is waterlogged. Cut back on your watering so it doesn't drown.
Place the pot in partial shade until the stem's roots grow in. It will take about 2 weeks for the stem to start growing roots. Until that time, leave it in partial shade. Continue your watering schedule to let the roots grow in correctly.
- Partial shade means about 3 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Move the pot into full sun when the roots grow in. Begin checking the plant about 2 weeks after you planted it. Give it a light tug to see if it feels secure. If the plant moves, then the roots aren't in sufficiently. If it doesn't move, then the roots are in. Relocate the plant to the sunniest part of your property to continue growing. Make sure it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight daily.
- Don't yank the plant hard. If you pull too hard, the plant will come up regardless of whether or not it has roots.
- Also make sure the temperature is consistently 90–100 °F (32–38 °C) so the tree is warm enough.
Transplant the trees into the field after 6-9 weeks. Monitor the plant for growth indicating that it's ready for transplant. When the stem gets taller and sprouts its own leaves and branches, it's ready for transplanting. This usually takes 6-9 weeks with proper care and good weather.
- Remember to only transplant the tree when it looks mature enough. Don't transplant it just because 9 weeks have gone by. Sometimes the growing process is slower.

Transplanting the Trees into the Field

Find a sunny spot where you haven’t planted recently. Noni trees will always need heavy sunlight, so find the sunniest part of your property for your growing field. Also make sure this is a spot where you haven’t planted in at least a year, because used fields have a higher chance for nematode infestation. These can kill noni trees.
- The noni should be ready for transplanting about 9-12 months after they germinate. Look for a growth about 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) tall with a thick, brown stalk. This indicates that the seedling is mature enough for transplanting.
- Noni trees can grow in most soils, even if they’re depleted of nutrients. Don’t worry about trying to find a place with the highest-quality soil.
- You could also grow the tree in a greenhouse, but it would need a very high ceiling. Noni trees can reach 20 feet (6.1 m) tall at full maturity.
Locate the noni between larger trees or fences to protect them from wind. If you plant in a windy environment, the noni trees could be damaged. Protect them with windbreaks like large trees or fences to block wind gusts.
- Trees take a long time to grow, so rather than planting new ones, it’s better to position the noni near existing trees.
- Make sure any larger trees are at least 120 feet (37 m) away from the noni so they don’t take each other’s nutrients.
Place the trees 10–15 ft (3.0–4.6 m) apart so they have growing room. If you’re planting multiple trees, leave enough room for their leaves and roots to grow in. Dig holes 10–15 ft (3.0–4.6 m) apart and deep enough to cover each tree's entire root system. Place a plant in each one. Then cover the plants’ roots with soil.
- The most common distance between noni trees is 12 ft (3.7 m).

Caring for the Trees

Give each tree up to 10 gallons (38 L) of water per week. Noni trees need consistent watering. Put your trees on a regular watering schedule and monitor how they respond. Water more frequently if they look dry or brown. Provide up to 10 gallons (38 L) per week.
- Scale back your watering schedule if the weather is rainy. Too much water can encourage root rot.
- Older plants need less water. If your trees are over 3 years old, try limiting your watering to 5 gallons (19 L) per week instead.
Apply a balanced fertilizer once a month. Although noni trees can grow in arid soils, applying fertilizer regularly can encourage strong fruit growth. Use a balanced fertilizer mixture, like 10-10-10 or 16-16-16, and spread it around each tree once a month. Continue on this schedule throughout the year.
- Follow the application instructions for any fertilizer you use. The directions may differ for different brands and types.
- If your trees aren’t producing many fruits, try a high-phosphorus fertilizer like 10-20-10. This helps encourage stronger fruit growth.
Clip any wilting or brown leaves to prevent spreading diseases. Noni trees are susceptible to some fungal or mold diseases, so monitor them continually. If you see any leaves with brown spots on them, clip the leaves off to prevent any diseases from spreading.
- The trees may also attract insect pests like weevils, whiteflies, and mites. In most cases, treat infestations with regular applications of insecticidal soap. If any parts of the plant start turning brown, snip them off to prevent the plant from dying.
Harvest the fruits when they turn soft and white. Within about 12 months, the noni plants should start sprouting fruits. Follow the same care procedures while the fruit matures. Once the fruit turns a translucent white and feels soft to the touch, they are ready for harvest. Pick them off the tree when they’re ready.
- Remember that you can harvest more seeds from the fruit to plant more trees if you want to.
- You can store noni fruit at room temperature for about 4 days, or freeze it to last 6-8 months.

Tips

Noni fruits have a strong smell, and the plants are sometimes called “vomit trees.” You might want to locate them away from your home so you aren’t bothered by the smell.Thanks!Helpful0Not Helpful0
Remember that noni trees need a tropical climate to grow. If you live in a climate that doesn’t have consistent sunlight and temperatures about 90 °F (32 °C), then the seeds will probably not germinate.Thanks!Helpful0Not Helpful0
In the US, the noni tree has only been introduced in Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Other states don’t have the correct, tropical climate for the tree to grow.Thanks!Helpful0Not Helpful0

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