How to Grow Coccoloba Uvifera

Remove weeds from a planting site located in full sun to partial shade, with well-drained soil conditions. Consider Coccoloba uvifera's mature size when selecting a permanent location. Kill the weeds with an herbicidal spray, remove them by hand or use a hard rake.

Dig a planting hole two times wider and deeper than the Coccoloba uvifera's root ball, to loosen the area's soil. Backfill the hole with enough soil so the root ball is at the same depth it was growing in the nursery pot.

Remove the Coccoloba uvifera from its pot. Check its root ball for bunched or wrapping root growth. Pull any bunching or wrapping roots apart, using your hands. Slice vertically through tightly bunching roots with a knife.

Place the Coccoloba uvifera in the planting hole. Backfill the hole half full of soil. Irrigate the hole with water and allow it to settle into the soil.

Step on the soil inside the hole to release any remaining pockets of air. Finish filling the hole with soil. Step on the soil around the Coccoloba uvifera again to firm it around the plant.

Water the Coccoloba uvifera after planting, saturating its roots. Water the plant twice weekly for the first six weeks. Continue watering thereafter once every one to two weeks.

Cover the planting site's soil with a 3- to 4-inch mulch layer to reduce weed growth and retain soil moisture. Spread the layer of mulch evenly around the planting site, keeping it from touching the plant's trunk.

Prune the Coccoloba uvifera during the growing season to control the plant's shape and size and to develop a strong structure. Use loppers to trim away the plant's bottom branches so it forms into a tree.

Trim off any hollow sections of the Coccoloba uvifera branches infested with the seagrape borer and destroy them, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Pack the trimmings inside a plastic bag and discard it.