View Full Version : Anybody growing white sapote?
harveyc
01-11-2008, 05:45 PM
I had my first taste of this fruit a few months ago and it has quickly become an obsession of mine. I've bought one tree and am getting some seedlngs which I plan to graft various other varieties to. I know Robert plans on growing it. Is anybody else growing it? If so, what are your favorite varieties? How hot is your climate in the summer? etc. etc. Let's talk white sapote! :D
Richard
01-11-2008, 08:48 PM
The "official" ARS site for Casimoroa's is the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami ( http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=10134 ). Not much info there, unless you are lucky enough to meet one of the staffers.
The University of South Florida has a good outreach program on tropical and subtropical fruits, for example: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE632 I've learned a lot from this site in general.
The CRFG web pages have an interesting article in the fruit facts, but these pages are sorely in need of updates: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/whitesapote.html Worth reading for the timeless information.
I noticed a small plot of mature trees at the UC ANR South Coast Field Station in Irvine last September (2007), but I keep procrastinating about determining the PI, etc.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=7541
Bch Grl
01-11-2008, 10:55 PM
Harvey...My Dad doesn't know the cultvar, but I have 3 seeds and he's going to send me more soon. I will probably be able to send you some. Have you any seeds.
I have never grown these and wonder if you could tell me if there are any tricks to sprouting them.
Margie:blueskirtnaner:
harveyc
01-11-2008, 11:34 PM
Margie, they are easy to grow for seeds, I've read. You just should not let them sit around for long. I have 6 'McDill' and 6 'Vernon' I received in the mail yesterday. I'll eat them as they ripen and plant these seeds shortly afterwards. I've been begging for some seedling plants from a few sources over the past week as I'm hoping to get scions of about 8-10 varieties to bud and graft onto them so I can try out several. If things work out as I hope, I should be able to provide you with some scions so you can graft your seedlings.
I don't know how big your dad's tree is or much fruit your dad has, but shipping in the flat rate boxes is the best value to ship across country. I received 12 fruits in the "shoe box" size yesterday and shipping is a flat $8.95 anywhere in the U.S., regardless of weight. Maybe you can talk him into shipping you a box full every 2 weeks! ;)
I've read that they can take heavy pruning, similar to figs, so you can shape them and keep them to a size that allows fairly easy harvesting.
Enjoy your fruits!
Harvey
Richard
01-11-2008, 11:43 PM
I've been compiling information on Sapote-named fruits for an upcoming magazine column. Here's three 1 page articles (one PDF file) on White Sapote, including pollination.
(send a PM (http://www.bananas.org/private.php?do=newpm&u=1558&p=26605) if you would like the articles)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=7559
harveyc
01-12-2008, 12:05 AM
Thanks, Richard. I'm particularly glad you have those highlights of Robert Chambers' talk. I was told that he's sort of lost interest in the farm after his wife's death but I'd like to visit his place some time, if that becomes possible.
The USDA page includes information that fruiting is 3-4 years from vegetative propagation and 7-8 years from seed, but I've heard that even some grafted trees can take a long time to fruit (i.e., 'McDill', also maybe 'Suebelle' per one specimen that was 10 years old and 15' tall but still not producing). Some, on the other hand, are known to be early bearers (i.e., 'Vernon') and some are reported to bear fruit year-round (i.e., 'Wilson', 'Santa Cruz').
Robert, in what magazine is your column going to be published? I definitely want to get a copy of it!
Thanks,
Harvey
Richard
01-12-2008, 12:55 AM
Harvey,
I believe that producing issue is either the sterile pollen problem mentioned in the article, or just lack of properly feeding the plant. I discussed in email with you about a McDill growing north of here that is quite tall but produces few, mediocre fruit. Meanwhile, another one 15 miles away in the same soils and weather environs produces heavenly fruit - and in such volume that 1/2 of it is thrown out. Now the latter tree is getting feed about 2/3 cup of Gro-Power 8-6-8 every month. But the mediocre fruit is coming from a large tree that gets watered well but only a pitch fork or two of composted horse manure per year. Composted horse manure can be a fabulous fertilizer but not in that volume. It has an N-P-K of around 0.7-0.3-0.5. You need a 3.5 cubic feet of it per year for a tree 8 feet high and 8 feet wide and the tree in question probably needs double that.
Robert Chambers is correct about White Sapote producing the most carbohydrates per square foot of any plant. A tree in the front yard of an estate in Poway CA rains fruit every month on the owner. What I've read in the USDA reports is that on average the white sapote is tied for 1st place with a legume field crop and something else I've forgotten. It's an incredible output. The Suebelle cultivar produces less than average and a smaller fruit, while some like the McDill are famous for raining ankle-deep fruit year round in zones 10 and up.
The article I'm working on will be published in a horticulture magazine, but it will also be online. You can view the first two pages here and I'll strike up the band when I've finished -- hopefully by March: http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/column/PTP_2008_06_Sapote.pdf
Now you can call me Bob, or you can call me ... But actually I'm Richard ! :2738:
Robert Frost is my father, the rocket scientist. Jack Frost is my uncle's cousin who lives in Mentone CA. Howard Frost is our relative that bred all the citrus varieties at the Riverside Ag station. That other Robert Frost guy is a black sheep of the family that moved to the Midwest and wrote poetry.
And here's the White Sapote in my front yard that I'd be delighted to have rain fruit!
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/SueBelle_front_2011-01_300x400.jpg
harveyc
01-12-2008, 01:40 AM
Oops! Sorry about that RRRRRichard!!! Your Suebelle looks nice, hope my McDill will be there in a year though I will probably be putting a few buds on it to have room for the cultivars I want. I've got 47 acres but still never have enough room!
Yeah, I read that a tree of the 'Chestnut' cultivar produced 6,000 pounds of fruit in one year. Quite remarkable!!! Being a chestnut grower, that's a cultivar I'm going to try to add to my collection.
Oh, and many years ago Jack Frost was my scoutmaster here in the delta north of you.
Bch Grl
01-12-2008, 09:14 AM
Do you guys not sleep??? LOL:2739: :2739:
mskitty38583
01-12-2008, 09:56 AM
nope we dont sleep, we are die hard nana lovers and go through withdrawls when were not on the nana org. lol:jumpingonbednaner:
harveyc
01-12-2008, 10:11 AM
I just got back up after getting less than an hour of sleep and I checked to see what the new post was about and it's asking about my sleep??? Long story! ;)
Ethan
01-12-2008, 01:07 PM
I've a young Vernon planted in my front yard, and a number of young seedlings. When I first ate a white sapote, I was amazed something could be so good and virtually unknown to the masses.
It would be very exciting to have a multifruit white sapote, I think Tom A had a 50 in 1 or something equally crazy.
-Ethan
Richard
01-09-2011, 07:43 PM
True to form, my White Sapote is now covered with flower racemes like these:
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/SueBelle_flowers_2011-01_300x400.jpg
harveyc
01-10-2011, 02:11 AM
My McDill flowered last summer when I started an airlayer and seemed to set fruits, but they later all dropped off. I'm not sure if it was due to the heat or some other factor. None of my others have flowered yet.
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