Author Topic: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.  (Read 910 times)

Jani

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I guess some will call it a good problem to have, but I have an alano sapodilla I guess around 6-7 years old (from a 3 gallon). It's  around 7 feet tall, but the thing is it reached that height over 3 years ago.

Since then it's been in a constant cycle of fruiting and any growth has been negligible, occasional leaf growth. At any given time theres 20-30  fruit in various stages and it flowers every few months. 

The fruit are good, but I want the tree to grow. I try to push growth by fertilizing and other nutrients more regularly than I would, I've never pruned it just because growth is so few and far between. Any suggestions?

Oh I should add that it's technically on ground. But it was planted a 25 gallon pot partially sunken (to get around some HOA rules for the front yards) about 4 years ago and it's roots have long ago broken into the ground.

always longing for a JA Julie

Jani

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Re: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2019, 07:37:50 AM »
I should add the tree has always appeared healthy, never had any issues with disease, fungus or pests, gets full sun all morning, partial sun in afternoons, has never dropped leaves and survived hurricane irma :)
always longing for a JA Julie

Mike T

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Re: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2019, 07:44:36 AM »
My 15 year old krasueys are continual fruiters having multiple heavy crops a year. Often there are large fruit, a flush of small ones and flowers at the same time. Not many trees produce as much fruit per space I think.They grew to around 15 feet and didn't get taller. Maybe a slow release N based fertiliser will increase the size of your trees.

pineislander

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Re: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2019, 08:09:16 AM »
There are some hints in what you said. Being pot bound you might have a circling root choking off part of the root system.
You might try stripping fruit and flowers for a year and see what happens. I know of some 30 year old sapodillas which are less than 20 feet.

Jose Spain

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Re: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2019, 12:24:24 PM »
Taking out all flowers and using gibberellins 3 -4 times for a period of 2 months should turn vegetative growth on.

spaugh

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Re: Small Alano has been fruiting for 3 years straight and not growing.
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2019, 12:28:13 PM »
Just remove the fruit and it will put energy into growing.
Brad Spaugh

 

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