Author Topic: Topping Soursop  (Read 1003 times)

cmichael258

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Topping Soursop
« on: January 25, 2021, 02:55:19 PM »
My soursop is getting too tall and I want to cut it back some. Should I do it now
during the winter or wait for warmer weather?
Michael

achetadomestica

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2021, 08:04:14 PM »
Is your tree in the ground or pot?
I would wait until mid February or beginning of March if it is not protected
to prune? It should be dormant now?

cmichael258

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2021, 11:40:36 PM »
Pot

Thanks Mike
Michael

Mvule101

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2021, 02:12:55 AM »
I have the same issue with Annona reticulata. Mine is too tall and I can't reach the fruit. Then the fruit bat's eat them.

Should I cut it during the dry season or in the rains. (we don't have a cold season here in Uganda)?

achetadomestica

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2021, 07:55:15 AM »
I have the same issue with Annona reticulata. Mine is too tall and I can't reach the fruit. Then the fruit bat's eat them.

Should I cut it during the dry season or in the rains. (we don't have a cold season here in Uganda)?

In Florida most people prune their annonas in the early Spring before the trees come out of dormancy.
The trees push new growth and flowers. Do you have a destinct flowering season in Uganda?

achetadomestica

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2021, 08:16:19 AM »
Pot

Thanks Mike

I am really excited about a seedling soursop I got a couple years ago.
I planted the 2' tree last February and we were 40F three nights in a row and it
didn't lose a leaf? It grew real well last Summer and is over 8' now and this Winter
it lost about 80% of it's leaves but looks perfect like my other dormant annonas.
We have been 38F twice and had 3 light frosts this Winter so far. Last year I had
a different potted tree I tried to protect and it died back to the ground from 45F.

Mvule101

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2021, 08:51:03 AM »
I have the same issue with Annona reticulata. Mine is too tall and I can't reach the fruit. Then the fruit bat's eat them.

Should I cut it during the dry season or in the rains. (we don't have a cold season here in Uganda)?

In Florida most people prune their annonas in the early Spring before the trees come out of dormancy.
The trees push new growth and flowers. Do you have a destinct flowering season in Uganda?

Thank you. Yes the dry season is when mant trees loose their leaves and stop growing. Even though it is not particularly colol, actually the end of the dry season is usually really hot.

Flowering starts at the beginning of the rains.

So most likely I can prune them next month or so. Thank you

Mike T

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2021, 09:11:31 AM »
Mine fruit flower and grow all year never defoliating. Spring when it is dry is probably the peak for fruit production although the start of the dry season also has mature fruit hanging quite a bit.Unless they are in pretty well full sun they will keep sending tall upright branches skyward. Full sun and robust trimming will keep them under control.

pineislander

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Re: Topping Soursop
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2021, 06:01:46 PM »
Har has mentioned before about wind and general exposure being a big factor in Soursop defoliation. It is certainly true I have 20 one-year-old seedlings under dense pigeon pea cover and none have suffered any defoliation while open trees at my neighbor have all lost most leaves. As it warms I can prune back the peas and let them resume growth.