Choice for White Sapote Cultivar

[Bush2Beach]

Josh,
I have the Bob Chambers varieties Harvey has and helped collect from Bob.
Which one’s are you still looking for?

[Vernmented]

Josh,
I have the Bob Chambers varieties Harvey has and helped collect from Bob.
Which one’s are you still looking for?

Excellent! I'll shoot you a message.

[ScottR]

There are, scattered around, a large number of white sapote selections from Bob Chamber's collection in Rainbow CA.  He collected preferred selections over many years planted on his large acreage.  He allowed some folks to collect scionwood from his mature trees and these have been passed around for a few years.  It is difficult to determine what is best with regard to flavor, texture, seed sizes, skin thickness, etc.  Then again, climatic factors and time of ripening need to be factored in.  In no way could I compare a peach grown here with one from the Central Valley, ours are terrible in comparison.  We have white sapote trees in CA planted during during the mission era.  Perhaps good fruit then, but compared to new selections they are not great.  Bet you didn't know there was a white sapote website or URL!
http://www.whitesapote.com/

I agree with Jack, in that climate conditions have a lot to do with fruit taste. My trees are in cooler coastal conditions and get tougher skin at certain times of the year because of long cool growing season. I still like 'Vernon" but had a late ripening variety last year called ' Nies' that blew my socks off was super intense flavor with carmel or flan finish notes!! But then again I pretty much love all the varieties I have and some have been shy bearers. Redlands is another excellent fruit too!

[Felipe]

Josh,
I have the Bob Chambers varieties Harvey has and helped collect from Bob.
Which one’s are you still looking for?

I have this cultivars:

Cate
Chestnut
Nies
Reinecke Commercial
Roa
Selck
Walton
Mc Dill
Tetrameria

Do you consider those top tier zapotes? Specially compared to other Bob Chambers zapotes...

[spaugh]

Ive got a chestnut seedling thats still small maybe 4ft tall.  Put in the ground last year.  Should I top work it now or just let it go and see what it makes?  Any opinions?

[funlul]

Really interested in this discussion, please keep it going.

I have a seedling tree in ground that got to about 5 ft tall. Then I took an unknown (!!) white sapote scion from CRFG exchange and grafted it. Fingers crossed it tastes OK...

[Jack, Nipomo]

Felipe:  ROA was one of Chamber's preferred selections (CasimiROA).  The Casimiroa tetrameria is also called a yellow sapote in CA or sometimes a wooly leaved sapote.  Related to, but different from the white sapotes. Some have considered the Suebelle a hybrid between the two (yellow and white) due to the fine wooly leaf bottom.  Yellow sapote is good, well sized, just different than the white sapote. A different flavor, but in no means unpleasant.  Then there is the Casimiroa pringlei, which also has it origins in Mexico.  Some are growing it, however mine has not fruited yet as it is in a war with a neighbor's eucalyptus tree.

[achetadomestica]

I have a Super Sweet  loaded with small fruit here in Florida.
My Sue Belle is putting out new leaves only so far. Does anyone
know what the Super Sweet is like? I was told it was taken from a seedling in
Bonita Springs but that was the only information I got.

[Lionking]

Does anyone know if seedlings are clones of parent tree?  I started 2 seedlings last year from a huge tree growing in East Los Angeles.  The parent tree has been producing so much fruit every year that it’s fruit end up on the ground.  Making a mess on the sidewalk.
It’s fruit is very sweet and creamy.  Each fruit is about softball size.  Has 2 seeds about 1 1/4” and 2 paper thin seeds. 

[Ulfr]

I have a Dade planted. From over there, can anyone tell me anything about it? All I know is that its vigorous haha.

Considering adding a Kampong which is available here.

[ScottR]

Does anyone know if seedlings are clones of parent tree?  I started 2 seedlings last year from a huge tree growing in East Los Angeles.  The parent tree has been producing so much fruit every year that it’s fruit end up on the ground.  Making a mess on the sidewalk.
It’s fruit is very sweet and creamy.  Each fruit is about softball size.  Has 2 seeds about 1 1/4” and 2 paper thin seeds.

No, seedlings are not clones , scion wood from tree is a clone or tissue culture is clone. Seedlings can come better than or worse than parent tree because you don't know who the father of seed is? Where did bee get pollen from? Seedling can take as short as 4-6yrs to fruit or 12yrs or more before fruiting! Sounds like a excellent tree in E.L.A. you should try to get scion if you can and graft onto seedling.

[Lionking]

Does anyone know if seedlings are clones of parent tree?  I started 2 seedlings last year from a huge tree growing in East Los Angeles.  The parent tree has been producing so much fruit every year that it’s fruit end up on the ground.  Making a mess on the sidewalk.
It’s fruit is very sweet and creamy.  Each fruit is about softball size.  Has 2 seeds about 1 1/4” and 2 paper thin seeds.

No, seedlings are not clones , scion wood from tree is a clone or tissue culture is clone. Seedlings can come better than or worse than parent tree because you don't know who the father of seed is? Where did bee get pollen from? Seedling can take as short as 4-6yrs to fruit or 12yrs or more before fruiting! Sounds like a excellent tree in E.L.A. you should try to get scion if you can and graft onto seedling.

Thanks for the info Scott.  I will definitely be taking a few Scions from that tree. 
Would it be ok to graft them onto the seedlings that I grew from the fruit of that tree?

[nattyfroootz]

Had some pretty insano sweet basil flavored Casimiroa sp. from giant old trees outside of Atitlan Organics in Tzununa Guatemala. Lots of big old growth Casimiroa in Guatemala, definitely worth exploring and collecting scions from out there!

[ScottR]

Does anyone know if seedlings are clones of parent tree?  I started 2 seedlings last year from a huge tree growing in East Los Angeles.  The parent tree has been producing so much fruit every year that it’s fruit end up on the ground.  Making a mess on the sidewalk.
It’s fruit is very sweet and creamy.  Each fruit is about softball size.  Has 2 seeds about 1 1/4” and 2 paper thin seeds.

No, seedlings are not clones , scion wood from tree is a clone or tissue culture is clone. Seedlings can come better than or worse than parent tree because you don't know who the father of seed is? Where did bee get pollen from? Seedling can take as short as 4-6yrs to fruit or 12yrs or more before fruiting! Sounds like a excellent tree in E.L.A. you should try to get scion if you can and graft onto seedling.

Thanks for the info Scott.  I will definitely be taking a few Scions from that tree. 
Would it be ok to graft them onto the seedlings that I grew from the fruit of that tree?

Yes, Lion that would be excellent rootstock for your new grafted tree's!

[Lionking]

Does anyone know if seedlings are clones of parent tree?  I started 2 seedlings last year from a huge tree growing in East Los Angeles.  The parent tree has been producing so much fruit every year that it’s fruit end up on the ground.  Making a mess on the sidewalk.
It’s fruit is very sweet and creamy.  Each fruit is about softball size.  Has 2 seeds about 1 1/4” and 2 paper thin seeds.

No, seedlings are not clones , scion wood from tree is a clone or tissue culture is clone. Seedlings can come better than or worse than parent tree because you don't know who the father of seed is? Where did bee get pollen from? Seedling can take as short as 4-6yrs to fruit or 12yrs or more before fruiting! Sounds like a excellent tree in E.L.A. you should try to get scion if you can and graft onto seedling.

Thanks for the info Scott.  I will definitely be taking a few Scions from that tree. 
Would it be ok to graft them onto the seedlings that I grew from the fruit of that tree?

Yes, Lion that would be excellent rootstock for your new grafted tree's!

Thanks Scott,

I appreciate the help and advice. 

[Jungle Yard]

Question about Suebell characteristic.
Are leaves on your Suebell tree pubescent underside?
My Suebell tree leaves feel like Woolly-leaf Sapote (Casimiroa tetrameria).
Thank you.

[buddy roo]

yes

[Mango Stein]

Here is my review of Rainbow white sapote, which is regarded as one of the better cultivars. For those that don't know, Rainbow is a "census designated area" near San Diego in California. While the fruit were better than Kampong (a cv from Asia) I was still disappointed. It's just a bland flavor to me, similar to corn. Could they improve as the tree ages? Maybe...

This cultivar has nice large fruit, but large seeds too. By mass, seeds are around 10% of the fruit, but by volume higher. I would eat the thin skin if it wasn't toxic (according to internet) which just makes this another hassle. Fruit go from rock hard to ripe and cracking quickly. White sapote have creaminess and gelatinous texture going for them, but then bananas and persimmons are just superior. I also can't get past the slight bitterness.

Then there are issues with cultivation, like scale outbreaks, fruit fly susceptibility, invasive roots and tree vigor. Would still like to try Younghan's Gold, Sunset and Skipper though.