Author Topic: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...  (Read 12651 times)

Jani

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #25 on: May 02, 2016, 02:58:01 PM »
have you guys been getting flowers? I haven't this year.. maybe it's not hot enough? when do they normally flower and fruit? Last two years there have been flowers, but around September, October I think.. I do have the tree on two drips though, so I'm sure there's enough water. Thanks.



I have hordes of flowers. But, so far anyway, my ratio of flowers to fruit is quite low - probably like 1%. I have assumed this is because the plant is small yet. If it got too many, I would have to cut them off anyway, because it would be too heavy and taxing on the tree.

The thing I personally find the most maddening is how SLOWLY these fruit develop! It takes so many months of watching it barely grow before you get to taste one! I'm not sure of exactly how long, but it seems like at least 6 months, which is agony when you only have one or two fruit sitting there on the tree. Maybe it can be sped up by giving the tree extra nutritional support, or extra water, but I don't think you can speed it up much, given that time frames noted on the internet for other varieties are similar. Good thing it flowers more than once per year!

Despite my mother and the elders in my family repeated old-time sayings on the matter - That's the hardest things I have had to learn in growing fruit is, Learning not to watch fruit grow!

Just take care of the health of your trees; have enough trees (depending on space) of enough varieties and different bearing seasons; and enjoy being out there in your garden....

And you'll start to notice the fruit less day by day until, one day you realize wow, when did all these fruit get so big?

Easier said than done I know..

 
always longing for a JA Julie

michsu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #26 on: May 02, 2016, 04:26:52 PM »
just keep planting trees and don't waste time to stop.. by the time you get to 100, you should have some fruit on your first one  ;D

Samu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2017, 04:12:37 AM »
Hi guys...(and gals included!);
I thought I like to revisit this tread ( I am the "OP"  :D).

So..., my tree has now been planted in the ground since May 2015 (almost 2 years now) off from a large pot (15G) to begin with...and...only one little fruit being produce as I am writing this  :D. So I am not totally wiped out, but man...the wait and anticipation is so torturing... (it's my very first fruit of this tree) as was already described by LP below:

"The thing I personally find the most maddening is how SLOWLY these fruit develop! It takes so many months of watching it barely grow before you get to taste one! I'm not sure of exactly how long, but it seems like at least 6 months, which is agony when you only have one or two fruit sitting there on the tree."

Now that I read that comment again, it really hit me to the core! See the SUPER SLOW torturing that I have to endure from my photos with dates below:

June 3 2015: Just planted: (lots of flowers)


Sep 20 2016: 1st fruitlet observed: (The only one formed!)


Oct 11 2016: a "cutie"


Nov 11 2016: a month later: I "didn't" observed any growth!  ;D


April 2 2017: As of 2 days ago...the wait....argh...!


I am wondering if anyone in Southern California Sapodilla growers are able to fruit their trees? Michsu, fyliu, JF and others? A photo or 2 would be really nice and encouraging to me!  ;D

Another thing I haven't tried on this tree: to add a mister spray or 2...thanks for reading ... :)

Happy growing!

 
« Last Edit: April 04, 2017, 03:49:34 PM by Samu »
Sam

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #28 on: April 04, 2017, 10:00:35 AM »
Samu,

My alano is just like your size. I heard it takes 9 months to get the fruit ripe.

JF

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #29 on: April 04, 2017, 10:12:24 AM »
Hi Sam
Hasya is a horrible producer for me so I want to assure  you that you are not alone. On the othe hand, sila wood, alano and makok have been producing well so there is hope but not with Hasya. I'll post some pix later.

LivingParadise

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #30 on: April 04, 2017, 02:22:29 PM »
Lol, Samu, thanks for the progression fruit photos, that was hilarious, and validating! :)  Kind of horrifying how little it seemed to grow between Nov and Apr! Soooo much waiting!...

I am having my own struggles, as my Hasya still looks extremely happy, and has grown in the last year so it's now maybe 8ft tall and filling out. It is loaded with flowers nearly year-round. But to date, I have only had 3 fruit mature. Some of it is probably the water issue, as this is our dry season, but I am giving it some supplemental water. I had written about this in another thread too, but my tree should be more than big enough to carry fruit now. It's been in ground maybe 2 or 3 years. I have tried hand pollinating in multiple ways. Nothing. So at this point, I have decided to try planting an additional plant and see if cross pollination is required for more fruit set. I doubt there are other sapodillas anywhere close by. I do have ants. But no matter what I do, it is almost impossible to get my flowers to pollinate and set fruit.

I know I'm not the only one, because wherever that other thread was, there were other people saying the same thing. So yes, more water can probably help. But it's not like I see little fruitlets and then they drop. There are just plenty of flowers, and they never pollinate at all, even when I try to do it by hand. So I think my next stop is another tree - which is fine because they seem to be really healthy here anyway without virtually any attention at all. I just hope it's not for nothing, and that the problem continues. I'm not interested in a tree that takes up a lot of space (and looks pretty) but only produces one small fruit a year. There are better uses for my time and money.


Samu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #31 on: April 04, 2017, 03:30:16 PM »
LP:
"So I think my next stop is another tree - which is fine because they seem to be really healthy here anyway without virtually any attention at all. I just hope it's not for nothing, and that the problem continues. I'm not interested in a tree that takes up a lot of space (and looks pretty) but only produces one small fruit a year. There are better uses for my time and money."

 ;D  ;D ...,  Glad to know that you found that progression photos hilarious! I wanted to reply here quick, before you go out and spend your hard earned money for another Sapodilla tree.
Instead of buying another, have you thought of swapping your Hasya scions with other varieties for even/free exchange? That's what I did, I have a Makok and 2 Alano scions on my Hasya tree, they are growing nicely but has not flowered yet... I did this, besides having more variety, but also just in case additional varieties can help induce better pollinations.

If anyone out there have other varieties that I don't have, please PM me with your mailing address, and we'll do scion exchange.

JF:
Looking forward to your Sapodilla report/pictures Frank!

Dragon: 9 months to mature, huh? Unbelievable! But as someone said, this long maturity may not be too bad considering the tree blooms more frequently, so there should "almost always be some fruits at varying degree of ripeness on the tree"??

Great to know that Sapodilla CAN fruit in Southern California!  ;D

Sam

fyliu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #32 on: April 04, 2017, 05:44:10 PM »
I got a few little ones last year on my Alano but I think the grasshoppers chewed them off. The ones I have like to eat the sapotaceae plants.

I'm trying to airlayer it now, as I mentioned in another thread. My mom wanted to remove the lower branches so I'm trying to save their lives.

JF probably has the most success in SoCal. Mine doesn't get loaded like his trees. I just get 2-3 per tree a year.

JF

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #33 on: April 04, 2017, 06:28:30 PM »
I got a few little ones last year on my Alano but I think the grasshoppers chewed them off. The ones I have like to eat the sapotaceae plants.

I'm trying to airlayer it now, as I mentioned in another thread. My mom wanted to remove the lower branches so I'm trying to save their lives.

JF probably has the most success in SoCal. Mine doesn't get loaded like his trees. I just get 2-3 per tree a year.

Not even close Fang. Sapodillas are prolific herein Orange County and SD..,.just have to have the right variety. Talking about prolific check out my friends canistel well over 100 fruits on a 2 year old 4-5' Bruce







gozp

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #34 on: April 04, 2017, 06:55:09 PM »
Sorry to high jack this thread since we are talking about sapodillas.

What do u think of the brown sugar variety?

JF

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #35 on: April 04, 2017, 10:53:25 PM »
it's loaded on all sides






Samu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #36 on: April 04, 2017, 11:27:55 PM »
Wow....; that's a beautiful sight, thanks!
Maybe mine...someday..., what variety is that and what part of the city
that tree is growing at Frank? Just wondering whether more inland (dryer)
or more like along the coast ...

Sam

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #37 on: April 04, 2017, 11:38:41 PM »
Sorry to high jack this thread since we are talking about sapodillas.

What do u think of the brown sugar variety?

Brown Sugar may be the sweetest of any variety and actual flavor is very good BUT...do you like your fruit mixed with medium coarse sand?  It has the highest stone cell xount of any sapodilla I have ever tasted.

They are very popular with people from certain countries as like a "stringie" mango (one of a number of varieties with high fibre content), its what tbey are used to and grew up with.
- Rob

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #38 on: April 05, 2017, 02:55:03 AM »
Sorry to high jack this thread since we are talking about sapodillas.

What do u think of the brown sugar variety?

Brown Sugar may be the sweetest of any variety and actual flavor is very good BUT...do you like your fruit mixed with medium coarse sand?  It has the highest stone cell xount of any sapodilla I have ever tasted.

They are very popular with people from certain countries as like a "stringie" mango (one of a number of varieties with high fibre content), its what tbey are used to and grew up with.

Chico are one of my favorites. Yes, i dont mind the sand coarse of it. :)

Thank u, Rob.

I wonder how big does this tree get?

LivingParadise

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #39 on: April 05, 2017, 08:45:00 AM »

 ;D  ;D ...,  Glad to know that you found that progression photos hilarious! I wanted to reply here quick, before you go out and spend your hard earned money for another Sapodilla tree.
Instead of buying another, have you thought of swapping your Hasya scions with other varieties for even/free exchange? That's what I did, I have a Makok and 2 Alano scions on my Hasya tree, they are growing nicely but has not flowered yet... I did this, besides having more variety, but also just in case additional varieties can help induce better pollinations.


Yes, I am considering other varieties. But, I am not a huge sapodilla fan, and I did really like the fruits my Hasya tree made. Others I've tried so far I find the flavor inferior, or too much sap, etc. I have a native sapodilla planted already close to my Hasya, which has not flowered yet but has a good chance of flowering this year, and I expect to be very prolific based on others I have seen in local parks. But, to my knowledge they make small fruits. So I'm looking for one with large fruits, good flavor, prolific producer. I figure at worst if pollination with another variety is necessary, I have my wild one only a few feet away. But I do like Hasya. And if Pine Island, which is probably where I'll go in the next few months, doesn't have Hasya, I'll just pick up something else. I would rather one with big fruit that has decent/ok flavor, than tiny fruit. Is there one with like Mamey-sized fruit? lol  If I have to wait so long, I'd like it to at least be worth the wait in fruit flesh.

I did get some Sapodillas from Fruit & Spice Park a month ago, and although I don't know what varieties they are, they were of varying quality, and I planted those seeds. I don't have a need for scions particularly, because I have some gaps in the yard that I'd like to fill in with trees that are more salt tolerant, so planting whole trees fills another function aside from possible better fruit set. In local conditions, they grow very well, but not overly fast, so I'm not really concerned about space.

michsu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #40 on: April 06, 2017, 03:13:27 PM »
my first one too.. here you go, Samu.. oh, you live in Tustin.. much closer to the ocean.. I think the humidity has something to help it flower/fruit too.. good luck =)

 wow JF, look at all the fruit =) I hope to get even half of that and I'll be happy.. you must live closer to the ocean than me it seems like (last time you said Orange County).. does the distance to the sea really make a difference?? I'm about 30-40 miles inland.. I believe.. Hacienda Heights.. I'm trying all the time now to water the trees (especially too with the rain we got this year)... can I buy some fruit from you? How much would you charge? Thanks.


« Last Edit: April 06, 2017, 03:20:56 PM by michsu »

Samu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #41 on: April 06, 2017, 03:40:44 PM »
Congratulations, Michsu!
Do you know if that fruitlet of yours was the result of manual pollination or natural one? If natural, do you observe the present of ants on your tree?

If I recall correctly, the result of my fruitlet was from me helping the pollination by using a tiny artist brush, just like cherimoyas... I am afraid, I am going to do this routine due to my yard's lacking of ants...but I don't mind.  :)
Sam

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #42 on: April 06, 2017, 03:55:22 PM »
I have the exact same problem with my Hasya. The tree was planted in ground since 2012, ever since then it has produced thousands of flowers all year round , but so far,  only forming one fruit.  The fruit was set last year, and is currently about the size of a golf ball!  While my tree grows fast and is very beautiful, it takes forever for fruits to set and mature.

palmcity

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #43 on: April 06, 2017, 04:38:32 PM »
I have a little neglected Hasya with weeds growing over a foot high on its trunk. That is loaded with fruit that I probably should pick off to let it get larger.

I also have a larger Hasya with some fruit but not nearly as loaded that is constantly maintained with weeds kept down.

Many variables and small sample size with only 1 small and 1 large = No valid conclusions.








Samu

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #44 on: April 06, 2017, 09:07:44 PM »
I have the exact same problem with my Hasya. The tree was planted in ground since 2012, ever since then it has produced thousands of flowers all year round , but so far,  only forming one fruit.  The fruit was set last year, and is currently about the size of a golf ball!  While my tree grows fast and is very beautiful, it takes forever for fruits to set and mature.


Do you live in the arid area of Southern Cal or Arizona? Do you see any ants on your Sapodilla tree?

 I was trying to see if there's connection between the lack of humidity and the presence of ants to the difficulties of Sapodilla's pollination. From what I've been reading in this forum, the Florida folks have no trouble getting their Sapodilla trees to bear fruits even when their trees were small and young...
Sam

LivingParadise

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #45 on: April 06, 2017, 09:21:57 PM »
I'm in FL with very high humidity though, and I too get thousands of flowers with only 3 fruit so far. But this is the driest county in FL, so it might be less rainfall. I do think both watering, and humidity, are worth considering as factors when someone has trouble in a desert. In our FL dry season, even though I am supplementing a bit, I wonder if others with young trees also have trouble? But even in our driest month, the air is still as humid as most other states are in wet months.

Besides, there is a sapodilla that in indigenous to here, so I wouldn't think that my flowering trouble should be climate. But, it would make sense if there is a lack of natural pollinators possibly if they are picky between types of sapodilla, since the wild one is noticeably different from the Hasya. Or, it would make more sense to me that the problem for me is lack of other sapodillas nearby to cross pollinate with, because I doubt there is another one within at least a half mile if not a mile of mine, and my wild one hasn't flowered yet because it's still young.

Remains a mystery, when dealing with a plant that looks so healthy, continues to push new growth, and continues to have hordes of flowers. It almost seems like a plant that has all male flowers, for the ratio of fruit it bothers to carry... But very interesting to see Palm City's tiny neglected Hasya loaded with fruit! And to note that the larger one bears less. Perhaps one factor is too little stress for some plants? My plant seems very happy, so "too little stress" would certainly fit it! Lazy thing... lol

gnappi

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #46 on: April 12, 2017, 04:05:35 PM »
I posted these observations in another thread, and maybe will be useful to some of you.

My Makok went into the ground in March 2011 as a small 7 gallon, and this year has been the only year it produced a sizeable amount of fruit. The first two years all of the flowers fell off, then slowly from the oldest branches on the bottom (Only the lowest branches from 4' to about 7' from the ground have ever held fruit) on up it bloomed and held more and more.  This year it held about 50 fruits and it is about 11 feet tall.

To draw bees in I went to garden centers and just watched bees and which perennials they alighted on and stayed there. I bought those and planted several under my eaves and against the walls of the house (wasted space otherwise) to attract them.

Anyway, I don't have a lot of bees one year, then lots another though I cannot say I have seen bees on my tree. I do have lots of ants though, but they swarm onto over ripe fruit if it falls to the ground but leave any fruit in the tree alone unless it's wounded and they will get in. Also house flies are common in my yard but I haven't seen them on my Makok either.

At this point I suspect the wind / breeze is at work, and there may be others like butterflies which I have seen lots of in my yard, and at night there may be night active insect eaters like lizards (they LOVE my Makok and are all over it day and night) which may be pollinating by accidental contact crawling over and through flowers? Also flying pollinators like bats and moths may go for the flowers, or incidentally due to my lighting?

My Makok is directly under a lit 24/7 orange fluorescent bulb that the lizards stay close to on the wall in order to get flying insects attracted to the "bug light" :-) Maybe the light is working for me in an unplanned fashion?  Here's a crummy phone pic of my Makok



Regards,

   Gary

simon_grow

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Re: Question on Sapodilla hasya flowers, please...
« Reply #47 on: June 09, 2019, 01:21:48 AM »
I’ve been reading many of the Sapodilla threads on this forum recently and have noticed that many members have fruiting issues with Hasya Sapodillas. Many of the members report that they have healthy trees that are relatively large and established yet they get very few to zero fruit from their trees each year.

Cookie Monster is one of the few members that gets good fruit set but he’s very experienced and has an excellent fertilizer regimen. I Believe Cookie Monster also reported that his Hasya fruit has very few seeds, like 1.

Samu reported that his tree hasn’t produced well, even with hand pollination.

Cookie Monster has multiple varieties so his tree likely gets cross pollination from the other varieties but even with cross pollination, if the fruit only has about 1 seed, it seems plausible that Hasya may have incomplete pollination issues where the pollen isn’t fully functioning or the female portion isn’t fully functioning. Whatever it is, it appears that having multiple varieties for cross pollination or properly fertilizing can be beneficial to Hasyas production.

While looking up YouTube videos, I came across this video where the guy uses a special hand squeezing technique to pollinate the flowers. Using this technique, he went from getting 7 fruit last year to 40-50 fruit this year. He does have another variety(Alano) planted in his yard so there is likely cross pollination but this technique may be worth trying out for those with a Hasya tree.

Notice that he doesn’t just squeeze any random flower but he inspects it to make sure the flowers are in the proper stage of growth. If the flower just opened, the pollen may not be dry yet, if the flower is too old, the pollen may have all fallen or blown off already.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zucYvt8cGVo#fauxfullscreen

Something else to consider is that if this technique does work, you will have to be able to reach the flowers in order to hand pollinate them. Hasya may be a variety that you want to prune in such a manner that the fruiting branches are always within easy reach.

Simon