Author Topic: Garage ripened container Gefner  (Read 1933 times)

nana7b

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Garage ripened container Gefner
« on: December 19, 2015, 07:42:44 PM »
My container Gefner survived the winter of 2014/15 in the garage. In early June I pollinated several flowers which resulted in one fruit.





The average first freeze date in my area is around Nov 15 so I moved the Gefner into the unheated garage with the unripe fruit around Nov 10. I provided some light for  a couple of weeks and then discontinued it.

Well yesterday, after being in the garage for well over a month,  I noticed the fruit had fallen. Today I cut it open and ate it and to my surprise it was sweet and delicious! (while not a fair comparison it was much better than a $10 Cherimoya I bought at the store.)

I had thought of getting rid of it as it is very vigorous and wanting to grow large but now I think I will keep it.

Do you have any tips on keeping it small in a container and getting a few fruit every year? I pruned it last year and know how to do that.
What I am interested in is does the location of the flower affect chances of ripening early?







Zambezi

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2015, 09:38:04 PM »
Congratulations Nana!!!  8)

It's a great looking Gefner!! I do like gefner's sweetness, and you're right, it doesn't compare to a store bought cherimoya, but those are picked too early for shipping. I think true tree-ripened cherimoyas can be great!!..:)

I also grow my gefner in a pot, but I haven't had a problem controlling the size. You're already doing what I'd suggest, to prune. I wish I could add more.
You have a beautiful tree! Thanks for sharing your pics...:)

P.S. Love the sprouted seed!

nullzero

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2015, 09:43:49 PM »
Your going to want to root prune it and consider a root prune container. What size is the container now?
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2015, 10:14:15 PM »
Congrats!  I just ate a geffner off my tree, it was delicious! an oldie but goodie
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nana7b

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2015, 12:13:04 PM »
Thank you all for your input!

The container is about 15 gal. 22" diameter and 17" high. At the beginning of the year when I moved it to this container from a 3 gal. the container looked overly big for the plant but then it took off. I will need to strategically prune it before new growth starts. It will be in the garage for the next 4 months or so but will start putting out new buds before it gets warm enough to be outside.

I might take up on your suggestion and put it in a cloth container next year. I have had very good growth with those pots with other tropicals this year.


UniqueFruitCollector

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2015, 02:13:15 PM »
Hey Nana,
Congratulations for your gefner!
Do you have an additional light source like grow lights?
Or do you just have a window-lightned garage? :)
- Max

nana7b

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Re: Garage ripened container Gefner
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2015, 09:29:44 PM »
Hi Max,

I do have a north facing window in my garage but it only provides very little light. The lights I use intermittently are 4ft LED shop lights, not the fancy LED lights that are used to grow plants. Last year it survived these conditions fine. Sometime the outside temps went down to the 20's F. It dropped most of its leaves, but come late February they want to grow so badly and start new buds.

I have had Guava fruit enlarge and ripen in the garage over winter but they were not quite as sweet. The Genfer blew me away because it was sweet and tasty! My summer temps are high - in the 90-100F for July, Aug and Sep. Wish I had a green house, but this arrangement seems to work fine for me.