Author Topic: flies pollinate cherimoya?  (Read 1604 times)

brian

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flies pollinate cherimoya?
« on: April 12, 2021, 10:00:32 PM »
I went to try paintbrush-pollinating my cherimoya flowers and when I approached them a few small flies flew out.  Are they normally pollinated by flies?  Bees? 

Orkine

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2021, 10:30:04 PM »
Did you see flies or small (nitidulid) beetles?
« Last Edit: April 12, 2021, 10:32:41 PM by Orkine »

bsbullie

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2021, 11:16:20 PM »
Did you see flies or small (nitidulid) beetles?

Not sure you would find them in a greenhouse in Pennsylvania.
- Rob

850FL

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2021, 11:18:16 PM »
Did you see flies or small (nitidulid) beetles?

Not sure you would find them in a greenhouse in Pennsylvania.
;D

W.

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2021, 01:04:27 AM »
I thought all Annonas were pollinated by flies and beetles, not bees, part of the reason so many people have to hand-pollinate flowers for good fruit production. My cherimoyas are not old enough to have flowered yet, but I have native pawpaws in my yard. Their flowers are covered in small flies and beetles in early spring, such as right now. So I get excellent pollination and have never had to hand-pollinate my pawpaws.

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2021, 10:05:21 AM »
Thanks.   I don't have many bees right now so it would be nice if the flies are helping out.

I finally started reading more into cherimoya pollination, sounds like hand-pollination is the norm not the exception?  I guess I'll have to keep it up.  It is more complex than I initially though with the delayed pollen and short receptive period.

spaugh

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2021, 06:14:41 PM »
if you just have 1 or 2 trees then hand pollinating shouldbe no big deal. 

its not necessarily the norm if you have a field full of them, they will get pollinated by beetles and flies.  Bees are too big to get into the flowers.
Brad Spaugh

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2021, 07:25:51 PM »
Yeah hand pollinating is fine I just didn't realize before how short the flowers are open and how quickly the pollen expires ... hours it sounds like.  And not a whole lot of pollen per flower

spaugh

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2021, 07:33:59 PM »
Brian, some people say they keep pollen in a jar and use the next day.  Its definitely going to be tricky if you don't have a lot of blooms all at once. 
Brad Spaugh

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2021, 07:53:25 PM »
Last year I only had a few blooms but this time I see like thirty so hopefully I will get at least a couple fruit if I do it right.

Plantinyum

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2021, 01:29:17 AM »
Last year I only had a few blooms but this time I see like thirty so hopefully I will get at least a couple fruit if I do it right.
are your plants grafted, potted ,or are they planted in the ground in your gh ?? Thanks for the feedback !!

Mvule101

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2021, 04:34:19 AM »
I tried hand pollinating my tree this year but it did not seem that any fruit set. I must have done 20 flowers over a two week period so I am quite disappointed.

YouTube clips make it all look so easy!

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2021, 02:36:18 PM »
My cherimoya is an El Bumpo that is grafted.  I planted in the ground in my greenhouse last year and it has been very healthy.

I just noticed that my grafted Geffner atemoya (still in a container) is flowering also.  Should I hand pollinate this one also?   And any reason to intentionally mix - or disallow mixing - of the pollen between the two trees?  I recall reading that atemoya won't pollinate cherimoya, but also that the El Bumpo cultivar might be half atemoya?  Maybe I'm over thinking it

K-Rimes

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2021, 02:58:35 PM »
My cherimoya is an El Bumpo that is grafted.  I planted in the ground in my greenhouse last year and it has been very healthy.

I just noticed that my grafted Geffner atemoya (still in a container) is flowering also.  Should I hand pollinate this one also?   And any reason to intentionally mix - or disallow mixing - of the pollen between the two trees?  I recall reading that atemoya won't pollinate cherimoya, but also that the El Bumpo cultivar might be half atemoya?  Maybe I'm over thinking it

Mix them. It won't make a big difference. You're not doing a breeding program or anything so just get dat fruuuuuuit

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2021, 04:07:57 PM »
Thanks.  Yeah I just want fruit.  Didn't want to risk fruit aborting because of wrong-species gene or something if that was even possible.  I am used to citrus where I don't have to worry about pollination.

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2021, 04:28:14 PM »
Years ago I thought I might save myself the effort of hand pollination.  I threw lots of rotting fruit under several flowering cherimoya trees, the results were swarms of fruit flies.  A few were attracted to flowers in the female stage.  No fruit was set.  I now tend to overpollinate and have to thin fruits.  In our benign climate I collect pollen (actually the anthers) mid to late day when the flower is wide open and the petals are spread.  I keep the pollen in the shade and use it on the fresh opening flowers in the AM.  Usually I can collect pollen (anthers)from the male stage and pollinate female flowers at the same time.  I break off one petal as an indicator that I pollinated that particular flower.  I try to pollinate the female stage heavily to avoid poorly formed fruit.

Plantinyum

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2021, 04:37:13 PM »
I will possibly be having the same pollination problems when mine start to flower, however, Brian I wish u luck with yours and hopefully they start setting nice fruits for u . Growing a fruit plant with the intention of getting fruit ,and not getting it is quite a pita.

spaugh

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2021, 05:10:25 PM »
heres the kit Simon gave me for doing pollination.  Quarter for size reference.  Small vile and small brush.  Works perfectly, its all you need.  Wait for the flower to fully open and push the vile up and the petals fall off and the pollen goes in the jar.


Brad Spaugh

ScottR

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2021, 07:24:43 PM »
I use a old film canister and a short natural brush like Brads set up but have snap on lid. The last few years I haven't needed to hand pollinate much, I have about 11-trees with all being multi-grafted. I beginning to think that ant's or some bug I never had before is helping pollinate flower because I'm getting about 75% fruit set without hand pollination?? When I do hand pollinate I break off one flower petal like Jack mentioned! Higher humidity help's keep pollen in viable stage longer too! 
« Last Edit: April 14, 2021, 07:27:12 PM by ScottR »

K-Rimes

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #19 on: April 16, 2021, 02:09:18 PM »
I use a old film canister and a short natural brush like Brads set up but have snap on lid. The last few years I haven't needed to hand pollinate much, I have about 11-trees with all being multi-grafted. I beginning to think that ant's or some bug I never had before is helping pollinate flower because I'm getting about 75% fruit set without hand pollination?? When I do hand pollinate I break off one flower petal like Jack mentioned! Higher humidity help's keep pollen in viable stage longer too!

I had three cherimoya / atemoya in somewhat close proximity and also got fruit sets without hand pollination. I think the ticket is having lots of them close to each other of different variety.

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #20 on: April 16, 2021, 08:01:17 PM »
Were the fruits fully formed and large?  Close proximity with fruit well pollinated would indicate wind pollination and/or a helpful insect.

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2021, 06:14:47 PM »
Maybe the flies are getting it done after all.  One of the very first flowers still hasn't fallen off since it opened days ago, even if I poke at it.  Does this mean it took?  Last year they would fall off at the slightest touch once fully opened.



In any case, I got a small vial like Brad suggested and I'll keep at it, but I still see the little flies around too.


spaugh

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #22 on: April 17, 2021, 06:43:14 PM »
looks promising, it will swell up pretty fast if its set.
Brad Spaugh

brian

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Re: flies pollinate cherimoya?
« Reply #23 on: August 06, 2021, 03:54:35 PM »
Unfortunately none of the cherimoya fruitlets held, the largest was pea sized when it dropped.  However, my Geffner atemoya has a few fruits that look like they will stay.