Wanting to try Caimito and White Sapote

[fliptop]

As the title says, we want to try these fruits, especially to see if they're worth finding space for them. I believe 10a is too cold for Caimito though? Anyone know a source for fresh fruits (hopefully in the area)?

I'd also like some fresh Dwarf Ambarella because I really liked the fruit but my seedlings didn't thrive, so I'm in search of more fruit or even a tree, but I don't want to crowd this thread with too many topics.

Thanks!

[johnb51]

White sapote over caimito for me anyway, but I hope you get to try them both.

[jakesnakes]

not sure if its close enough..but there is a new farmers market every Sat. and Sun. in Pinellas Park, FL(10a)..lots of the vendors from the old WagonWheel/Mustang Fleamarket set up there now..i saw a ton of caimito and sapote yesterday when i went. They even had a few Caimito trees that didnt look so healthy for sale lol or i wouldve pulled the trigger..and as with most farmers markets get there early! They run from 7am-2pm England Brothers Park 5010 81st Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781 also there are some newer youtube videos out if u search farmers market england brothers park or new mustang fleamarket, gives u a quick look at whats there.

[bsbullie]

Two totally different tastes.  I personally prefer Caimito but growing superior variety is key.  It also a larger tree and can take some tears before they fruit.

Never seen any farmers market sell either down here.  In years past, Excalibur has had fruit you could sampke (they never sold the fruit as they retained the seeds for rootstock.

[skhan]

IF your in the area i have a few starapple (caimito) you can try

[just.jim]

Sasoun produce in Los Angeles has both and they ship.  I drive 40 minutes each way to get there.  Place is amazing, Rota and Cynthia own/operate the place.

If you call them, they will never rush you off the phone.  Feel free to say Jim referred you, guy from Ventura that germinates the seeds.  I've given her a cherimoya and have a white sapote for her next trip down.  Great people and passionate about their inventory.  Greengage plums and mangosteen flow in fresh, price reflected it.  Very good people but they will send to you

[fliptop]

Thank you for the replies, and thanks skhan for the offer! The best option so far it seems, is Pinellas Park. Was a huge fan of the Wagon Wheel and Mustang when I lived in Pinellas County many years ago.

Is it likely they'll still have some available next weekend? I'm not sure how long the season is?

What variety would youse recommend for Caimito and for White Sapote?

Thanks!

[bsbullie]

Sasoun produce in Los Angeles has both and they ship.  I drive 40 minutes each way to get there.  Place is amazing, Rota and Cynthia own/operate the place.

If you call them, they will never rush you off the phone.  Feel free to say Jim referred you, guy from Ventura that germinates the seeds.  I've given her a cherimoya and have a white sapote for her next trip down.  Great people and passionate about their inventory.  Greengage plums and mangosteen flow in fresh, price reflected it.  Very good people but they will send to you

Wasnt aware there were any commercial caimito farms in California.

[Julie]

Have you checked with ECHO nursery? They are on the west coast of Florida and sell their fruit. I know places you can get them but not on the west coast of Florida.

[LycheeLust]

The caimitos I’ve had are like a bland persimmon. White sapote is great though.

[skhan]

Thank you for the replies, and thanks skhan for the offer! The best option so far it seems, is Pinellas Park. Was a huge fan of the Wagon Wheel and Mustang when I lived in Pinellas County many years ago.

Is it likely they'll still have some available next weekend? I'm not sure how long the season is?

What variety would youse recommend for Caimito and for White Sapote?

Thanks!

Jaco Beach is the best variety I've had.
Its a big green one so it can be a pain to pick it.

I have the standard on from PIN (Haitian star?) fruiting... its a nice snack when not much fruits are around.
I have hipolitica from Laras too, never tried that one. Maybe in a 2-3 years I'll get fruit.

[gnappi]

IF your in the area i have a few starapple (caimito) you can try

How old was your Caimito before it produced? I bought my two from Mike in 2015 as fairly decent sized 7' trees, and they've barely grown (1.5" caliper) but have flowered but no fruit. OTOH, of two seedlings I started from fruit I got from Mike the same year one is nearly as large as the original two I planted  (one green one purple) while another I gave away the owner reported that it's already fruited and has a nearly 4" caliper.

[skhan]

IF your in the area i have a few starapple (caimito) you can try

How old was your Caimito before it produced? I bought my two from Mike in 2015 as fairly decent sized 7' trees, and they've barely grown (1.5" caliper) but have flowered but no fruit. OTOH, of two seedlings I started from fruit I got from Mike the same year one is nearly as large as the original two I planted  (one green one purple) while another I gave away the owner reported that it's already fruited and has a nearly 4" caliper.

I bought mine from Benders around 2014 from a 3gal.
The first time it fruited was 3 years ago.
Had good production in the last 2 years.

The first two years it was planted hardly anything happened, everything I read said it was supposed to be vigorous.
I raked back the topsoil, applied a bunch of peat moss and a bag or two of mulch and it started to take off. Also been sulfuring the area.

Most people i know grow the seedlings without a problem (except no fruit),  i assume the air layered trees might need more attention to get established

[bsbullie]

IF your in the area i have a few starapple (caimito) you can try

How old was your Caimito before it produced? I bought my two from Mike in 2015 as fairly decent sized 7' trees, and they've barely grown (1.5" caliper) but have flowered but no fruit. OTOH, of two seedlings I started from fruit I got from Mike the same year one is nearly as large as the original two I planted  (one green one purple) while another I gave away the owner reported that it's already fruited and has a nearly 4" caliper.

I bought mine from Benders around 2014 from a 3gal.
The first time it fruited was 3 years ago.
Had good production in the last 2 years.

The first two years it was planted hardly anything happened, everything I read said it was supposed to be vigorous.
I raked back the topsoil, applied a bunch of peat moss and a bag or two of mulch and it started to take off. Also been sulfuring the area.

Most people i know grow the seedlings without a problem (except no fruit),  i assume the air layered trees might need more attention to get established

Of the propagated trees, most I see are grafted, not air-layered.

[skhan]

IF your in the area i have a few starapple (caimito) you can try

How old was your Caimito before it produced? I bought my two from Mike in 2015 as fairly decent sized 7' trees, and they've barely grown (1.5" caliper) but have flowered but no fruit. OTOH, of two seedlings I started from fruit I got from Mike the same year one is nearly as large as the original two I planted  (one green one purple) while another I gave away the owner reported that it's already fruited and has a nearly 4" caliper.

I bought mine from Benders around 2014 from a 3gal.
The first time it fruited was 3 years ago.
Had good production in the last 2 years.

The first two years it was planted hardly anything happened, everything I read said it was supposed to be vigorous.
I raked back the topsoil, applied a bunch of peat moss and a bag or two of mulch and it started to take off. Also been sulfuring the area.

Most people i know grow the seedlings without a problem (except no fruit),  i assume the air layered trees might need more attention to get established

Of the propagated trees, most I see are grafted, not air-layered.

Did not know that, I didn't see any graft lines on the one sourced from PIN but I was pretty new to the whole scene then so i could have missed it.

The ones i got from ZHPP last year was easy to see but they were just potted up

[Tommyng]

Thank you for the replies, and thanks skhan for the offer! The best option so far it seems, is Pinellas Park. Was a huge fan of the Wagon Wheel and Mustang when I lived in Pinellas County many years ago.

Is it likely they'll still have some available next weekend? I'm not sure how long the season is?

What variety would youse recommend for Caimito and for White Sapote?

Thanks!

Jaco Beach is the best variety I've had.
Its a big green one so it can be a pain to pick it.

I have the standard on from PIN (Haitian star?) fruiting... its a nice snack when not much fruits are around.
I have hipolitica from Laras too, never tried that one. Maybe in a 2-3 years I'll get fruit.

Skhan, would you know anything about the hipolitica, I was gifted that variety but don’t know much besides it being a green type.

[RodneyS]

I have Suebelle White Sapote.  It tastes like lemon custard/pudding, in my opinion

[FruitGrower]

Thank you for the replies, and thanks skhan for the offer! The best option so far it seems, is Pinellas Park. Was a huge fan of the Wagon Wheel and Mustang when I lived in Pinellas County many years ago.

Is it likely they'll still have some available next weekend? I'm not sure how long the season is?

What variety would youse recommend for Caimito and for White Sapote?

Thanks!

Jaco Beach is the best variety I've had.
Its a big green one so it can be a pain to pick it.

I have the standard on from PIN (Haitian star?) fruiting... its a nice snack when not much fruits are around.
I have hipolitica from Laras too, never tried that one. Maybe in a 2-3 years I'll get fruit.

Skhan, would you know anything about the hipolitica, I was gifted that variety but don’t know much besides it being a green type.

I know this question wasn’t for me but I tried Lara’s Purple Carrango and Pink Hipólito about a year ago and ended up getting trees of each. Both were really good but I thought the Hipólito just edged out the Carrango in flavor, with more intense lychee/ grape notes and more juicy while the Carrango was milkier and creamier.

[Tommyng]

Thank you for the replies, and thanks skhan for the offer! The best option so far it seems, is Pinellas Park. Was a huge fan of the Wagon Wheel and Mustang when I lived in Pinellas County many years ago.

Is it likely they'll still have some available next weekend? I'm not sure how long the season is?

What variety would youse recommend for Caimito and for White Sapote?

Thanks!

Jaco Beach is the best variety I've had.
Its a big green one so it can be a pain to pick it.

I have the standard on from PIN (Haitian star?) fruiting... its a nice snack when not much fruits are around.
I have hipolitica from Laras too, never tried that one. Maybe in a 2-3 years I'll get fruit.

Skhan, would you know anything about the hipolitica, I was gifted that variety but don’t know much besides it being a green type.

I know this question wasn’t for me but I tried Lara’s Purple Carrango and Pink Hipólito about a year ago and ended up getting trees of each. Both were really good but I thought the Hipólito just edged out the Carrango in flavor, with more intense lychee/ grape notes and more juicy while the Carrango was milkier and creamier.

Thank you! Much appreciated!

[skhan]

Truly Tropical actually just put out another video with Julian from Lara farms.
All about caimito, of course only a little bit about hipolito.

[just.jim]

They are a produce store, not growers.  Sorry if I was confusing.

Sasoun produce in Los Angeles has both and they ship.  I drive 40 minutes each way to get there.  Place is amazing, Rota and Cynthia own/operate the place.

If you call them, they will never rush you off the phone.  Feel free to say Jim referred you, guy from Ventura that germinates the seeds.  I've given her a cherimoya and have a white sapote for her next trip down.  Great people and passionate about their inventory.  Greengage plums and mangosteen flow in fresh, price reflected it.  Very good people but they will send to you

Wasnt aware there were any commercial caimito farms in California.

[sapote]

but growing superior variety is key.  .

I have tasted quite a few different White Sapote and not all are good. I had a Suebee and the best fruits with golden yellow inside and yellow patchy outside (exposed to strong sun I think). So be very selective or you ended up with a larger tree and no good fruits. I enjoyed the fruits for about 5 years but it had too many fruits and I had too be up there in order to select the ones just started to get soft (squeeze it and it gives a little), as picking the hard ones and they don't ripe properly -- taste like medicine. I mostly gave the fruits away, and and many fruit over ripe and dropped like candy bombs on the paver making a big mess. The tree got very big and big surface roots (not like mango deep roots), and all the trouble of cleaning the bombs, I cut off and planted a Valencia orange in place. It is good but I can't eat more than 2 fruits at a time -- so sweet.

[fliptop]

Yikes, thanks for that account, sapote! I'm crossing growing a White Sapote off my list now. Still want to try them though. Thanks!

[achetadomestica]

I have a super sweet white sapote and the last 2 years it
produced allot of small fruit that never sized up. The second year
I even thinned them and they still didn't size up. This year the fruit
is getting large and I am hopeful. I have been watering extra this Spring.
Thanks for the info about checking them for softness, I was wondering how
to tell when they were ripe.

[TnTrobbie]

I am eager to taste white sapote myself. Videos I've seen about them looks very promising. I have a potted var "Suebelle" holding 2 fruits right now. I tried purple Caimito for the first time last month in Guyana and it tasted really good- like sweet, thick but soft coconut jelly. The center was enjoyable but towards the skin the mouth feel (lips, mouth roof) can get "clingy" with white sap. Nothing a little veggie oil wont remove. I have a 25gal one that didnt defoliate with this past frost so Im excited to grow it.