Author Topic: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?  (Read 9438 times)

jcaldeira

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Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« on: May 24, 2013, 01:10:17 AM »
My largest Mamey Sapote seedling is more than 60 cm (2 feet) tall and has not put out any lateral branches.  I want a well-shaped tree and intend to keep the mature height below 6 meters (20 feet).  Will it branch soon on its own, or should I cut off the tip to promote branching? 

I prefer to let nature take its course if it will branch soon, but I'd like to have branching below 1 meter (3 feet) high.


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Tropicalgrower89

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2013, 01:25:44 AM »
I would personally let it grow naturally. That's just my opinion. Pretty sure others will be different.  :)  It also depends on what random cultivar the seedling is. It might branch sooner or grow into a 4-6 foot trunk before branching.
Alexi

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2013, 05:34:01 AM »
Hi John,
I would pinch the top, to promote branching.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2013, 06:59:57 AM »
I would get a grafted mamey tree, so you know the fruit quality.  A seedling may bear fruit with little resemblance to the fruit the seed came from.  It's going to be bad if you wait 20 years for fruit and the fruit ends up being junk.  To encourage brancing, I would remove the terminal bud.
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johnb51

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2013, 08:17:01 AM »
It will definitely branch out on its own.
John

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2013, 10:24:06 AM »
I have tried both letting the trees grow on their own and pruning.  It will branch on its own but I would personally pinch the terminal bud at 1m and then continue to pinch buds on the branches.  The seedling Mamey sapote fruits in 5 years here in Costa Rica.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2013, 10:27:20 AM »
In 5 Decades w tropical fruit, Bill Whitman describes how he prunes his mamey tree to reduce wind damage (I believe into a compact ball shape)

If you're in a windy area, you might want to adopt the technique he employed.
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jcaldeira

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2013, 11:38:02 AM »
In 5 Decades w tropical fruit, Bill Whitman describes how he prunes his mamey tree to reduce wind damage (I believe into a compact ball shape)

If you're in a windy area, you might want to adopt the technique he employed.

Would you kindly describe, briefly, Whitman's method?   Thanks.
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jcaldeira

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2013, 11:39:49 AM »
I would get a grafted mamey tree, so you know the fruit quality.  A seedling may bear fruit with little resemblance to the fruit the seed came from.  It's going to be bad if you wait 20 years for fruit and the fruit ends up being junk.  To encourage brancing, I would remove the terminal bud.

Ha!  Maybe in your location you have access to grafted trees, but as far as I know I have the only mamey sapote trees in Fiji.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2013, 11:48:01 AM »
Not to steal the thread.

Do Mameys need any filtered light, mine gets full afternoon sun and is looking a little sunburned?

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2013, 12:40:58 PM »
I could be wrong, but I think it's something like an open vase.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/CULTURAL/apricottraining.html

In 5 Decades w tropical fruit, Bill Whitman describes how he prunes his mamey tree to reduce wind damage (I believe into a compact ball shape)

If you're in a windy area, you might want to adopt the technique he employed.

Would you kindly describe, briefly, Whitman's method?   Thanks.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2013, 04:26:34 PM by ASaffron »
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Felipe

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2013, 01:16:14 PM »
Hi John,
I would pinch the top, to promote branching.

I totally agree and absolutelly recommend pinching mamey and other pouterias  specially while young. I have had very good results with mamey, green zapote and canistel seedlings. You want it to start branching out close to the ground, not at 4-6 ft. If you don't do, your plant will probably grow like a pine  :o

Take a look at two examples:

Mamey




Green zapote in 2011




Same green zapote in 2013




jcaldeira

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2013, 01:44:39 PM »
Thanks, Felipe, very helpful.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2013, 02:24:09 PM »
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« Last Edit: April 16, 2014, 02:38:42 PM by Mr. Clean »
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2013, 02:26:22 PM »
Not to steal the thread.

Do Mameys need any filtered light, mine gets full afternoon sun and is looking a little sunburned?

Yes, young mamey's can benefit for partial shade.  I built a shade structure with 1" PVC pipe, window screen, and a glue gun.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #15 on: May 26, 2013, 02:09:39 PM »
mamey seedling about 6 yr old...never pruned.  Getting too big for daddy to carry.  :D  Anything bigger than 25 gal, I need a dolly to move it.

I'm just growing it for shade...and fun.

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Felipe

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #16 on: May 26, 2013, 04:52:14 PM »
Adao, it would have been bushier if you would have pruned it. On the other hand it's the first time I see a mamey with multiplae shots from the base of the trunk. Do you think this seeds was maybe poliembrionic?!  ???

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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #17 on: May 26, 2013, 05:09:10 PM »
Adao, it would have been bushier if you would have pruned it. On the other hand it's the first time I see a mamey with multiplae shots from the base of the trunk. Do you think this seeds was maybe poliembrionic?!  ???

Felipe,

keen observation!

Years ago when the seed germinated, the main sprount wrapped around almost like the shape of number "9"...so it sent up multiple shoots from one seed.
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Re: Mamey Sapote: Prune or No?
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2013, 11:03:25 PM »
I have similar problem to JC - I have an approx 4ft grafted Pantin that has not yet branched, so I'm finding this post most helpful (espec. good from Felipe with the photos). I have a cooler climate than JC though - is it ok to pinch out the tip in winter, or should I wait for warmer weather to return? (Winter temp is generally 46-68f .)  Also, is it advisable to seal the cut? Any advice would be good.