Why CHerimoyas don't fruit in FL - Looking to learn a thing or two

[Orkine]

First I have heard and read that Cherimoya don't do well in FLorida.  I am not disputing this and I fully agree.  I am happy with its role as rootstock or interstock for pond apple.

That said, I am curious and want to understand why this is the case.
Can someone point me to a good source of information on this subject.  I want to be as educated as I can been this topic which has been very intriguing to me.  Is it light, temperature moisture, all of the above, none of the above.

Point me to where I can learn, not about growing Cherimoya, but about why it is not suited for South Florida.

Thanks

[Finca La Isla]

I think that what it comes down to is that cherimoya is a tropical highland fruit. In the same way that highland avocados don’t do well in FL   In Costa Rica I can’t grow cherimoya at low altitude, it is grown up at 3000’-5000’. Those highland farms can’t grow lots of what I grow. With avocados humidity levels can be a factor but not with everything. We grow Florida avocados while in the cherimoya area they grow Hass. Some crops can be grown in both areas, sapodilla comes to mind.
Why do they fail outside of their natural climate range?  In simple terms, they just don’t like it. They’re vulnerable to disease, etc. when things are not right.
Peter

[Seanny]

Cherimoya don't flower in high temperature area.

https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/78092/1/D_Higuchi_Hirokazu.pdf


You could do a trial to force flowering by removing all leaves before the coldest month in your area.
Hopefully the cold would remove vigor from the cherimoya to force flowering.

[spaugh]

Cherimoya flowers all the time here, anytime I cut it they send out flowers.  There's a dead time mid winter where they dont grow much but spring through fall it will flower when trimmed here. 

[knlim000]

I think it is the same logic like cherry or apple trees.   They don't flowers and set fruits in all year round warm climate.  My cousin has a cherry tree in Souther LA over ten years already, it does not every bear fruit.   The tree looks nice and green, but no fruits.

[spaugh]

I think it is the same logic like cherry or apple trees.   They don't flowers and set fruits in all year round warm climate.  My cousin has a cherry tree in Souther LA over ten years already, it does not every bear fruit.   The tree looks nice and green, but no fruits.

Time to top work that cherry tree.  There are new low chill types that will set fruit here.  I have 4 types and they are all in bloom now.  And we get very low chill hours here.

[chrobrego]

I'm growing one here in Central Florida (Orlando) to see if the cooler winter temps might make a difference. The tree is growing well in afternoon shade and seems to be doing well. No flowers yet though.

[Orkine]

Good luck. 
I believe I read somewhere that they will flower, even set fruit but the fruits wont make it to maturity. 

[Vernmented]

I had two el bumpo fruits set but an animal got them when I was out of town. There is another variety that people used to grow here but I forget the name. I have flowers just pushing out on El Bumpo and Ecuador cherimoya right now. Waiting for the others to kick into gear and see what they do.

[Orkine]

Interesting, how mature were the fruits before the heist?

[Vernmented]

Interesting, how mature were the fruits before the heist?

They were getting close. I don’t know if they actually ripened or not. There wasn’t any remnants. I was hoping to find some seed to grow out new cherimoya dominant hybrids. The fruit weren’t very big.

[Orkine]

My interstock, I believe it was Dr Whites Cherimoya, flowered and I hand pollinated a few of them, knocked off the rest (they were on branches I had grafted Atemoya scions to).  The tree now has four fruits on it (Dr Whites).  Tiny still and unlikely to become much since I am not babying the tree (I am more interested on grafting atemoya on suitable branches).
I do intend to track what happens to the fruits and will update the forum on what happens.

My report on the interstock post:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=27155.msg330199#msg330199

[Vincent]

 :-Have eaten Spain cherimoya that was grown on Pine Island. There was not a lot of fruit and it was just average but it was a Florida grown cherimoya.

[Guanabanus]

I worked with 7 varieties of Annona cherimola when I was breeding, in southeastern Florida.  They would sometimes mature viable seeds, but usually did not mature the pulp.

'Spain' cherimoya occassionally made reasonably tasty fruits.

Cherimoya trees grown in Florida are very susceptible to intoxication by Potatoe Leaf Hoppers, and are susceptible to anthracnose.  They tend to look bedraggled in the heat of summer, even with drip irrigation 3 times a day.

I don't think I have it figured out, though.

[spaugh]

I worked with 7 varieties of Annona cherimola when I was breeding, in southeastern Florida.  They would sometimes mature viable seeds, but usually did not mature the pulp.

'Spain' cherimoya occassionally made reasonably tasty fruits.

Cherimoya trees grown in Florida are very susceptible to intoxication by Potatoe Leaf Hoppers, and are susceptible to anthracnose.  They tend to look bedraggled in the heat of summer, even with drip irrigation 3 times a day.

I don't think I have it figured out, though.

Sounds like too much water.  Its way hot and dry here and I water once or twice a week in summer. 

[Tommyng]

Orkine, what you read and hear can be a good guide in your fruit journeys but don’t let it limit you. It would be great if you stumbled upon a variety of cherimoya that could flourish in Florida.

[guadua]

Its an assumption, but it could be related to enzymes in the plant needing a specific temperature for cellular processes to work.

[850FL]

I am in Northwest Fl on the Gulf, and trying to grow cherimoya here. I am growing many from seed right now (about 150, mostly random varieties from the markets.. which may actually be a good thing in terms of high variability)..
Our summer heat is very comparable to the rest of Florida, however our winters get substantially cooler, also with more chill hours. Unfortunately sometimes we get hard freezes to the upper teens F, although it rarely ever snows at all. Humidity is still usually muggy like the rest of Fl.
I am about to start some 'Dream' annona/cherimoya seeds, and maybe graft some budwood onto a few seedlings. I will see where that goes. Apparently this variety can take it very cold, into the teens, and produces pretty well in Florida,at least for a cherimoya. Also it is supposed to taste very good, but has small fruit.
Don't cherimoya originate from highland cloud forests? So it would be safe to say that they experience a lot of indirect refracted sunlight from cloud cover and maybe the direct sun is too much in Fl conditions? I will start planting some of these in the shade and see how that goes. An understory environment might be preferable here..