Author Topic: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!  (Read 3778 times)

johnb51

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Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« on: May 25, 2019, 07:14:53 PM »
This isn't the first year I'm getting fruit from my trees.  Nevertheless, I'm still amazed at the sugar content of this fruit.  True, it's definitely acidic, but it's very sweet at the same time.  I peel the fruit, then mash the pulp in a strainer to eliminate the fiber.  Mixing it with coconut water is an incredible drink.  The flavor is so rich and unique!
« Last Edit: June 08, 2019, 10:42:56 AM by johnb51 »
John

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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2019, 10:17:31 PM »
It's a good fruit. There are 2 different types that I've seen -- the sweet + sour and the non-acidic type.
Jeff  :-)

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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2019, 12:19:32 AM »
I have been eating the non-acidic for months. Picked up some nice 2 lb fruit today.

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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2019, 12:25:55 PM »
I have been eating the non-acidic for months. Picked up some nice 2 lb fruit today.
Where were you able to find the fruit? I live in central Florida too, and the only place I can find it is at MD Oriental Market for $9 a pound. I'd love another option.

carcarlo

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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2019, 01:09:39 PM »
I must  gotten some that was the Sour type, I picked up some frozen pulp the other day, made a Milkshake with it and it turned into Sour Creme right of way. I know there are some sweet ones out there but the frozen forget about it!!!!
Carlos

johnb51

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2019, 10:52:29 AM »
I can't say enough good things about this fruit.  It's a Top-Five Fruit for South Florida.  Whether or not it has any effect on cancer, you feel like you're consuming about the healthiest fruit there is--it's a life force bomb!  Everybody in our zone should grow it.  My trees are staying a reasonable size, and they're attractive.  They don't grow wildly.
John

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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2019, 11:14:31 AM »
I have been eating the non-acidic for months. Picked up some nice 2 lb fruit today.
Where were you able to find the fruit? I live in central Florida too, and the only place I can find it is at MD Oriental Market for $9 a pound. I'd love another option.

Occasionally you can find it at Whole Foods, but keep the receipt as most are picked too early and don’t ripen.   At least 3/5 of the rarer fruits I buy there do not ripen.
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Re: Soursop is not sour!
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2019, 11:16:48 AM »
It's a good fruit. There are 2 different types that I've seen -- the sweet + sour and the non-acidic type.

What are the non-acidic varieties called?  I would like another tree as I just had one young SS die after planting.
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Bruce

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2019, 11:40:27 AM »
My aunt gave me a small seedling one day maybe 2 years ago or more. Haven’t gotten to planting just yet kinda messed up left in pot on top of grass and roots went down. Have no idea which variety it is didn’t even know there was different. How can I find out which it is?

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2019, 11:55:05 AM »
They can be grafted so if you have an established tree and find a tree with desirable fruit quality, work with the owner to secure scion and graft onto yours.

I have a plant flowering right now for the first time.  It's in a pot and about 7 feet tall.  I am not sure if it will hold but I'd love to have Johnb51s experience :)

I also have a couple of seedlings from seeds from a forum member a year or so ago.

johnb51

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2019, 01:01:25 PM »
I bought my two trees at Excalibur, and if I'm not mistaken, they're seedlings.  I've never tasted a non-acidic one, but non-acidic soursop sounds like an oxymoron.  My wife says a non-acidic guanabana is called a cherimoya!  Of course, annona muricata is not annona cherimola, and the flavor, though similar, is different.  Texture is definitely different.
John

sahai1

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2019, 01:25:15 PM »
people always talking about this sweet vs sour soursop, but I think they just mean one is considerably more sour than the other one.  But I've had soursop where I can just take a few bites, vs. a soursop I can EAT.   I've never had a soursop that has '0' sour flavor.  I have 1 producing tree now, from seeds in Thailand and it is sweet 75% or so.  I have noticed the fruits are smaller than sour ones I had in Kauai before, but that could be many other factors.

What you guys think?  Should I buy sweet soursop seeds or is there no such thing really?

Whether or not it has any effect on cancer, you feel like you're consuming about the healthiest fruit there is--it's a life force bomb! 


The anti-cancer information is from a tea made from the leaves.  The only research I know of was on mice.  I don't think there is enough information on that to know if it doesn't do more harm then good. As far as I know leaves are not eaten by any culture traditionally, that is not a good sign. 


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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2019, 01:57:16 PM »
Johnb51 can you post a few pics of your trees so i can see how they look and if one would fit into my landscape
Joe

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2019, 02:08:33 PM »
There are non-sour guanabanas. They are generally popular among Jamaicans (at least as far as I've seen here in FL). They seem to be true to seed as well. The one sold at nurseries is nearly always sour though. I tend to prefer the sour one myself (it's actually a good mix of sweet and sour).

If you like soursop, you would die for white ilama. The white ilama has a similar flavor, just a bit more refined and with better texture.

The anti-cancer thing I think is misleading. I remember reading something that indicated that annonacin is actually a neurotoxin. I would probably recommend refraining from neurotoxic tea unless I literally had no other treatment options. Just sayin...

Jeff  :-)

sahai1

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2019, 02:19:55 PM »
here is some pictures of my best one.. keep in mind been through 3 floods, and I covered it with full dirt twice.  Also my other soursop trees in shaded areas are much taller.  I really like the shape of this tree, and have done very little pruning, I think I topped once to remove a tree ant infestation.   The tree ants I think were farming mealybug on fruits.  I think tree is 4 or 5 years old now if count since when seed sprouted.  the original soil level I planted at is about 2 feet under where the trunk is now.  Trunk diameter about 12" below soil.

2017




2018



jan 2019



sahai1

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2019, 02:29:01 PM »
There are non-sour guanabanas. They are generally popular among Jamaicans (at least as far as I've seen here in FL). They seem to be true to seed as well. The one sold at nurseries is nearly always sour though. I tend to prefer the sour one myself (it's actually a good mix of sweet and sour).

If you like soursop, you would die for white ilama. The white ilama has a similar flavor, just a bit more refined and with better texture.

The anti-cancer thing I think is misleading. I remember reading something that indicated that annonacin is actually a neurotoxin. I would probably recommend refraining from neurotoxic tea unless I literally had no other treatment options. Just sayin...

so the 'sour' soursop is just the normal soursop then...  Maybe in future I will order sweet soursop scions for my tree.  I will definitely get some white ilama seeds, thanks for tip.  I have had overwhelming luck with annona species, they truly are great for tropical lowlands with high rainfall.

Now I have red atemoya, biriba, red sugar apple, and atemoya growing, but no fruits from any of these yet.  Although biriba heavily flowered earlier this year at beginning of dry season, but no fruits yet.  I am hoping that by planting annona everywhere the pollination issue will just address itself.

oh and Civet Banana just started, and two lower quality sugarapple trees that I will have to graft later, too much seeds and small fruits.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2019, 02:32:39 PM by sahai1 »

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #16 on: June 08, 2019, 07:26:18 PM »
There are non-sour guanabanas. They are generally popular among Jamaicans (at least as far as I've seen here in FL). They seem to be true to seed as well. The one sold at nurseries is nearly always sour though. I tend to prefer the sour one myself (it's actually a good mix of sweet and sour).

If you like soursop, you would die for white ilama. The white ilama has a similar flavor, just a bit more refined and with better texture.

The anti-cancer thing I think is misleading. I remember reading something that indicated that annonacin is actually a neurotoxin. I would probably recommend refraining from neurotoxic tea unless I literally had no other treatment options. Just sayin...


Does the white Illama do well in South Florida? Productive? If yes, where can i get a grafted tree?


roblack

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #17 on: June 09, 2019, 09:47:30 AM »
Guanabana grows great for me here, and the fruit is delicious. Tree is beautiful and easy to control. 6 nice fruit ripening, can't wait!

Thinking about either grafting other varieties, or removing one of my not so great trees for another soursop.

White ilama sounds good too, got a little ilama tree from Mike at TreesNMore a while back that is ready for grafting.

In general, mangoes and annonas appear to be 2 of the easiest, most productive, and best fruit trees to grow in SoFl.

johnb51

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #18 on: June 09, 2019, 10:15:15 AM »



First tree is 6-7 years old. Was severely trimmed following Irma.  Second tree is about 3.  Enlarge second photo, and you'll see three fruit hiding in foliage.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2019, 10:18:56 AM by johnb51 »
John

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2019, 10:18:46 AM »




First tree is 6-7 years old. Was severely trimmed following Irma.  Second tree is about 3.



If I could keep it around 12 feet I got room! Do you need a grafted tree or is one you pickup at the nursery good?
Joe

johnb51

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #20 on: June 09, 2019, 10:20:45 AM »
You can easily keep them at 12 feet.  As I mentioned, I'm pretty sure they're seedlings.
John

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #21 on: June 09, 2019, 10:23:49 AM »
annonas can actually be a real headache :-). Either you're lucky or you're taking great care of them. It took me many years and many failed attempts to grow them. I found that successfully growing them requires leaf hopper control and really good fertilization and watering practices. Mango is indeed a set it and forget it type tree though... unless you get MBBS.

Guanabana grows great for me here, and the fruit is delicious. Tree is beautiful and easy to control. 6 nice fruit ripening, can't wait!

Thinking about either grafting other varieties, or removing one of my not so great trees for another soursop.

White ilama sounds good too, got a little ilama tree from Mike at TreesNMore a while back that is ready for grafting.

In general, mangoes and annonas appear to be 2 of the easiest, most productive, and best fruit trees to grow in SoFl.
Jeff  :-)

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #22 on: June 09, 2019, 10:26:05 AM »
Generally, ilama and productive are mutually exclusive. If you're really meticulous about tree care, you can pull it off here. They are pretty hard to find though. There is a white ilama called "Guillermo" if memory serves, which Har introduced many years ago under Zill's annona breeding program. Good luck finding one though.

There are non-sour guanabanas. They are generally popular among Jamaicans (at least as far as I've seen here in FL). They seem to be true to seed as well. The one sold at nurseries is nearly always sour though. I tend to prefer the sour one myself (it's actually a good mix of sweet and sour).

If you like soursop, you would die for white ilama. The white ilama has a similar flavor, just a bit more refined and with better texture.

The anti-cancer thing I think is misleading. I remember reading something that indicated that annonacin is actually a neurotoxin. I would probably recommend refraining from neurotoxic tea unless I literally had no other treatment options. Just sayin...


Does the white Illama do well in South Florida? Productive? If yes, where can i get a grafted tree?
Jeff  :-)

roblack

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Re: Everybody in SoFla Should Grow Soursop/Guanabana!
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2019, 03:52:05 PM »
I must be getting lucky. Appears to like my limestone soil and climate.

Light fruit production, which fertilization seems to help. Will begin hand pollinating next round of flowers.

Definitely gets some ants and scale on it, but I don't battle them much. Used neem spray once or twice over the years. 

Tree is beautiful except when it drops all leaves in winter. Otherwise, stays nice and green. Doesn't grow that fast for me.

Having seen some pics of diseased fruit, can imagine that it must be more challenging for many depending on other factors.

annonas can actually be a real headache :-). Either you're lucky or you're taking great care of them. It took me many years and many failed attempts to grow them. I found that successfully growing them requires leaf hopper control and really good fertilization and watering practices. Mango is indeed a set it and forget it type tree though... unless you get MBBS.

Guanabana grows great for me here, and the fruit is delicious. Tree is beautiful and easy to control. 6 nice fruit ripening, can't wait!

Thinking about either grafting other varieties, or removing one of my not so great trees for another soursop.

White ilama sounds good too, got a little ilama tree from Mike at TreesNMore a while back that is ready for grafting.

In general, mangoes and annonas appear to be 2 of the easiest, most productive, and best fruit trees to grow in SoFl.