Author Topic: Achacha question  (Read 3620 times)

Julie

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Achacha question
« on: May 10, 2021, 01:16:28 PM »
Pine Island Nursery is selling Achacha trees (grown from seed).  Based on this forum I thought Achacha is a small tree and should be planted in partial shade.  So I was going to plant it either on the shady side of my house or between other trees.  However the sales lady said it was full sun and I need to use standard tree spacing.  Should this tree be planted in full sun and does it need standard tree spacing?

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2021, 02:06:54 PM »
If you have a single story house, planting on the shady part of the yard might be a good idea. As the tree gets taller, it will eventually grow into more and more the sunlight. Otherwise, you can plant on the north side of a tree you will maintain at 15ft. Smaller than 8 ft, I believe it will grow faster in partial shade. Protection from wind is also important. New leaves can get torn up by wind gusts.  Yes, it will eventually grow into a 15 x 15 spot in 7 to 10 years. Did PIN have the trees in full sun or in a shade house? I do not agree that these trees require full sun.
Brandon

Julie

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2021, 02:50:01 PM »
At this point I don't know because I didn't look at the trees since I don't want to take up a full 15 ft spaced spot in my yard with a fruit I've never tasted.  So basically you agree that these trees need less sun but the same amount of space as mangoes/avocadoes/etc?

TheGivingTree

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2021, 03:20:49 PM »
Achacha is the best Garcinia Ive tasted in FL and 15ft is after a decade of growth. Mangos and avocados grow to 30+ ft.

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2021, 03:37:12 PM »
I always recommend that you try a fruit before you buy a tree and invest the years. Maybe someone from Florida or Puerto Rico will offer fruits. If you have tasted lemon drop mangosteen and think that is worth having, the flavor of achachairu is similar but sweeter and the fruit are bigger. If you have a spot that those others will not properly fruit in due to lack of sun exposure, achachairu is worth a shot. You have a large native tree that cannot be removed and will tolerate an understory companion, garcinias may help you convert that space into a fruiting area.
Brandon

pineislander

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2021, 06:58:47 PM »
Julie here is a video showing the large size that Achachairu can get in Florida. I planted 20 seedlings but put them on 25 x25 ft spacing after seeing what they can do. In between each Achacha I put soursop trees to make use of the space for 7-10 years then between each of those put in short duration papaya trees. I also planted other things between the rows to make efficient use of that space too. She goes through tasting the fruit then out to see the trees. If you see the trees at PIN take some pics and description.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgyF1bnzOiA&t

Finca La Isla

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2021, 09:57:42 PM »
Achacha needs space.  Takes time to fill in so I really like the idea of intercropping temporarily. On my farm they are wider than they are taller.  After 30 years they are at least 40’ wide.
Peter

Mike T

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2021, 05:11:23 AM »
Achachas are really not that big and easy enough to control the size of. There are much bigger and more vigorous species around. They have a low flesh yield and are sourer than intermedia or brasiliesis which also have low flesh yield and the skin is pretty thick. So how can they compete with all the sweeter fruiting American species of which many have larger fruit? Well they are very productive, they are mono, fruit relatively quickly, the fruit travel and keep well and they are more cold hardy than most.

Julie

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2021, 09:06:09 AM »
Thank you everyone for your help.  Does anyone know any source where I could buy the Achacha fruit to try?

Julie

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2021, 10:00:57 PM »
Friends, I got a fruit  from achacha for free from a generous person and now the seed I planted has sprouted. What is the season for achacha in Miami Florida? I’ll definitely plant it if it’s a winter fruit. Thank you!

Saone

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2021, 09:21:02 AM »
So how can they compete with all the sweeter fruiting American species of which many have larger fruit?

What fruit would you suggest?


dm

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2022, 08:50:06 AM »
I keep reading here that we need to give Achacha trees lots of space, as they can get eventually get to be about 8-10 meters wide, but nobody has mentioned pruning, and I have not found any advice about this anywhere else.

Is pruning to keep the width to about 5-6 meters and option?  Or will that affect the tree's health or productivity long-term?

Finca La Isla

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2022, 08:26:43 PM »
I’m not sure why you would prune it to keep it from getting wide.  It is easy to harvest and you get more fruit with longer branches.
Peter

dm

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2022, 08:51:33 PM »
I’m not sure why you would prune it to keep it from getting wide.  It is easy to harvest and you get more fruit with longer branches.
Peter

Because I have other trees, so I don't have an empty 30ft spot in my small yard.

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2022, 11:42:38 PM »
They can be pruned. The farms I have visited in PR kept the trees small. At harvest time they remove limbs to make picking easier. They also prune mangosteen.  At TARS in 2017, they had a well manicured madruno that had loads of fruit. Achachairu trees flower from the branch nodes, generally inside the canopy.
Brandon

dm

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2022, 12:06:00 AM »
They can be pruned. The farms I have visited in PR kept the trees small. At harvest time they remove limbs to make picking easier. They also prune mangosteen.  At TARS in 2017, they had a well manicured madruno that had loads of fruit. Achachairu trees flower from the branch nodes, generally inside the canopy.

I appreciate the info.  I'll find as much space as I can to minimize pruning, whenever that day comes.
Thanks

Bush2Beach

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #16 on: February 07, 2022, 10:57:48 AM »

I love that Madruno tree.
Any chance you have seedlings from that strain or know who does?

They can be pruned. The farms I have visited in PR kept the trees small. At harvest time they remove limbs to make picking easier. They also prune mangosteen.  At TARS in 2017, they had a well manicured madruno that had loads of fruit. Achachairu trees flower from the branch nodes, generally inside the canopy.

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2022, 11:25:06 AM »
I seedlings from the TARS madruno but they cannot be shipped to CA. The trees I planted in the ground will probably take another 3+ years to fruit.
Brandon

dwfl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2022, 04:19:09 PM »
I have a few madrono trees that came from the same stock as the TARS trees, from Sadhu. A couple of them are finally starting to produce fruit. Flowers have been perfect, no lone male or female issues. I have wondered how those trees fared through hurricane Maria in 2017.

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2022, 06:17:41 PM »
We tried to visit TARS on the 2021 trip and they were not accepting visitors.

I have flowers/fruit on one madruno now but so far this tree has not held fruit to maturity.

Brandon

dwfl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2022, 06:41:21 PM »
Hope those hold! That's too bad about TARS not accepting visitors, hopefully that will change in the future. Mine held fruit last year to maturity and right now there is fruit about the same size as the ones your photo. I just noticed there are lots of flowers about to pop out too. Some fresh new growth got burned in the recent cold snap but the old growth took it without issue.

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #21 on: February 07, 2022, 07:46:51 PM »
The wind was dry and intense here. I think one of my big prainiana is going to die. I brought them and my mangosteen inside the Saturday before the coldest day of the recent low but the windy conditions before may have done it in.  Another potted lucs got roasted by the wind. A macrophylla I planted and that is surrounded in shade cloth lost half its leaves. 95% of the trees have no signs of damage. I am not sure why some trees get totally wrecked in the dry wind and most do fine.
Brandon

dwfl

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #22 on: February 07, 2022, 08:24:54 PM »
Cherapu (prainiana) hate cold wind and dry wind, I killed one by leaving it exposed last winter/dry season. My female cherapu fruited last year and it was incredible. I think it's my favorite tasting garcinia. Hope I can keep her alive for many years to come.




My macrophylla is somewhat sheltered near my house and is huge. Pushing towards 20ft and still waiting on flowers. Definitely not a small or precocious tree.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2022, 09:48:02 PM by dwfl »

Raulglezruiz

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Re: Achacha question
« Reply #23 on: February 14, 2022, 08:20:30 PM »
They are fatty wider than taller, and medium Growers, you can control it later with pruning
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