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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Surinam Cherry Flowering But Not Fruiting
« on: April 08, 2020, 01:39:37 PM »
Hi everyone,
I was hoping someone could help me figure out why my Surinam Cherry flowers profusely but never fruits.
Background: I purchased a very small Surinam Cherry from a local nursery three years ago. It's quite possibly a seedling, although it sends up suckers at the base, a characteristic I thought was more prevalent in grafted plants. The growing conditions are coastal 9B/10A in Santa Barbara, full sun, but relatively protected. Soil is mulched clay-loam, lightly fertilized with a balanced fertilizer a few times a year during the growing season. The plant grows fairly slowly (it's probably 2.5ft high and 2 ft diameter), but it otherwise healthy, and flowers like crazy, like it has the last two years. As it is in a marginal growing climate, all of the leaves turn red in the winter, and are semi deciduous.
Situation: The plant started flowering in early March, but there is so far no fruit set. I was under the impression that all Surinam Cherries are self-fruitful, but I have pollinated flowers with others from the same plant just to be sure it wasn't lack of pollen.
Potential Issues that I've considered: 1) It's a seedling, and too young to fruit, but not to flower. 2) It's still too small to bear fruit. 3) This particular plant is not self-fruitful for some reason. 4) From February to April, night-time lows in the 40's and 50's and rain prevent it from setting fruit.
Are one or more of these potential issues the reason it flowers but won't set fruit? Or am I missing something else?
Any advice is appreciated!
I was hoping someone could help me figure out why my Surinam Cherry flowers profusely but never fruits.
Background: I purchased a very small Surinam Cherry from a local nursery three years ago. It's quite possibly a seedling, although it sends up suckers at the base, a characteristic I thought was more prevalent in grafted plants. The growing conditions are coastal 9B/10A in Santa Barbara, full sun, but relatively protected. Soil is mulched clay-loam, lightly fertilized with a balanced fertilizer a few times a year during the growing season. The plant grows fairly slowly (it's probably 2.5ft high and 2 ft diameter), but it otherwise healthy, and flowers like crazy, like it has the last two years. As it is in a marginal growing climate, all of the leaves turn red in the winter, and are semi deciduous.
Situation: The plant started flowering in early March, but there is so far no fruit set. I was under the impression that all Surinam Cherries are self-fruitful, but I have pollinated flowers with others from the same plant just to be sure it wasn't lack of pollen.
Potential Issues that I've considered: 1) It's a seedling, and too young to fruit, but not to flower. 2) It's still too small to bear fruit. 3) This particular plant is not self-fruitful for some reason. 4) From February to April, night-time lows in the 40's and 50's and rain prevent it from setting fruit.
Are one or more of these potential issues the reason it flowers but won't set fruit? Or am I missing something else?
Any advice is appreciated!