Author Topic: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY  (Read 4922 times)

Johnny Redland

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South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« on: March 01, 2018, 09:54:21 AM »
So I've been trying to grow Abiu for a few years and my trees usually do decent in the pots and then once transplanted into the ground, slowly die.  I've found from my experience and from help on this forum that they like acidic soil (maybe why they do so well in volcanic regions like Hawaii and Brazil) and lots of water and humidity.  Down here in Zone 10b South Florida humidity is not an issue, nor is watering but soil is a problem.  So what I started to do is to leave the Abiu in the pots with potting mixes (usually more acidic than our alkaline soil) until they are 5-6FT juvenile trees, rather than transplanting smaller trees immediately into the soil from their 3 gallon containers.  Then when I transplant, I move the trees up to a 45 gallon pot full of acidic potting mix and plant inground inside the pots.  This seems to help the trees maintain more of an acidic soil base over time.  I also read online and found that it helps to do an annual chelated iron drench.  All in all, its a very difficult tree to get going down here but I now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Super stoked to try my first Abiu fruits. Fingers Crossed.

I'll add some photos to this post next week when I get a chance to return to the property.

sunny

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2018, 10:06:20 AM »
I was also happy with abiuflowers but then......they did not open and dropped  >:(

nelesedulis

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2018, 10:12:28 AM »
Vulcanic Brazil ???

They're good here for the simple fact of being native! They are born spontaneously in the forest, both Atlantic Forest and Ana Amazonian Forest
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roblack

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2018, 10:42:59 AM »
Great news! My tree is struggling, so going to make some soil amendments and maybe dig up and try your method. Can't wait to see pics and hear about your tasting. Best of luck and thanks for sharing.

Johnny Redland

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2018, 10:58:12 AM »
I was also happy with abiuflowers but then......they did not open and dropped  >:(

That maybe the case for me as well, time will tell.  But for now I have high hopes; this fruit/tree has yet to beat me into submission.

shot

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2018, 12:04:04 PM »
Yeah sometimes first flowering don't fruit and it varies between seedlings as to how much they will make in the long run.But some are over achievers to the point of over doing it.where I grow I just pull some soil away put the seeds in and walk away ,just different soil

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2018, 12:29:38 PM »
Vulcanic Brazil ???

They're good here for the simple fact of being native! They are born spontaneously in the forest, both Atlantic Forest and Ana Amazonian Forest

Have you seen these grow in wet/flooded areas?
-Josh

Johnny Redland

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2018, 03:05:39 PM »
Yeah sometimes first flowering don't fruit and it varies between seedlings as to how much they will make in the long run.But some are over achievers to the point of over doing it.where I grow I just pull some soil away put the seeds in and walk away ,just different soil

Yeah we have about 6 inches of the most amazing red, nutrient rich soil you could ever as for and then just 10 feet of solid limestone rock.  For this reason, our area is extremely conducive to crop farming and adult trees that are really able to hold their ground during hurricanes.  I'm be honest, its great to hear of more people in South Florida growing and fruiting these, because for awhile there I just thought it was a myth.  I've found seedling plants are VERY sensitive.

Shot, do you find they grow better in full or partial sun?

shot

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2018, 04:56:02 PM »
I would plant the abiu  in the red soil not the caprock as for sun partial for young to about 4 feet or more then full sun,I think that's what your already doing.When I plant them it in the shade of some tree I'm going to cut back or remove.I found one today and planted it,it had only one seed, and the only fruit that I could see left in the tree.They are making flowers now.I did see some seedlings growing under the older trees I should dig them out
   Homestead is a great farming community and I hope it stays that way for a long time I have good memories of Homestead and learned a great deal from the old timers.

nelesedulis

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2018, 05:11:44 PM »
Hi,

Yes, they live inside the forest with lots of humidity, and they exist in swampy places, especially in the Amazon.

Generally I use 200 g per year of potassium chloride so that all sapotaceas that I cultivate form fruits, the abiu can have flowers for several years without fruit formation.






Vulcanic Brazil ???

They're good here for the simple fact of being native! They are born spontaneously in the forest, both Atlantic Forest and Ana Amazonian Forest

Have you seen these grow in wet/flooded areas?
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Johnny Redland

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2018, 05:19:39 PM »
I would plant the abiu  in the red soil not the caprock as for sun partial for young to about 4 feet or more then full sun,I think that's what your already doing.When I plant them it in the shade of some tree I'm going to cut back or remove.I found one today and planted it,it had only one seed, and the only fruit that I could see left in the tree.They are making flowers now.I did see some seedlings growing under the older trees I should dig them out
   Homestead is a great farming community and I hope it stays that way for a long time I have good memories of Homestead and learned a great deal from the old timers.

I fully agree. My wife and I are very blessed to own some land out here.  There's a lot of history and knowledge here, especially when it comes to farming as you mentioned.  Thanks for the info.

Cop

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2018, 10:48:02 AM »
I have a abiu tree, it is 15 years old, 10 years blooming but never fruit, last sunday I saw was full of flowers again. I will try to put potassium sulfate, thank you nelesedulis...

Berto

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2018, 11:04:20 AM »
I grow Abiu in SW Florida and one of my trees, a seedling of Z4, fruited in 3 years from seed. I plant them in the ground when they are 6 to 7 feet tall because they are cold sensitive when they are young. They get water every single day, and some organic fertilizer once or twice a year.
Some abius will not fruit by itself and requires another tree next to it for cross pollination. That’s my experience with Abiu here in SW Florida.

nelesedulis

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2018, 11:30:04 AM »
Berto,

I do not know if you have already noticed, here we have common abius, we do not select varieties, but we have a custom, strange more right!

We only planted in the definitive place the seedlings that have light green leaves! they are earlier, the seedlings born with dark green leaf, we used as rootstock, I think it's a very old custom here in the region and really what has dark green leaves will take many years to bear fruit!









I grow Abiu in SW Florida and one of my trees, a seedling of Z4, fruited in 3 years from seed. I plant them in the ground when they are 6 to 7 feet tall because they are cold sensitive when they are young. They get water every single day, and some organic fertilizer once or twice a year.
Some abius will not fruit by itself and requires another tree next to it for cross pollination. That’s my experience with Abiu here in SW Florida.
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HIfarm

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2018, 12:39:44 PM »
Thanks for posting this, Alexandre.  If I had heard it before, I had forgotten it.  I've got a wet spot that might be a good spot to throw some more abiu in.

John

Hi,

Yes, they live inside the forest with lots of humidity, and they exist in swampy places, especially in the Amazon.




Have you seen these grow in wet/flooded areas?

sunny

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2018, 09:19:11 PM »
I have 2 abiu's from 2 meter, one dark leaves and one light leaves...the dark one had flowers, but they dropped. The light one never had flowers...they are 2 years old.

Dark one  made flowers after i pruned it. Did not prune the light one.

Johnny Redland

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2018, 09:14:58 AM »
Just as an update, the 5-6ft abiu I put in the ground is doing fantastic.  I placed it in the ground inside a 45gal pot using premium potting mix.  It is planted in Full sun and gets a healthy amount of water.  It has been a few months an looks better than any other Abiu I've ever planted.  The only issue I have is that some sort of bug, I believe it to be beetles at night time, are chewing on the leaves pretty good.  The same exact thing is happening to all of my sapote trees (black sapote, canistel, mamey, etc.) accept my sapodillias.  It's becoming a real PITA and spraying hasn't helped.

dudu12

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2018, 10:46:37 AM »
thank you! following.

savemejebus

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Re: South Florida Abiu starting to Fruit !!!! FINALLY
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2018, 11:15:49 AM »
My abiu seedling from Noel is about 5 years old and around 8ft tall (pruned somewhat to keep it under control). Other than doing battle with lobate scales, it is relatively healthy. It has flowered the last 3 years - thought this year we'd finally see fruits as I really babied it. More disappointment as every flower did nothing. Another year of waiting.