What tropical fruits like constant moist soil? And which ones hate it?

[plantlover13]

Hello all. I recently had my interest in SW (self watering containers) rekindled, and i am thinking of it as a viable option next year to put some of my tropicals in. However, i don't know if all tropicals would enjoy a steady supply of water. I have heard that citrus for example likes having periodic dry periods in between waterings. SO would it like a SWC?

So essentially, what plants would do well in this and what plants prefer a more staggered, varied water supply?

[KarenRei]

So long as it's not outright waterlogged, banana likes it.  So does jabo.  Coffee does, but it may need a dry period to fruit.  Cape gooseberry probably, but they drink up the water so fast I can't guarantee it 

[SWRancher]

Sapodilla do pretty well in damp conditions.

[nullzero]

Lychees love SWC from prior experience.

[digigarden]

myrtaceous plants are usually very tolerant of humid conditions but these are seasonal and don't really need something that fancy.

most tropicals are at least fairly tolerant but they do have the dry season.

[Mike T]

I think continuous soil moisture does not help any tropical species fruit earlier and withholding water to stress trees actually helps.This is the case for durian and even mangosteen and a variety of other species.Even in wet equatorial areas there are dry seasons (2 a year in many areas) and the onset of rain stimulates flowering and flushing.
I have decided to stress the daylights out of my sickly 7.5 feet Penang 88 durian that is almost 6 years old.


Here it is.


Bad pic but I saw today flower buds are forming.I am tempted to chop it back to 6 feet and keep it as a small fruiting durian tree.Durians like most tropical can be kept smaller than popular opinion would have it,and I digressed.

Many species can stand constant soil moisture but withholding and managing stress from a lack of water is also something to consider. Mangosteen and salaks by the way can stand wet swampy soils. 

[Soren]

Hello all. I recently had my interest in SW (self watering containers) rekindled, and i am thinking of it as a viable option next year to put some of my tropicals in. However, i don't know if all tropicals would enjoy a steady supply of water. I have heard that citrus for example likes having periodic dry periods in between waterings. SO would it like a SWC?

So essentially, what plants would do well in this and what plants prefer a more staggered, varied water supply?

There is a large number of Ugandan species which can take wet soils; of the ones I have been distributing previously are Aframomum spp. and Pseudospondias microcarpa...

[greeny]

I have black sapote and theobroma cacao  in self watering containers. They like it .

[Finca La Isla]

I agree with Mike T but the fruit tree that does the best, aside from pachiras, is the sour carombola in a constantly wet site.
Peter

[NewGen]

My Muntingia calabura loves, and probably needs (?), wet feet. It's about 15' tall, was in a large container with a saucer at the bottom. I always had to flood the container until the saucer was filled. Not even a day passed and the saucer was dry again, and the leaves started wilting. I flooded it again, leaves perked up. I now have the tree in the ground with daily watering. Seems pretty happy.