The Tropical Fruit Forum

Today I got my first grafted Annona plant in the form of an African Pride Atemoya (Annona × atemoya). I discovered after I brought it home, there was a hole in the bark below the graft. Is this cause for concern? Will the tree outgrow it?

I can't find much information on people growing it outside of its native range. It is a pretty interesting nut tree. It is an important food source for the hunter-gatherers of southern Africa. It reportedly has some frost tolerance, more when dormant.

Unfortunately, the plants are dioecious, meaning male & female flowers on separate plants. Moreover, the only source selling them is for about $70 for 15 seeds before shipping.

What has been your experience?

I'm new to Jaboticaba collecting & recently learned that they need acidic soil. I also discovered city water can be a problem too. I know some species can adapt, like Sabara & Grimal, but others not so much.

My question is can high pH defoliate or even be deadly if soil/water is left unamended?

I recently germinated some Banana Yucca (Yucca baccata) seeds. It supposed to produce one of the best Yucca fruits, tasting between a sweet potato and banana when roasted.

However, I don't how often I need to water my seedlings because this Yucca is known to be VERY drought tolerance. I'm afraid I might kill them by overwatering them.

Advice?



Here's a picture of the fruit from Raindance Seeds.

Usually I don't have a problem with a seed coat being stuck on my seedlings. However, some fruits, particularly Persimmons and Guavas, have hard seed coats that don't come off easily.

Advice?

I'm still a zone 10a where my house is located. However, my neighborhood used to be divided between zone 9b and 10a—now my whole neighborhood is zone 10a.

I know Spondias species can grow in a subtropical climate, but I read they can be very sensitive to the cold. Right now I'm divided between getting an Ambarella (Spondias dulcis) or Jocote (Spondias purpurea).

What has been your experience?

I know Espoma's Holly-Tone is a favorite of many here due to it being design for acid-loving plants. But I'm curious how Down to Earth's Acid Mix compares to Holly-Tone.

Well, I'm upset. My 2 year old Mamey Sapote's (Pouteria sapota) that I grew from seed got its bark chewed all over the place. Now I'm worry the chewed portion near the roots is going to rot due to it now being exposed to the soil & water.

Advice?

I have been having problems with my Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma) for the last couple months. The new leaves are growing deformed. Also there are tiny black spots & holes on the leaves.

Advice?

I have a 6 feet Java Plum (Syzygium cumini) about 13 feet from a shed with a concrete foundation. I heard that Java Plums have invasive roots, but I don't if that would be a problem in dry, Southern California.

Advice?

I wondering whether or not the Ice Cream Bean tree you typically buy from nurseries is mislabeled as Inga edulis. We usually identified Ice Cream Bean species by the shape of their bean pods. However, I'm keep seeing 2 different versions of Inga edulis online.



This version is long and round.



This one is also identified as edulis, but this one is shorter & boxy. Also, this looks likes a Inga feuilleei to me instead.

Advice?

When it gets colder and dry it will go into hibernation shedding it's leaves. The plant will stay hydrated by its storage tuber. I would only monitor soil to keep slightly moist during winter months. Excessive wet cold can risk fungal and bacteria diseases and rot to the tuber.

Thank you. Do you also know whether or not one of its relatives, Marula (Sclerocarya birrea), has similar watering requirements? I know that it sheds its leaves and comes from a dry environment too.