when to strip leaves from annona plants?

[michsu]

Hi guys, when do I strip the leaves from the annonas to help them bloom? I just tried it on the custard apple about a week ago (maybe it's too late this time?).. but it's only having one flower so far.. and it's starting to leaf again too.. Thanks.

[gnappi]

Hi guys, when do I strip the leaves from the annonas to help them bloom? I just tried it on the custard apple about a week ago (maybe it's too late this time?).. but it's only having one flower so far.. and it's starting to leaf again too.. Thanks.

I leave mine alone and they seem to do well without any help.

[Cool_man]

i stripped mine near the end of winter, now flower buds are every where at least 2 at each node where i stripped the leaves off, while the leaves are barely coming out.
Last year i stripped the leaves around end of April and only got a few flowers to come out.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

depends on which annona you are growing, and what the conditions were like during winter.

some of them definitely respond to defoliation, and produce more branches, and flowers as a result.

Hi guys, when do I strip the leaves from the annonas to help them bloom? I just tried it on the custard apple about a week ago (maybe it's too late this time?).. but it's only having one flower so far.. and it's starting to leaf again too.. Thanks.

I leave mine alone and they seem to do well without any help.

[Droshi]

I stripped my entire Geffner Atemoya. Every leaf I took off has now turned into several leaves and at least 1 flower. Likely some will also become good size branches depending on where.

I defoliated just before spring hit, but I notice that buds are already forming underneath the leaves, maybe they would fall off on their own and push through anyway?

[michsu]

thanks everyone for your input!  yeah, because I heard from JF that he had stripped the leaves around March? I guess I did it too late this time.. "End of Winter" would probably be February? For the other ones I have (sugar apple, cherimoyas, atemoyas) I stripped half leaves and kept half on.. just in case  let's see how everything goes.. our winter here in Southern CA isn't too cold though.. only really about a week or two around 40s.. it gets hotter, then colder, hotter, then colder.. even now the temps are fluctuating a lot.. these few days we are getting 80s during the day.. while the next week's forecast it will drop below 70s..

mine are 1st year in ground.. first year, I pulled all the flowers and let the plants grow.. maybe they are all still too young to hold fruit? I guess I will probably let them grow out for another year.. Right now, only the custard apple has 1 flower.. none of the others have flowers.. maybe I'm doing something wrong? This is the 2nd year only, so I'm still learning.. I add fertilizer in the fall and in the spring already (things like steer manure, dynagro 7-9-5, jack's fertilizer 20-20-20 (just once in the fall), and even organic fertilizer like Dr. Earth Organics 9).. maybe another year then?

Sarteneja Custard Apple
June 2014

Current


Cherimoya - Honeyhart with Pink's Mammoth
June 2014

Current


Cherimoya - Unknown - friend gave it to me in a tiny plastic 4" pot and it grew to this size


Lindstrom Atemoya with Fino de Jete and Campas
June 2014

Current


Rollinia
June 2014

Current


Sugar Apple
April 2014

Current

[behlgarden]

I normally strip in March/Apr and for extended season 2nd crop I stip again in Late August. Late august flowers produces fruits that ripe in Feb thru Apr and actually taste better than first crop for some reason, could be our changing weather.

[michsu]

ok thanks! so I tried a few "half strips" (left half the leaves on the trees just in case, since it's new to me) and then the "full strip" on the custard apple.. However, only 1 flower has been coming out so far, and plenty of small leaves though.. maybe I need to add a P fertilizer now?