Abiu - what am I doing wrong ?

[Jungle Yard]

I'v lost two young abiu trees in Sarasota, Florida. What am I doing wrong?

Please share your success of growing abiu or mistakes that you have identified.

[roblack]

Lost mine a while back, probably due to high alkaline soil. Lots of limestone. Never seemed happy in-ground.

[Jungle Yard]

Lost mine a while back, probably due to high alkaline soil. Lots of limestone. Never seemed happy in-ground.

Thanks, Roblack!
Mine wasn't happy either, but where I am there is no limestone, but sandy soils.

[cmichael258]

I have mine in a pot and noticed this afternoon that it's about to bloom (I hope). It is not as "green" as I would like
and amended to lower the PH (Haven't checked lately to see what it is now).

[Finca La Isla]

I’ve always heard it’s hard to grow in Florida.  We grow abiu in a clay loam that has a ph of about 6 but I think it would do alright at 5 even.  I imagine it wouldn’t want the temp. To go below about 50f.  How are we doing?

[Das Bhut]

Abiu is about as picky as Jaboticaba when it comes to water/ph. Needs a lot of water and a low ph

[roblack]

Abiu is about as picky as Jaboticaba when it comes to water/ph. Needs a lot of water and a low ph

This does not fit with my experience. A large jabo in-ground is doing great here. Abiu is much more sensitive to hi ph soil ime.

[mikbenji]

I’m also in Sarasota, definitely have healthier abius now that I’m working to bring the ph down. I lost a couple of young ones outdoors when it was windy and in the low 40’s for a few days. I think they are quite fragile when they are young, but have seen happy healthy mature abiu trees here, so it is possible.

[fsanchez2002]

I’ve always heard it’s hard to grow in Florida.  We grow abiu in a clay loam that has a ph of about 6 but I think it would do alright at 5 even.  I imagine it wouldn’t want the temp. To go below about 50f.  How are we doing?

I agree with Peter; It's delicate in FL when it's small, but if you get it to survive it does very well. I have several at over 10 ft (6 yrs old) which do well and give great fruit in SoFl.
Main problems:
1. Tends to get wierd fungal infection in FL when young: this is the main threat as it can kill a tree easily. Spray with systemic fungicides when under 3 ft every couple of months.
2. Likes fertilization and low pH: definitively lots of chelated Fe and micronutrients.
3. Likes organic soil and water: provide plenty of mulch and irrigation until settled (3-4 years)
4. Doesn't like cold temp (below 45), ok with 50+ protect when young if needed.

[FloridaGreenMan]

Abius will grow and fruit in South Florida 

[Jungle Yard]

To All:
Thank you very much for your insight. I learned a lot and will try again.

[Orlando Goundan]

I live in orlando and wonder if i can grow the abiu. The temperature does dip down a bit and the soil is sandy. I may have to amend the soil and start with a 15 gallon plant to have any chance of success.
How are the fruits? Never tasted it. Is it sweet / sour / tart ? what is the seed to pulp ratio? how big does the tree get?

[fsanchez2002]

I live in orlando and wonder if i can grow the abiu. The temperature does dip down a bit and the soil is sandy. I may have to amend the soil and start with a 15 gallon plant to have any chance of success.
How are the fruits? Never tasted it. Is it sweet / sour / tart ? what is the seed to pulp ratio? how big does the tree get?

IMO it will not do well in Orlando. I personally wouldn't bother. It can only tolerate under 40F for brief periods and doesn't like cold; gets cold-induced chlorosis very easily.

[Berto]

I have three fruiting abius in the ground. I treat them like jabuticaba as far as irrigation. I plant them in highly organic medium, and they get water every single day. They produce over 100 fruits every year.
The secret to growing abiu has been said. They are very cold sensitive when they are young. I keep them in large pots until they are at least 6 feet tall, and then, I plant them in the ground.
One of them is a seedling of Z4, a commercial variety in Australia. That one is very precocious and produced fruits in three (3) years from seed. The fruit is round and has a thicker skin. The flavor is sweet with a hint of vanilla mixed with a mild caramel.
I recommend planting at least two (2) trees side by side for better fruit production.
I name my trees Number 1; Number 2; and Number 4 (seedling of Z4).

[fruitlovers]

Abiu is about as picky as Jaboticaba when it comes to water/ph. Needs a lot of water and a low ph

Soil pH here is about 6.5 and they grow like weeds. Lots of volunteer plants around mother plants from any fallen fruits. Trees can fruit in 2-3 years from seed when really happy.

[xmario]

They are somewhat picky in Florida because of both soil and temperature (too low but also too high), I have broken a few seedlings to learn their habit but I've learnt to keep them shaded for the first couple of years especially afternoon shade! I have three of them in ground and still they are partially shaded from neighboring trees, also water that sandy soil quite often if not every day to keep moisture constant till they really establish, and plenty of organic matter, chop and drop and manure around the area. In full limestone i wouldn't get my hopes anywhere unless you can hammer out a giant hole and make it into a pot like.
Finally got them fruiting this year for the first time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm-yjskrjyg

Cheers

[fruitlovers]

They are somewhat picky in Florida because of both soil and temperature (too low but also too high), I have broken a few seedlings to learn their habit but I've learnt to keep them shaded for the first couple of years especially afternoon shade! I have three of them in ground and still they are partially shaded from neighboring trees, also water that sandy soil quite often if not every day to keep moisture constant till they really establish, and plenty of organic matter, chop and drop and manure around the area. In full limestone i wouldn't get my hopes anywhere unless you can hammer out a giant hole and make it into a pot like.
Finally got them fruiting this year for the first time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm-yjskrjyg

Cheers

Congrats. Your trees look happy. High temperature should not be a problem. What they don't like are wide swings in temperature, like very high daytime and very low night time temperatures.

[Mike T]

Speed to fruit and productivity depends very much on variety. They handled 110f easily at my place so can obviously go much higher and 38f at a friend's place. They do enjoy water. Some Z4 selections have bigger fruit and fruit at a younger age.Generally the big spherical low latex types with one or two seeds only fruit faster and more reliably presumably because they have been selectd for these features. They also bruise and stain less.There have been lots of previous threads on them. E4 is an example of a very large fruited, thin skin type with rich flavours.

[Satya]

Abius will grow and fruit in South Florida 

FloridaGreenMan they look spherical and big. Which variety of Abiu are these?

[murahilin]

Abius will grow and fruit in South Florida 

FloridaGreenMan they look spherical and big. Which variety of Abiu are these?

I think these were from his own named variety ‘Marissa’.

That tree was the most productive abiu tree I’ve seen in Florida.

I’m not sure if anyone was able to propagate it before the tree was lost.

[Satya]

Abius will grow and fruit in South Florida 

FloridaGreenMan they look spherical and big. Which variety of Abiu are these?

I think these were from his own named variety ‘Marissa’.

That tree was the most productive abiu tree I’ve seen in Florida.

I’m not sure if anyone was able to propagate it before the tree was lost.

Thanks for this info. Sad to hear it was lost. Do you know the reason why? I hope someone here in forum planted a seed from the fruits he shared. Hopefully someone will come forward.

[Mike T]

Those Marissa's look like Gray to me. Maybe they have a lineage back to Whitman's famous tree grown from seeds from Don Gray.

[savemejebus]

My tree (which was a seedling from Noel) just gave us our first fruit after somewhere between 5 - 8 years. My wife only found it by chance as she was walking by the tree. Half of it had already been invaded by bugs but we managed to salvage the other half. I suspect we were a bit late getting it off the tree, but a fun treat nonetheless.

[Satya]

My tree (which was a seedling from Noel) just gave us our first fruit after somewhere between 5 - 8 years. My wife only found it by chance as she was walking by the tree. Half of it had already been invaded by bugs but we managed to salvage the other half. I suspect we were a bit late getting it off the tree, but a fun treat nonetheless.

Looks good. Please propagate it for the sake of all Abiu lovers here.

[Mike T]

While 3 or 4 types can reach 1kg, 1lb is more routine. They grow mostly true and some better Z4 lines were from seedlings so aren't really Z4 and some seedlings of Z4 have had fruit not quite as good as the parent in terms of fruit size. Any good lines should be preserved.

[shot]

I have Z seedling ,I think Z2.Any how this year was very bad with fruit flies as I did not bag.So I picked a fat abiu from that z totally green and it was outstandingly sweet and delicious full green,what freak.

[mangokothiyan]

My tree (which was a seedling from Noel) just gave us our first fruit after somewhere between 5 - 8 years. My wife only found it by chance as she was walking by the tree. Half of it had already been invaded by bugs but we managed to salvage the other half. I suspect we were a bit late getting it off the tree, but a fun treat nonetheless.

Looks good. Please propagate it for the sake of all Abiu lovers here.

I have a tree from Noel in the ground as well.  Been in the ground for about 3 years and flowered twice. Yet to fruit. Do you have a tree  or two of them? I have  a potted Marissa as well, yet to decide when i will plant it. 

[savemejebus]

Just the 1 tree. It's flowered for like 4 years un a row without any feuit.

[kalan]

So I’ve got two remaining trees that flowered for the first time this year. These seedlings are from fruit I ate from the trees in Fruit and Spice Park years ago. Someone told me the F&SP has two trees: one Grey and the other Z4?? Can anyone confirm this? Anyone know the variety of trees there?

[cbss_daviefl]

I finally got one fruit from my abiu tree this year. The tree is 20ft tall and 10ft wide. It set about 10 fruit but only one made it all the way.  I got the seed for this tree from Noel. It is not from 'Marissa', it is from the other tree he had. He might have called that one 'Jeff'. It was good, sweet and low latex. I don't think Abiu is a fruit I will ever go crazy for.