Cherimoya hand-pollination success

[RodneyS]

If I can do it, anyone can.  I have 6 developing fruits on my Honeyhart at the moment

[fyliu]

Nice! It looks like you got pollen evenly all around. What tools did you use?

Later on you'll become more picky and pollinate only flowers on thicker branches. Those can support large fruits and fruit on them tend to be larger as well.

[RodneyS]

Small watercolor brush from a watercoloring set that I got for less than a dollar at Target
Black salsa cup from El Pollo Loco
Scissors to cut half of the petal from the flower to demarcate it as pollinated

Cheap!

[ReneeFLL]

Have you grown the fruit to full size yet? I am wondering since you are in zone 11 and South Florida is in zone 10a-b. Am I not understanding something about the zones because wouldn't that make your zone about 10° warmer?

[kh0110]

I think Cerritos (90703) is 10b according to this interactive map, http://www.plantmaps.com/usda_hardiness_zone_map.php.

Nice job, btw.

[jcaldeira]

Small watercolor brush from a watercoloring set that I got for less than a dollar at Target
Black salsa cup from El Pollo Loco
Scissors to cut half of the petal from the flower to demarcate it as pollinated

Cheap!

I applaud you!  Your pollination success is an inspiration to all.  I expect to be dealing with hand pollination of Cherimoya and others myself in a year or two.

John

[fyliu]

My first container was half an egg shell. It was good for concentrating pollen at the bottom. But I've graduated to a small "kungfu" teacup that lasts longer. Then a small Chinese calligraphy brush, and I peel off entire one petal to mark a pollinated flower. 
Honeyhart is among the best tasting although it's only medium sized.

[ScottR]

Congrats Rodney, I think you've got it down, now for the wait

[Ant21]

RodneyS, congrats!!!!!....Here are some of my hand pollinated Honeyhart cherimoyas.I probably
have about 75-100 fruits in this one tree of different stages of fruit set.



Here is also my hand pollinated African Pride Atemoya.Bigger tree than my honeyhart but with only 50 or so fruit on it



Here also is hand pollinated White cherimoya...