Hi everyone,
I joined this forum a few days ago. I own a piece land in Sonoma County, California and have planted it with figs, Asian pears, persimmons, pawpaws and other temperate fruits. I have also planted avocados and white sapotes -- and it's the white sapotes that I would like to discuss. I want to know if other people in my climate zone -- 9B -- and especially in my immediate area have had success with white sapote and, if so, what extra care (if any) they require. I planted a Vernon white sapote three years ago. In its second spring in the ground, it set blossoms, and it made 8 nice fruits in the fall of 2021. I do not recall the coldest temperatures we had that year -- maybe around 30 or 31. So, it can be done, at least in favorable years. But we do have considerable frost here. In February 2022, temperatures dropped to 27 degrees here. While the literature suggests white sapotes will withstand 22F, my 5 young trees were defoliated. They have rebounded nicely, but they made no blossoms this spring. I am wondering if I am facing a future of sporadic white sapote production, at best.
A few questions:
Is it common for white sapote trees to thrive in Zone 9B but very rarely make fruit? (This is the case for many avocados in my neighborhood.)
At what temperature do white sapote blossoms suffer frost damage?
Have any of you seen white sapotes fruit on an annual basis even when subjected most springs to high-20s frost?
Thanks for any advice, encouragement or specific info you can offer.
Sincerely,
Alastair