Author Topic: Abiu finally producing  (Read 4407 times)

savemejebus

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Abiu finally producing
« on: November 07, 2021, 05:21:07 PM »
Only took 8 years or so (last year we found 1 on the tree by chance), but finally getting a decent amount of abius (seedling from Noel many years ago). This year I spotted 1, which turned into 2, which turned into a couple dozen. Difficult to spot the little buggers. Pretty good.








brian

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2021, 06:34:07 PM »
How is it??

Mine has been growing well and flowered heavily this year but no fruit set.  I've never tasted the fruit.

Timbogrow

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2021, 06:24:29 AM »
Only took 8 years or so (last year we found 1 on the tree by chance), but finally getting a decent amount of abius (seedling from Noel many years ago). This year I spotted 1, which turned into 2, which turned into a couple dozen. Difficult to spot the little buggers. Pretty good.







Is that planted in ground? I was going to get 1 but supposed to not like the cold below 50°?

Cop

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2021, 08:00:34 AM »
Mine was born in 2002 and since 2007 it blooms intensely every year but does not bear fruit. full sun and 15 feet tall. (seed from Oscar fruitlovers)

skhan

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2021, 09:27:39 AM »
I got my first fruit this year too.
Sort of a let down IMHO.

I'll keep it though and see if it improves.
Its crawling with scale right now.

ben mango

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2021, 09:35:12 AM »
It is common for seedling abiu to be bland and watery tasting, which is why some nurseries only sell grafted plants.  The Z varieties I’ve tried are very tasty with hints of vanilla and caramel

JoeP450

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2021, 11:48:39 AM »
Congrats on your fruit 👍 It seems there is a good variation is seedling fruit, I still have yet to try one but from pics there is differences in shapes and flesh color and per reports taste/flavor. Two ways I look at it graft the good ones and throw dice on seeds to try and get a unique new one. I have four seedlings in ground 2 from PR and 2 from Hawaii and going the dice throwing route lol. Syeed do you know where your seeds originated?

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skhan

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2021, 02:26:15 PM »
PR I believe.
It's a round type.

I had one by a friend's house in Davie from a different source and more or less tastes the same.

I'm sure there are better ones so far I prefer Starapple (Season and Tree)

ChiliChameleon

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2021, 02:28:39 PM »
My one time tasting Abiu from a Florida tree was similar, I agree star apple is better

brian

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2021, 03:03:21 PM »
It's a shame to hear that seedling abiu's are not reliably good tasting.  I might get a grafted one if I ever see one for sale.  Like many other things, I am mostly growing it simply to see if it will grow and fruit in a greenhouse here. 

Gone tropo

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2021, 06:21:47 PM »
Im hoping the seedling Z4 taste alright, i have 4 of these planted out and one E4,  I even planted two Z4 seedling in the same hole to see what happens.  One of my Z4 is loaded with flowers and has been in the ground less than 12 months. 
« Last Edit: November 08, 2021, 06:25:00 PM by Gone tropo »

savemejebus

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2021, 06:16:38 PM »
Sry guys forgot about this thread. It's ostensibly "good" - my wife really likes it. I'm not really sold on it. I agree on the vanilla/caramel taste. I'm just not a gelatin/melon type of guy, so I'm happy with just a few bites (whereas I can eat 4 mangoes in a row).

brian

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2021, 06:18:39 PM »
Sry guys forgot about this thread. It's ostensibly "good" - my wife really likes it. I'm not really sold on it. I agree on the vanilla/caramel taste. I'm just not a gelatin/melon type of guy, so I'm happy with just a few bites (whereas I can eat 4 mangoes in a row).

ah, that's a shame, I don't like gelatin/melon types either.  Oh well, I'm not going to ditch mine until I at least get to try it.

Jaboticaba45

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2021, 10:47:43 PM »
Congrats on the fruit! I was able to get some fruit from PR last year. It truly is a great fruit, but it wouldn't be on my top 5 (I think that caimitos taste better). Nonetheless, I am growing it in my greenhouse. I have tried to graft onto it, but have failed. If any of you out in FL would be willing to spare some scions next spring, please let me know. It is a shame that there are very few varieties of named abiu in the US, and even then, they are still hard to find.

fruit nerd

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2021, 05:10:23 AM »
We have two mature abiu trees and our trees produce a lot of fruit. I rate the fruit quite highly. Very refreshing with caramel flavor. We were picking a box of fruit each day for a while with our last crop. Not sure of the variety though unfortunately.

cassowary

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2022, 07:38:27 PM »
It is common for seedling abiu to be bland and watery tasting, which is why some nurseries only sell grafted plants.  The Z varieties I’ve tried are very tasty with hints of vanilla and caramel

Had Abiu form many seedling tree's (like 5 different farms) and none have been bland and watery tasting. Abiu just have to be picked at the right time, some pick them before they are mature and thus low flavour.
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ben mango

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2022, 09:02:09 AM »
you are also in Australia where they developed superior varieties so that doesn’t surprise me.  Have you tried eating them in South America or Hawaii? If you have then you might know there is a wide range of flavor In this fruit and they can be quite bland.

skhan

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2022, 10:35:04 AM »
you are also in Australia where they developed superior varieties so that doesn’t surprise me.  Have you tried eating them in South America or Hawaii? If you have then you might know there is a wide range of flavor In this fruit and they can be quite bland.

Very good point.

Been trying to get the seedlings of the Aus varieties for that same reason.

cassowary

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #18 on: January 25, 2022, 06:39:46 PM »
Could maybe be so up here.
There is a youtube video of this man in Hawaii who says he's seedling Abius are great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOMcuJVRel4

There's also good abius from 25 year old tree's further down south, idk if that was sown before someone started spreading "superior" verieties.
Idk where those "superior" ones would come from, maybe from the since long gone research station in Cairns.

I still remain quite certain early picking and strip picking practices is the issue of bland Abiu.
But taste is very subjective so I don't want to attack anyones experince, what I find sweet might be bland to others etc :)
A brix test would be of use since it's objective. Testing the brix of a Superior and then a random pick of seedlings.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2022, 06:52:34 PM by cassowary »
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CarolinaZone

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #19 on: January 25, 2022, 06:53:41 PM »
I am hunting these trees but they seem to be rare in the trade in the US. It seems like they pop up then go away. It's not something that is constantly available like guavas or "you name it". It seems like grumichama is getting "rare". I used to see them at nurseries all the time. Anyway. Whoever knows who's selling them ( I mean a reputable grower or nursery) let me know.

BTW
What's the possibility of importing from Australia? How would I go about doing that? I mean like ordering 200.

skhan

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2022, 09:42:57 PM »
Could maybe be so up here.
There is a youtube video of this man in Hawaii who says he's seedling Abius are great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOMcuJVRel4

There's also good abius from 25 year old tree's further down south, idk if that was sown before someone started spreading "superior" verieties.
Idk where those "superior" ones would come from, maybe from the since long gone research station in Cairns.

I still remain quite certain early picking and strip picking practices is the issue of bland Abiu.
But taste is very subjective so I don't want to attack anyones experince, what I find sweet might be bland to others etc :)
A brix test would be of use since it's objective. Testing the brix of a Superior and then a random pick of seedlings.

The only ones I've tasted here in southern Florida were from personal collections.
I'm no expert in when to pick them I just wait until most of the green is gone, if there is more to it I'm willing to learn.

I planted a tree after having a fruit around 10 years ago which I really enjoyed. It might be nostalgia.

I got fruit from my tree for the first time last year and those were a let down. I'm hoping that as the tree gets going to flavor improved.
I'll report back with some hopefully good news in the coming years.

ben mango

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #21 on: January 26, 2022, 04:04:51 AM »
The varieties were developed in Queensland. https://industry.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/233755/446.pdf

Also here is a reference about abiu variability when grown from seed
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-24.pdf

Sorry if I burst your bubble , but sometimes seedling grown fruit produce ‘junk’ trees
« Last Edit: January 26, 2022, 10:38:10 AM by ben mango »

chicomoralessxm

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #22 on: May 13, 2022, 04:41:32 PM »
This is a little old thread but would like some help. I planted an  abiu I bought on here from HI. Seedling tree not grafted. It has flowered in my friends yard last 2 years but never set fruit. Also alot of the flowers seem to drop off any suggestions?
This year he told me a bit late but been giving it some added calcium, mag and Phos and kelp.
It looks very nice and green just the flowers are dropping off. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
DOes it need more time to age?

Vernmented

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #23 on: May 13, 2022, 05:09:58 PM »
This is a little old thread but would like some help. I planted an  abiu I bought on here from HI. Seedling tree not grafted. It has flowered in my friends yard last 2 years but never set fruit. Also alot of the flowers seem to drop off any suggestions?
This year he told me a bit late but been giving it some added calcium, mag and Phos and kelp.
It looks very nice and green just the flowers are dropping off. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
DOes it need more time to age?

You need cross pollination.
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IceCreamBeanFruit

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Re: Abiu finally producing
« Reply #24 on: May 13, 2022, 06:47:55 PM »
It is common for seedling abiu to be bland and watery tasting, which is why some nurseries only sell grafted plants.  The Z varieties I’ve tried are very tasty with hints of vanilla and caramel

Well, the first sentence is disappointing as I've only seen samplings for sale perodically in California, though I would like a vanilla-caramel taste. :) I've read the Lucuma also has a caramel-sweet potato taste without the jelly and is drier so that might be better if you like the taste of caramel-flan but don't like the jelly texture? (I have yet to try either though.)