Rollinia

[gnappi]

I planted a Rollinia three years ago as a healthy tree bought in a recently re-potted 7 gallon.  It has thrived, and unlike some I've seen mine has a canopy that is dense, and dark green with a 4-5" thick trunk and is between 12 and 15 feet tall. It has bloomed since the first full year in ground and every year since going in the ground, and set a few fruits which turned black and fell off. I have a well and it gets sufficient water, and fertilized with Excalibur's stuff.

Is this fruit drop a matter of the tree still being immature and my expecting fruit sooner? Or, an I missing something in its care.

[roblack]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Ours took several years (4 - 5) after planting in ground to start producing decent crops. Planted as a 7 gallon. I think you are on the verge. Fert seemed to help ours (+had a compost bin leaking onto the roots), but think it was also maturity.

[brian]

Mine flowered for the first time this year but the flowers dropped off.  Only a handful of flowers, hopefully more next year.

My rollinia is an absolute magnet for spider mites so it looks terrible right now from all the mite damage.  The waxier-leafed annonas such as soursop don't seem as susceptable. 

[roblack]

Recent fruits have dried up when small on ours for some reason. Not sure if it is holding anything or not.

It's been really dry here, with periodic spells of heaving rain. For example, weeks of little to no rain, then 5.55 inches in one day, and another 2 inches overnight (a few weeks ago). Dryness might help with flowering, but think it needs more water to develop and hold fruits.

[Finca La Isla]

Rollinia loves water. 200” a year is not too much.
Peter

[gnappi]

Yeah, I read the Univ of Hawaiic pdf on rollinia when I got the tree and with a well it doesn't get thirsty. It explodes in blooms, I'll bet that I have over 100 flowers on it whenever I check it!

[roblack]

Has to be a maturity issue. Your tree has some growing up and learning to do. Either this summer or next, you should have some fruits coming in.  Probably will get 2 crops per year when she starts rollinia-ing.

[gnappi]

Well, I inspected the tree closely and there are now three fruit hiding in the fairly dense canopy.  Unfortunately I'm plagued with all sorts of tree rats (possum, squirrels, raccoons and occasionally rats) so in an attempt to thwart their destructive nibbling, I  bagged all three fruits with nylon bags. I'm thinking I may double bag them.

At this point they're a bit larger than the size of a hardball, growing fast and aside from color change I have no idea when to pick them so I'll be up in the ladder checking them frequently :-)

I wonder if many growers in So. Flo have success with rollinia here? I wonder because there's not a whole lot of online chatter about them.

Anyway, thanks Roblack, your assessment was spot on.




   



 

[roblack]

Very welcome Gnappi!

Still learning about rollnia myself. Fruits will start to yellow when ripening. If you pick with some green, let them sit for a while till fully yellow. I've tried them a little greener to try and get a firmer fleshed fruit, but the flavor was best when fully ripened.

Enjoy =)

[Orkine]

New to Rollinia.  Planted seed last year, they have started well but will be waiting many years before I can join the conversation on fruiting.

[elouicious]

I believe- like other annona, the stem should turn brown and dry when the fruit is ripe-

one of the best Annona out there

[gnappi]

New to Rollinia.  Planted seed last year, they have started well but will be waiting many years before I can join the conversation on fruiting.

I didn't want to wait it was hard enough finding fruit but I found a seller with several fair sized seedlings. Mine was not cheap but it was worth it. Oh, I STILL haven't found fruit!

[ben mango]

A guy in Puna told me his rollinia trees would only survive for 12 to 15 years then they slowly start to die. Seems so strange for a tree to only last that long. At least they are pretty quick to fruit.

[gnappi]

12 to 15 years? At 71 if "I" live that long I will be happy to watch it die before me :-)

[Finca La Isla]

Rollinia are like a weed tree that produces a nice fruit.  Very fast grower that will get away from you easily if you don’t control it.  As Ben said they won’t last long.  They’re kind of invasive on my farm.  Birds get to the fruit easily and I get lots of volunteers.
Peter

[Orkine]

Rollinia are like a weed tree that produces a nice fruit.  Very fast grower that will get away from you easily if you don’t control it.  As Ben said they won’t last long.  They’re kind of invasive on my farm.  Birds get to the fruit easily and I get lots of volunteers.
Peter

Peter, get away in what way?
Grow super big and wild or the invasive angle, start growing in other parts of your yard.

[Finca La Isla]

By get away I mean get too tall to be able to easily enough to harvest the fruit. In that case we get a lot of bird damage to the fruits as well. We feel these trees need to be kept under control, 5m/16’.
I started planting rollinia more than 30 years ago. Most fruit trees that I planted then we still have but as far as Biriba is concerned we’re on the 3rd generation or so.
Peter

[gnappi]

Finca La Isla,

Thanks for your additional perspective, I thought mine was growing vertically unusually fast, I'll have to keep a closer watch on it.