Annona Glabra Pond Apple - potting mix recommendations

[SanDiegoCherimoya]

I’m growing Annona Glabra in pots here in SoCal. What would be a good potting soil recipe for mimicking wet feet?

Thanks,
Doug

[sc4001992]

I'm growing a lot of seedlings in a community pot, never thought about having to worry about that. Maybe that is why my 1year old seedlings are not looking as good now. Until now, the seedlings were growing strong and recently they seem to be slowly looking weak. How old is your plants?

[SanDiegoCherimoya]

I just started germinating seeds. They haven’t sprouted yet.

[sc4001992]

Ok, for germination, its no problem. Just use normal plant mix in a pot, it will grow out in 3 months. I have germinated these a few times now, once it gets about 1 year old, that is when you may need to worry about the potting mix.

I will probably play around with how to keep it a little more wet than my other citrus seedling trees.

[Seanny]

I use what ever potting mix I have on hand , add some pumice to it.
Saucer can be flooded all the time.

For the plant in water I removed some potting mix at bud break.
Added kitty litter to fill the pot.
Put it in water
Plant been in water for 2 months.

[sc4001992]

Seanny, wow, that's how I need to do it. My seedlings are starting to drop most of the leaves and some new ones just starting to grow again.

I will separate them into individual pots and try something similar to your method.
Thanks.

[Fruit Jungle]

Here in Florida you can find them naturally growing in muck, sand, limerock, but regardless of soil type it will always spend some portion of the year either submerged in a few inches of water or very wet feet. I have other annona species grafted on A. glabra, but never worry about keeping them submerged, just watered like any regular Annona.

[Orkine]

I am not sure if pond apple must have wet feet to grow.  I have many in wet areas and they do grow well in areas where other annonas would not do well in.  I however have a couple in areas that are higher and they appear OK too.  I have a couple of seedlings started in  a pot and in well drained soil and they are just fine.
My take for now is that you can grow it in normal conditions but it will also survive in wet conditions.

The suggestions of having a tray that you keep wet is likely a good idea.

[Seanny]

Pond apple tend to line the banks of lake and water ways.
The ones I have seen live 2-3’ above water.

Pond apple roots can adapt to thrive submerged.
I’m testing them before I put them in future pond.
That one in air-pot has root crown 2” above water.
The one on saucer will stay higher above water when I get another pot that hold water.

I’ll top work them when they develop nice buttresses.
That’s a few years later.

Pond apple succumbs to cold wind like soursop.
Ones exposed wind drop all leaves in winter.
A few dies from cold rain.
A few in protect space only dropped leaves 2 weeks ago.


@Orkine
Thank you for the free seeds to play with.