Hunt for the best Surinam Cherry

[socalbalcony]

are there seedlings that never fruit? I got a plant some 9 years ago, didn't grow much and no fruits.

Of course, the problem with getting some small seedlings is sometimes you may have one with runt genetics but since you purchased it as the expected size its hard to weed out any weak characteristics. For 9 years I would say that one is definitely a runt/bottom of the liter pick.. that being said, if you don't mind you can try:

defoliating + light prune + liquid fertilizer + consistent watering - it should take about a month to start back up and if all goes well you should see very aggressive growth and possibly flowering - I just did this with my bonsai

I would suspect like simon said, that girdling may also trigger blooms, I will note something interesting that I've picked up from other bonsai growers w/pitangas..

They have experienced trees to bloom after heavy thick wiring around the trunk has been removed.. girdling may work in a similar mechanism.

[joe_OC]

No, this is neither the sweet orange or black beauty from Ben.  That's what is currently listed on his website.  The fruit is red when fully ripen.  My friend grafted this onto a uniflora rootstock.  You can easily see the differences in the leaves.  Very elongated vs. the rootstock leaves.  Whatever it is, I really enjoy it.  Here is a pic from May:

[joe_OC]

This pic below shows the leaves from the grafted plant and the rootstock (upper left is the narrow leaves that my fruits are from and lower right are normal looking Surinam Cherry leaves from the rootstock).  Showing this because it clearly isn't a nutritional deficiency.  So beyond the lobeless fruit, the leaf structure is very different.  Nexxogen is correct with his assessment.  Pitanga-pebo.

[socalbalcony]

This pic below shows the leaves from the grafted plant and the rootstock (upper left is the narrow leaves that my fruits are from and lower right are normal looking Surinam Cherry leaves from the rootstock).  Showing this because it clearly isn't a nutritional deficiency.  So beyond the lobeless fruit, the leaf structure is very different.  Nexxogen is correct with his assessment.  Pitanga-pebo.

It could be E. Pitanga then, nice, would love to buy scions sometime.. I really want to try this fruit and I'm pretty sure the one I purchased isn't actually E. Pitanga.. we should hold a pitanga tasting party sometime

Also kinda reminds me of http://fruitsandgardening.blogspot.com/2018/05/more-on-guaruja-red-surinam-cherry.html

[nexxogen]

A member of this forum Miguel.pt sells Eugenia Pitanga seeds. This is where I've got mine from.

Another characteristic of this species is that it is very short - won't grow more than 2m high supposedly. It also defoliates during winter. Wikipedia actually describes it as "deciduous".

Nexxogen, thanks for the information! I had no idea there was a different species or subspecies of Surinam Cherry.

I don't even think it's correct to call this a species or subspecies of Surinam Cherry. I think it's simply another Eugenia which just happens to have fruits that look like Surinam Cherries.

[CarolinaZone]

Has anyone here tried top working and unproductive or undesirable plant? I have two that are shy bearers and that don't taste very good.

[shaneatwell]

Has anyone here tried top working and unproductive or undesirable plant? I have two that are shy bearers and that don't taste very good.

Works fine. I have marklee's 'driveway', regina seedling and the one i just mentioned all grafted over a poor tasting seedling.

[FV Fruit Freak]

When’s the best time of year to graft Surinam Cherry here in So Cal? Thanks

[K-Rimes]

When’s the best time of year to graft Surinam Cherry here in So Cal? Thanks

I have grafted them at several different times of year, often with poor success. My only successful grafts have been in late Summer after it has cooled off, or early spring with the plant in a greenhouse to keep it cozy. I'm in 9b, so that causes some stress / cold issues during deep winter.

Personally I think the optimal time is early spring and that's when I had my most  consistent successes.

[FV Fruit Freak]

Thanks K-Rimes!
Think I’m gonna give it a shot now, weather’s lookin pretty mild and my Zill’s Dark tree is pushing lots of new growth but doesn’t have any fruit on it since she ain’t fruited yet, women...

The Zill’s is from exotica nursery and the other Surinams I have in the ground are two runtz that are from seeds I grew from some tasty black skinned fruit I got from a big Surinam cherry grower named Thom.

Great looking trees and fruit everyone, I hope to add to the discussion sooner than later...

Zill’s Dark tree


Runt 1


Runt 2

[socalbalcony]

Thanks K-Rimes!
Think I’m gonna give it a shot now, weather’s lookin pretty mild and my Zill’s Dark tree is pushing lots of new growth but doesn’t have any fruit on it since she ain’t fruited yet, women...

The Zill’s is from exotica nursery and the other Surinams I have in the ground are two runtz that are from seeds I grew from some tasty black skinned fruit I got from a big Surinam cherry grower named Thom.

Great looking trees and fruit everyone, I hope to add to the discussion sooner than later...

Thom in HB?

[marklee]

I decided to take a Brix reading from some of the smaller JM Thick Leaf fruit and I got a reading of 17.0% Brix. I will stop by Leo Manuel’s place soon and test some fruit from his mature, in ground Vermillion.





Simon

Here is one of the "thick leaf" Neitzel fruits. Very good taste, similar to the "black star" and "zills black".

[K-Rimes]

Here are some photos of my pitangas. I have so many more not shown. I have a couple Regina seedlings from Miguel, a few Zill's from achetadomestica and a few other randoms I can't recall. Sorry if the photos aren't clear, it's hard when everything is so green here


My fruitless Lolita with a Zill's graft in the centre


Grafted vermillion that produces prolifically


10' tall Black Star that is combo potted with a strawberry guava that is choking it out. I repotted them yesterday and I hope that the black star will come back a bit. It had a lot of branch die-off I think due to being root bound. It fruits rarely but it is the sweetest one I have.


10' tall red pitanga which I've never had a fruit from, it had many fruit on it when I bought it.


Zill's, black star, or seedlings from Argentina (the bigger pointy leaf ones in the back are the Argentine variety)


Chamba and Lolita from Exotica, no flowers yet


Lolita from Exotica that I grafted some of my vermillion onto

[klhenks]

does any one sell scion wood for the surinam cherry trees,   i can not find any.

[socalbalcony]

does any one sell scion wood for the surinam cherry trees,   i can not find any.

yes plenty people do but grafting success might be limited now..

[socalbalcony]

Check this out @simon_grow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFcR74X7y6k apparently 20%+ brix is doable with pitangas.

[simon_grow]

Wow, that’s awesome, I’d love to get a hold of that variety! Thanks for the info!

Simon

[K-Rimes]

My grafted vermillion is into heavy flowering time. Looking like a great yield for this fall crop. Had a mild spring crop but birds knocked them all off.

[socalbalcony2]

Its that time of the year again.. might have a winner with this unknown black fruited seedling!

Got this one from a buddy in 2020 so maybe I'll name if after him, he doesn't know the original source but it grew extremely vigorously for me and throughout winter as well.

I should note that microclimate shenanigans are in play .

Really happy so far with this seedling, I believe this is the first time it properly set and ripened some fruit, under 4 years old and great flower to fruit set ratio with no other surinams nearby.

These fruits ripened this week, brix ranging from 16 to almost 19, some more heat could result in a 20. This is much sweeter than my grafted blackstar, however, my blackstar only gets morning sun whereas the balcony the seedling is grown at gets afternoon sun only.

[hammer524]

I just had my first surinam cherry. Does anyone prefer the red variety over the darker hue varieties? Seems like everyone likes the darks more

[K-Rimes]

I just had my first surinam cherry. Does anyone prefer the red variety over the darker hue varieties? Seems like everyone likes the darks more

Red gets a bad rap but I like them just the same really. Even a tart pitanga is tasty to me.

[socalbalcony2]

I just had my first surinam cherry. Does anyone prefer the red variety over the darker hue varieties? Seems like everyone likes the darks more

I like plenty of reds, with the exception of when some ripen during the cooler months.. one of mine went from tasty to literal tomatoes flavor, wasn't good at all.

[FMfruitforest]

Growing and fruiting several types myself. Just recently did an exterior job for client and was able to try fruit from her Surinam. They were very large and extremely juicy, some of the best ive had. I noticed the tree trunk had a sprinkler head 2 ft away and was receiving lots of water weekly. I’ve noticed on my own Surinams the largest juiciest fruit comes during the rains.

[palingkecil]

Just starting to harvest the Vermillion surinam cherry now. It is the most likeable fruit in our family. Very juicy, very sweet ( has to be picked fully ripe), and has a strong tropical flavor to it.
Yes, it loves water! Once we finished harvesting this batch, i will water it heavily and it will start bloom again like crazy. I mostly use gray water from our kitchen ( water we used to wash rice, veggie, meat, etc). It seems to love it.

[brian]

I have a red and a black from seed and they taste the same to me when ripe.  Both are best when they fall off the tree on their own or come off woth the slightest touch.  I will probably ditch the black one and keep the red because the ripe red fruit is easier to spot.  I am interested in trying all these varieties but the plain red is already very nice, I probably won't bother growing the special types