White Sapote

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:55 am Post subject: White Sapote

This thing has been flowering for months this year. I think I am going to have way more fruit than we can eat this year.

mullenium · Joined: 01 Apr 2010 Posts: 192

you should hook me up with some.. ive never tried em before Smile

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject:

I'll probably be bringing a bunch of them to the AZRFG meetings in late Fall.

Dauntless · Joined: 20 Nov 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Mesa, AZ

How long did it take you to get fruit? I have one that has been in the ground almost a year but it's still only around 3 1/2 feet tall. It is a Sue Belle.
I was able to try one and they are pretty tasty. I liked the avocado like texture.

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject:

I just checked my records. It took mine about 6 years to start holding its fruit. It flowered every year before that but did not hold onto the fruit.

Dauntless · Joined: 20 Nov 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Mesa, AZ

That's a long wait for an impatient person like me. Oh well, it will be worth it. Your tree is very nice.
I hope that I didn't screw up. Before I read your page on White Sapote, I fertilized it with a light application of Dave Owen's Extreme granules. Hopefully, since it's organic, it won't hurt it.
My soil is so poor and it didn't seem to be growing much.

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject:

Yes, I find that white sapotes do better with no fertilizer, and seem to get burned when you use fertilizer on them. However, I have not found that they massively burn up when fertilized like avocados do here. So, probably your tree will be fine. They grow pretty slowly at first if I recall. You'll want to put some shade cloth over it starting in June the first and second year I think. Otherwise your tree will drop the majority of its leaves if not all when it gets shocked by the heat. When they are more established that no longer happens, and the tree can take full sun.

Dauntless · Joined: 20 Nov 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Mesa, AZ

So far I don't see anything bad happening so maybe I dodged that bullet.
This tree was planted late last spring and made it through one summer. I did have it shaded on the west side and noticed that during that second big heat wave, the leaves got a little toasted. This year, I'll add some shade over the top of the plant.
Thanks for the tips.

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 8:34 am Post subject:

Great, so you made it through the first summer already, and last August was a real test, that's for sure.