Believe it or not, having a cherimoya tree in a pot is not silly. They are very easy plants to care for, and also very grateful for the fruits they give you. He hardly needs care.
However, you are going to have to keep an eye on him a bit. In what? Below we leave you a care guide that may be what you need to go out and buy a custard apple tree. Shall we start?
location and temperature
When you have a cherimoya tree in a pot, the first question you may ask yourself is whether it is better to have it outdoors or indoors. AND This will depend to a large extent on how it is.
You see, in general, the custard apple tree should be outdoors. But when it is very small, for example because you are growing it from seed, it is normal to keep it inside the house to provide it with a suitable temperature and so that the sun’s rays do not burn it.
Based on this, if the specimen is young, it is best to have it in a place where it receives the greatest amount of light, and only a few hours of direct light (early or late in the day). In this way you will prevent the rays from burning the leaves.
Some experts comment that when the cherimoya tree in a pot is not one meter high, it is best to place it in semi-shade; and when it exceeds that height, then it can be placed in direct sun.
As for the temperature, you should keep in mind that its ideal is around 27 degrees. A good range would be between 16 and 28 degrees.
It can tolerate low temperatures, but not frost. In fact, if you live in an area where there are usually them, it is possible that your tree ends up getting sick or weak and in the end you lose it if you do not protect it (in this case you would have to protect not only the stem but also the soil with some plastic or mesh that avoid that the cold can affect you).
Substratum
The custard apple tree is not particularly picky when it comes to the type of soil you can use. In fact, it adapts very well to whatever you give it. But if you want to give it a suitable substrate, the best one is one with a lot of organic matter (for example, with horse or sheep manure; and also good drainage.
Of course, we recommend that you check the pH of the soil often because when it is alkaline it can cause chlorosis and then you would have to act quickly to prevent it from dying. Always try to make the substrate neutral.
Flowerpot
In the case of the pot, you should keep in mind that it is best for it to be deep to wide. So try to find tall pots to be able to plant your cherimoya tree in a pot so that it can develop a perfect root system to grow.
Obviously, when it reaches approximately two meters, it may not grow any more because there is no more space in the pot. There you can choose to leave it like this or to plant it in the ground. If you are not going to move it, you could even put an even bigger pot to keep it growing.
As for the material of the pot, in this case it does not matter a bit, although if you are going to have it in full sun, consider that plastic pots get much hotter and can lose water more quickly.
Irrigation
Irrigation is one of the fundamental care of the cherimoya tree in a pot. And it is that it does not tolerate waterlogging at all (being able to kill him in no time). But he doesn’t like dry land either.
It needs constant watering to be good. And you can achieve that with micro-sprinkling that will keep the soil moist but without going too far.
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The cherimoya tree in a pot, just as if it were in the ground, requires frequent fertilization. Always opt for NPK fertilizers, that is, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Of the three, the most important are the first and the third, because they are where you can find the most deficiencies in this fruit tree.
pruning
The pruning of the potted cherimoya tree differs between that of the first three years, and the following ones. The first one that is done is a training one, where you will have to control the growth and make it have the most appropriate structure, with 3-6 main branches from which the secondary ones emerge.
From the third year you would already have a maintenance pruning so that you can clean it of dry branches, those that hinder the passage of air or light, etc.
Plagues and diseases
like fruit, you have to be careful with pests and diseases that can affect itsuch as the chalcid fly (which attacks the fruits and covers them with a white fuzz (like a mummy); or the fungus Diplodia anonosawhich infects the stem and kills it from within.
Multiplication
The reproduction of the custard apple tree could only be done through the seeds of the fruits. Some experts have also tried to do it by grafting or cuttings. But they are complicated methods that are not recommended unless you are a professional because it is not easy to achieve.
Other aspects to take into account
The cherimoya tree is very beautiful, even more so when it is potted and well cared for. But you have to take into account the following:
- It has dichogamy. That is, it throws out male and female flowers in different periods. Sometimes they can come together, but the normal thing is that they take some first and then others, hence their pollination is more complicated.
- Needs hand pollination. Those who have a custard apple usually collect the pollen and pistils from the male flowers, put them in the fridge for 24 hours and apply it with a brush to the female flowers. This is done because the insects are not attracted to the flowers that it throws (and the natural ones, that is, those that do so in their natural habitat, do not exist in all countries).
- The cherimoya tree does not reach its full height until it is 7 years old. Besides, can live up to 40 years.
- Don’t expect it to bear fruit soon. In general, it will take between 3-4 years to be able to do so, first, to flower, and second, to set the fruits.
Now that you know how to care for a potted custard apple tree, Would you dare to have one on your terrace?
