Custard apple cultivation
This is a fruit that many people know, although not everyone has had the opportunity to try it, since it is very sweet, it is scientifically known as Annona cherimolla; Its maximum production is found in Europe, more specifically in Spain, but its origin is not found in this country, as strange as it may seem, it is originally from South America, towards the Andean zone.
An interesting fact about this fruit is that because the tree from which it grows is not that big, it can be harvested in gardens, its crown is a maximum of four meters and its height reaches eight meters and you can prune it without any problem.
Characteristics of the cherimoya tree
Perhaps you do not know this tree and for this you can follow the following characteristics in order to identify it as soon as you come across any of them:
Its growth is slow, although not as much as the Redwood; In the case of the tree in question, you can find it in Peru, Brazil and Chile.
As for its height, it does not exceed eight meters.
You can see that it is upright, it also has many branches.
The leaves are oval, simple and deciduous, approximately twelve millimeters.
Its flowers are yellow and have six petals and give off a very tasty smell.
The fruit of these trees, that is, the custard apple, can weigh up to eight hundred grams, in addition, the color of these can be both light and dark green, although the pulp is white and with a lot of juice, you will see that it has black seeds or brown.
How to plant cherimoyas step by step?
From now on you will know important points about how to plant the custard apple tree, since it is important to know certain elements so as not to fail in the attempt:
The most important thing to know about planting is that you can do it at any time of year, but it is most recommended to do it in spring. It is also important to know that it needs water continuously, unlike other plants that may not require as much, for example, desert rose care they are not as demanding as that of the custard apple.
When you have already planted this tree and it begins to give its respective harvests, each year you will be able to obtain from thirty to forty-five kilos of fruit.
Curiosities of the custard apple
It has a very sweet flavor, but it can feel a bit acidic at a certain point when tasting it, however, there is more than 20% sugar in its content.
A rather curious factor that should not go beyond being perceived is that custard apple has protein, even higher than many other fruits.
But those are not the only properties, it also contains calcium and phosphorus.
Its pulp is quite creamy.
As for pollination, this is quite a difficult factor, since the flower can enter the male and female phase at different times of the day.
Climatic possibilities of custard apple plantation
The climatic factor is always important when making any planting of a plant, in the case of the cherimoya tree it is necessary that it be a humid subtropical climate, since low temperatures usually affect it to a great extent; Likewise, it should be noted that it must have a humidity of at least seventy percent.
The soil in which this tree should be planted is not specific, since it adapts without any problem, it is not demanding in terms of this element, but it should preferably have organic matter and how to drain the liquid. To irrigate it, what is currently being used the most is the micro-sprinkler method.
postharvest
One of the elements that has not been mentioned is the delicacy of this fruit, which is why when being transported from one territory to another, it is most essential that they are wrapped in cotton, otherwise they will arrive destroyed, rubbing against other fruits is fatal for them, and when they fall, due to their great weight, they usually break.
cherimoya pruning
As mentioned on a previous occasion, this tree perfectly supports being pruned, it is not usually harmed if the pruning is done, on the contrary, it usually benefits it for its next harvest.
For this process, the tree will be planted in a goblet formation with a maximum of four branches. While during fruiting, the suckers will be removed. This is mostly done when the tree's size is limited, so that it can be handled without any inconvenience, and so that the fruit can be obtained by hand without being damaged when it falls.
The pollination of the custard apple
Sometimes this work is simple, but in others it takes a lot of effort, it will also depend on what you want to achieve pollination for; there are some that make it self-pollinate, but if you want good fruits, that do not have deformations, it is better to do it manually, even this will give you more fruits, which is beneficial if you are doing it for trade.
IF you want to do it manually, what you must do is obtain the pollen from the male flower and take it to low temperatures until the next morning and it will be time for you to pollinate it with the flower when it is in the female phase, it is a very simple task, but that perhaps in the first occasions it can be somewhat confusing.
How do you take care of yourself?
As can be seen from the information provided throughout this article, it is a tree that cannot be kept inside a building, but must be kept outdoors, where it receives sunlight during certain hours of the day. However, if temperatures are very high, it is best to keep it in a place where it also receives shade.
It is not absolutely necessary that you constantly change the fertilizer, but you must do it during the time it is growing and water the tree three times a week when it is summer time, but if it is colder then it will be less times. If you want to transplant it, you must do it in spring, it is best to do this every two years.
Plagues and diseases
Although it is a tree that rarely gets sick, it can be affected by two types of pests, which are the fruit fly and the cottony mealybug; As for the first, it is the one that refers to when the flies deposit their eggs in the epidermis of the fruit and when they hatch, they consume the fruit, damaging it; while the second form of plague is when they settle under the leaf and consume the sap.
They can also suffer from some diseases such as neck rot and root rot, the latter being when the leaves look yellow and are therefore dry, while the former also turn yellow, but then turn brown until they fall.
Uses of the cherimoya plant
The fruit of this tree is completely edible and therefore its greatest use is in this form, it is sold in many of the countries that have the fortune to enjoy the custard apple tree, such as Peru, Chile and Brazil, as well as in some areas of Spain, because in addition to being rich, it also contains properties such as potassium, vitamins, A, B and C; therefore it allows wounds to heal faster, the eyes will also enjoy better health and mental level there will be better development.
Another use that is given to this fruit is for diets, since it does not contain a high fat index, it allows the person to be satisfied with its consumption and not acquire extra foods that can increase their weight; It also does not allow fluid to accumulate in the body.