From the
Tropical Fruit News, Rare Fruit Council International Miami RFCI
by Gene Joyner
The Custard Apple
The Custard apple, Annona reticulata,
is found throughout Central America and is a well appreciated
medium-sized tree to about 25 feet. The leaves are 8 inches or more in
length, alternate. During the winter months the tree will lose most of
its foliage. The Custard apple is not considered by many people to be a
fine a quality as its relatives the sugar apple, atemoya or cherimoya,
but it certainly has its place in a fruit collection. This is one of
the few spring ripening annonas, and the large heart shaped fruits can
be 3-5 inches in diameter and weigh up to 2 pounds or more. The skin
color can range from yellow to red and even purple when mature. Inside
the flesh is very soft and custard-like in consistency and is generally
eaten fresh or used for milk shakes or ice cream.
The
heaviest fruit season in Florida is April through June, and the tree
grows well over a wide variety of soils. Trees should be planted in
areas that are protected from cold through, since mature trees can be
injured severely below 28° F and young trees will be injured
below
32° F. Trees are not highly salt-tolerant and should be
protected
from strong salt wind, but do well close to the ocean if they are on
the lee side of a building. Custard apple trees do not like poorly
drained soils and should be in moist but well- drained locations.
Fertilize custard apples about 3 to 4 times a year for optimum
fruiting. During the dry season, young trees should be irrigated about
once a week, and all trees, regardless of size, benefit from being
mulched.
Most trees are started from seed and seedlings will
fruit in 2-3 years. There are named varieties of custard apple
available that are propagated by grafting, and many people prefer these
over seedlings.
One of the major problems with custard
apple has to do with the season when it matures; there are not many
other annona fruit and the annona seed borer over-winters in the
custard apple. Due to this, some people have eliminated this tree from
their collections so they do not help the spread of this serious annona
insect pest.
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