From the
Sub-Tropical Fruit Club of Qld Inc.
by Kasper Schnyder
Green Sapote
Sourced from: RFC Brisbane Branch newsletter Aug. Sept. 2000
The green sapote (Pouteria viride)
tree grows very well in the Brisbane area as long as the soil is well
drained. In marginal areas it is, like the avocado, very prone to root
rot. The tree is an attractive one similar to the mamey sapote, but
smaller. It originates from volcanic, mountainous regions of Central
America, which is very well drained.
I recommend planting
grafted of marcotted trees only in ideal conditions, otherwise plant
seedlings. Hill the soil well if its condition is poor, or not well
drained, this way the tree will survive quite wet conditions. Green
sapotes can be grafted on mamey sapote rootstock; it can handle wet
conditions much better. My experience has shown me that the tree may
survive wet periods more successfully, but will drop its fruit in very
wet weather. After planting, put a few rocks or concrete slabs on the
north side of the newly planted trees, cover the ground and rocks with
black plastic, and the tree will grow even in the winter as the ground
temperature will be up to 5 deg. C warmer. Green sapote trees will not
take more than the lightest of frosts.
I also graft green sapote
trees on green sapote seedlings, or marcot them. The grafted and
air-layered trees bear fruit in 3-5 years; quicker than trees grown
from seed, which bear in 5-7 years. The casualty rate is higher in
marcotted trees, this is easy to understand, given their natural
habitat in Central America.
They flower in late spring or early
summer. The fruit takes 12 months to ripen. Fruit that ripens in spring
is not nearly as sweet as summer fruit. Cold weather or too much at
flowering can affect fruit set. As the flowering season is quite
extended the trees are mostly heavily laden with fruit.
The
fruit weighs 200-500 gr. It is green in appearance, turning yellow when
ripe. It is delicious eaten fresh out of hand, blended with milk, or
served with ice cream. My experience has shown me it is not as popular
as mamey sapotes with my Central American customers, and appeals more
to Asian and European tastes. Its flavour is milder than the mamey
sapote’s, and somewhat sweeter. Its flesh is lighter orange-red,
compared to mamey’s deeper red. This suggests to me that green sapote
is more suitable for eating fresh, mamey for cooking. My son Peter, who
works in the hotel industry, puts a small amount of vanilla or coffee
essence in the smoothies he makes, to enhance the flavour, and says
both the mamey and green sapotes are fantastic in milk drinks or with
ice cream.
Back to Green Sapote Page
|
|