So far I haven't tasted a sapodilla I did not like. That said, I don't think you have much to lose by letting them grow.

New cultivars of many fruits are selected by letting seedlings grow, add to that sapodilla fruit at a small size. If you don't like the taste you can pull them out.

I have a Makok I may grow some seeds from.

The U of F IFAS sheet says that seedlings have a lot of variability, plus will take 6-7 years to start bearing.

Could always grow them and then do some grafting.

I have both a grafted Alano and Silas Woods, got both in 2013 (Alano was a year older), got fruit from both earlier this year, and both are setting fruits now.

DM

Here is a link that might be useful: U of F sapodilla fact sheet

Thanks gnappi and dangermouse for both of your feedback on your planting experience with the Sapodilla. Now I'm convinced to keep these seedlings :)

However, I'm also tempted to buy a bigger plant after hearing that yours (Dangermouse's) bear fruit for you so young. I'll take a look at the link you've provided.

If you have pictures to share of your plants, it would be a treat :)
Thanks you'all.

I have two grafted Makok sapodilla, one is Sapodilla are my favorite fruit.

This post was edited by gnappi on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 7:50

Heres is the Alano, I bought it in 2013 from a friend who bought it in 2012. Main trunk is at about 5' in height, I topped it to keep in smaller.
Today.

One of the Alano fruit currently on the tree.

Some Alano fruits harvested June 2014.

Silas Woods, bought in April 2013 in a 3 gal at about 3' tall (yellow tub it is in, is not a 3 gal, yellow tub is about 23" across by 18" tall). Grew tall and whippy so it has also been topped at about 5'. Will be put in the ground as soon as I finish getting out the roots from the removed scheffleara just to it's right.
Today.

A Silas Woods fruit currently on the tree.

DM

That is so cool, Dangermouse. I definitely will be getting a plant soon. Hopefully, it will fruit for me in the next year or so and I'll grow my seedlings too. I don't know the name of these seedlings, but they do taste delicious.

The mulch you made for them look really good and healthy for them too. I'm amazed how keen they are to bear fruit for you. Some tropical fruit trees are just good fruit bearer. One of them in my garden which seems really promising is my Wax Jambu which i got last year. It bore a load of fruit even though it's only 4 ft tall and in the pot too!

Thank you for posting all the beautiful pictures of your Sapodillas.

gnappi,

it's so wonderful to hear that yours bear fruit for you that soon too. Yes, the taste is really one of a kind. It's a fruit, but it tastes like a sweet pudding (although a little sandy). But, you'll get past that and still enjoy the wonderful taste and aroma of the fruit. Have you tried it as a smoothie?

Any pictures you have taken of your plants to share?

Here's a pic of my two Makok. The larger was the same size as the smaller one about 1.5 years ago. You can't see it but the smaller one has a dozen little fruits on it, the larger has a few dozen in various sizes and seems for the most part to have fruit on it all the time.

PS, the largest one is over 7' tall with the new growth and finally the newer branches above my eye level have fruit on it. I've been putting off pruning the lower branches but now I can think about it as the fruit matures and gets picked. The little one is still too rubbery to survive without staking but I hope it gets its backbone soon.

This post was edited by gnappi on Tue, Jul 29, 14 at 21:28

gnappi,

Aww ... what a sweetie! They both look very nice with one single straight stem. I also try to keep most of my fruit trees to go straight up with a single stem if at all possible.

The larger one has a lot of new flushes. The smaller one looks bushy too for its size. I think you've taken very good care of them. I can see you've "spent time" with them by your lawn chairs placing close to them. I heard that when you talk to your plants, they do much better :) I know .. I'm doing the same to my favorite plants. I hope you'll have plenty of these little brown dessert treats to eat soon. So, just out of curiosity, how many times do they fruit for you in a year?

Thanks so much for posting the pictures--I've enjoyed them.

The larger one finished a crop in April and as soon as I picked the last one, the current crop erupted. This crop came out earlier than the last which bloomed around September and they grew very S-L-O-W-L-Y over the winter and weren't ready till spring. You can see how fast this crop is developing in the heat, daylight and rain.

Since all of my fruit has been on the older branches, I haven't been pruning them there. As the upper branches put out fruit I'll shape them both.

The chairs are under an orange fluorescent bulb that's on 24/7 and I have a beer or spring water there and throw a ball or stick for my dog so yes I do enjoy them, though you gotta worry if they start talking back :-)

Gary