my worst cherimoya year ever

17 years ago

This year has been a horrible year for my large cherimoya tree. Fruits got infested by aphids and then most started dropping before ripening or developing any size. I wasn't around for most of the year, I think the infestation was contributed to the fact that the canopy was too shaded and no light or air was getting through the tree. But on a better note, I did sample fruits from two new seedling producing trees. One was even a seedling of a seedling.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

ohiojay
17 years ago
So how is the cherimoya fruit? Are they good cultivars? I was going to hit you up for a couple of scions this spring! I want to try and graft onto my seedlings. I would like to taste something better than the store bought fruit I've sampled...and definitely grow something better!
Eggo
Original Author
17 years ago
Jay, all my trees are seedlings, unfortunately I don't have any popular cultivars. My large tree which I see as my best tasting seedling had horrible fruits this year. They were seedy and undeveloped. I'll send some fruits from my other tree, its good but definitely not as great as the other tree. I love cherimoyas but I found that people who grew up eating sweetsops tend to not like them as much.
Related Discussions
Worst Year Ever
Q
Comments (48)
I can't complain about the weather as it's been pretty good for me. Most people in Michigan have been getting steady rain this summer but somehow it's been missing me for the most part. It would be pouring down rain less than a quarter mile from my house and yet I'd barely even get a sprinkle. That is until the last few weeks and I'm thankful for these recent rains. Tomatoes and zucchini were coming in nicely. The tomatoes were mostly early determinates so they are pretty much done producing and would have done better if I could keep them fertilized properly. I planted them all in new garden beds that I made this year and I should have known better than to do that. Zucchini has powdery mildew and I'm ripping them out today. Green bush beans (Jade) didn't peform as expected but the wax beans (Pencil Pod) did well. Beets did well, peppers are producing, cabbage is heading up, lettuce was great earlier this year, shallots were okay, and garlic was hit or miss. Definitely the year of the wasp. Found two large nests recently. They've taken up residency in the mole tunnels (I've got moles, mice, and shrews but no voles that I'm aware of). I was stung a week and a half ago for the first time in around 17 or 18 years. It got me on the pinky finger and both my finger and a small part of my hand swelled up for three days. That was bothersome. Slugs are an issue in the garden I started this year at my grandma's. Never had a problem with them in my home gardens before so I was completely unprepared for them over there. I only get over there about once a week and it seems like whenever I do, it is forecast to rain so I'm hesitant to put slug bait out if it's just going to get washed away. I dehydrate excess sweet peppers and grind them into a powder. They are too sweet on their own but if you mix them with hot peppers you get a nice sweet and spicy powder that goes good on meat (especially pork), in beans, and in chili. Rodney This post was edited by theforgottenone1013 on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 10:50
...See More
worst tomato year ever
Q
Comments (3)
I feel ya... I carefully bagged my precious five remaining nectarines after the birds got the other two; it was a bad year with the rains during blossom time, and seven was all the tree had to start with. Then I go out to harvest and find out that some critter pulled one bag clean off and got away with two! I suspect raccoons, sneaky bastids. The last three nectarines are the best I've ever tasted... sigh. Off topic, I know, but I'd feel the same way if it had been my tomatoes. Deer are horrible pests. It's not too late to replant the cukes, and the tomato plants will make more fruit... just focus on defending your territory, and maybe you won't have to hit the produce stand too often. :) --Alison
...See More
Worst tomato year ever?
Q
Comments (36)
I've picked 2 BK (ripened inside) and 2CP, 2 Grandma Mary's (but 1 seems to be softening without really ripening), multiple Latah (but the plants aren't setting any more), and a 16 oz cup of cherries (off 10-11 plants - I forget now if I snuck an extra SS100 in). A few Chadwick's cherries that are too large for cherries (crossed, saved seed) but all have concentric cracking. Have Rutgers, BW, Rose de Berne on the vines (Rose de Berne looks esp. healthy and prolific), but haven't picked any and Grandma is loaded but not turning. Oh, picked a few Cosmonaut too just starting to blush, would have left them a little longer but I watered since we hadn't had any rain since those 5 inches 10 days ago, and I didn't want them to crack. Still nothing off the Burpee plants but those and the volunteer cherry are the healthiest looking though they get less sun. Rose and SS100 don't look bad, neither do the leftover BW, Rutgers, CP I put in the row with my beans, but the CV, some of the Grandmas, and everything in 1 long row (2nd year growing tomatoes there, maybe I should have rotated) looks pretty bad. I thought I saw stem lesions on 1 Monday, didn't get out there yesterday to pull it (back to school shopping) but will have to do more cleanup today - may pull the entire row (app 50 plants). I'm afraid it may be late blight since it's been reported in the state. I thought the bush beans were about over (and hadn't been very productive) but they were full on Monday, the pole beans are coming in too, so after watering (by hand) I spent a couple of hours picking green beans and edamame, no time to clean up the tomatoes. The yellow squash and cukes are doing well this year - zucchini not so much (SB and SVB). But I only sold 1 lb of green beans, 2 yellow squash, half my cukes and no edamame last week at market, so I'm not even going back until (unless) I have tomatoes. This may be the year that puts me out of business. Everybody wants tomatoes and corn, and I don't grow corn.
...See More
worst tomato season ever!
Q
Comments (7)
Last year a friend gave me three tomato plants that she bought from a farmer. They produced tons of tomatoes, but all rather tasteless compared to my usual heirlooms. Is it possible that those three plants were GM plants and left some residue in my garden to harm my plants???? Not possible. No GM tomato seeds have been available since the 1990s and even then what few there were were highly restricted. Plus no GM modifications would have caused you residual soil problems. By far the most likely cause is a skewed pH of your soil due to all the additives over the years. IMO you need to have professional soil test done. "sheep manure and tripple mix..also used some fish emulsion" is excessive fertilization in most soils and can easily leads to salt build up in the soil, excess N, and skewed pH. Next most likely cause as labradors mentioned is contaminated compost/manure. Dave
...See More
red_sea_me
17 years ago
with the memory of cherimoyas on Hawaii, I paid $6 for one at a major grocery chain, smelled decent. Only had hints of the taste I smelled and very mealy flesh, wouldn't have paid $2 if I'd know. In the spring I hope to purchase a tree (cherimoya/attemoya/sugar apple) have not decided yet. Could they all be grafted on the same rootstock?
Eggo
Original Author
17 years ago
John, all three are graft compatible on the same rootstock. I've tried grafting sugar apples onto my large cherimoya tree before but it was difficult due to the different stem size, sugar apples have much smaller stems. I wouldn't recommend a cherimoya in your greenhouse if its going to be very hot and humid. They don't do too well in hot and humid climates, it's worth a try but you may expect to have some pest and disease problems. Atemoya and sugar apples would be more suitable for a tropical greenhouse.
ohiojay
17 years ago
I have my sugar apples going and hope to see blooms in the next year or two. I was hoping for a grafting experiment. I'm sure I can find someone with a nice cultivar who can spare a scion or two! The seedling should be about the right size come spring. I wonder if I can get a scion of the Mauve Kampong variety of sugar apple and graft onto one of my seedlings? Maybe that would be a better bet???? Or just graft it onto my other sugar apple? Thoughts?
racor_2006
17 years ago
Eggo,

I for one grew up eating Sugar Apples so I prefer them over Cherimoyas. Although what we called Cherimoyas were actually Custard Apples (A. Reticulata). I still prefer the latter over Cherimoya.

Unfortunatelly, my Sugar Apple did not even have any flowers this year. LAst year it had a fruit that was mummified due to a fungus disease maybe due to constant water from my sprinklers during Fall/Winter.
plummy
17 years ago
Jay,
I would definetly graft your cherimoya seedlings. Maybe this winter if I or someone has enough scions to share someone will be willing to send you some. I would also graft some of you sugar apple, but not all. I have Kampong Muave, but my grafted plant is still very small. Also you could get Atemoya or Custard Apple scions to graft onto your Sugar Apples.

my worst cherimoya year ever

Comments (7)

ohiojay

Eggo
Original Author

Related Discussions

red_sea_me

Eggo
Original Author

ohiojay

racor_2006

plummy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

my worst cherimoya year ever

Comments (7)

ohiojay

EggoOriginal Author

Related Discussions

red_sea_me

EggoOriginal Author

ohiojay

racor_2006

plummy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Eggo
Original Author

Eggo
Original Author