Black & White Sapote - Two of the Easiest Fruit Trees to Grow

[@UrbanBounty]

Very enjoyable and informative video. I am growing many of the same things as you here in Melbourne, Australia which has a climate zone equivalent of the Bay Area of San Francisco. Cheers

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. It’s wonderful that we’re all able to grow these tropical fruit trees in similar climates.

[@violethouseworth5943]

beautiful yard>>>you have done well with it>>yes>>weather says it all

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you.

[@mailywong9612]

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful garden, I love it

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@738rh]

One of my best tasting fruits. I have a 4-in-1 I grafted 3 years ago

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. There’s nothing quite like the taste of a white sapote and black sapote.

[@CubanMofo]

Did you graft white onto a black sapote tree ?

[@berretta510]

Thoughts, experience with electro culture? Do you plan to apply any of it to your garden/orchard?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I know of the concept, but have not practiced it, instead, I’m mimicking the natural process for the growing of these tropical fruit trees.

[@CarolineWang-ev5io]

Hi, great information! I am wondering if your black sapote tree was able to set lots of fruits last year? I have one which has been in my yard for 3 years and has had lots of flowers this year; however, so far I have not seen any fruit setting. I do not know if hand pollination is necessary in my micro environment. I live in Orange County CA.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Although my Black Sapote tree continues to set a ton of flowers yearly, mine has not yet set any fruits. It’s actually very common for the tree to only produce male flowers the first few years. Once the tree feels it is ready, it’ll produce female flowers which should set fruit. This process may take several years and there’s really no way to speed it up.

[@CarolineWang-ev5io]

I am sorry I did not see your reply until I found your video again today. Do you have better luck on your black sapote this year?Mine had been so vigorous this year and sent tons of flowers again, yet no fruit set at all by August. I pruned the tree by one third, opened the center, added lot of potassium, and finally I saw ants crawling on the branches and I got three fruits set! They are still very small so far, I just hope I would have better luck next year

[@TropicalCentralValley]

No fruits yet. That said, I heavily pruned it back earlier in the year, so, this was expected.

[@leticiamontalvan7634]

Hi. Great info! Aren’t the trees too close together? I have over 20 fruit trees but I’m always afraid to put them too close. What do you think?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I actually dispelled many of these myths in previous videos: Tropical Fruit Tree Myths kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6POkKZtm9WGiKM kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGW2gGZ7eZqreJY&feature=share

[@monjardinexotique]

Hello 👋🏼 do you think i can plant my black sapote near to the foundation of my house ?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Absolutely. Their roots aren’t invasive as they aren’t overly large trees. By being near your house, it may actually serve to protect the tree during the winter time as well.

[@mariavasquez9504]

Love your beautiful tropical forest I'm starting mine what do you do with all the fruit ?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Much of the fruits are consumed, while others that fell are recycled back into my yard.

[@CubanMofo]

The black sapote grows way faster than the white. I have three white sapote that are super slow growers

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Very true. All of my sapote and related family (sapodilla) trees grow at a snail’s pace.

[@williamsmith9815]

Wonderful video. Can you plant a white sapote near a foundation or are their roots invasive?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Absolutely. As the tree grows fairly slowly in the Central Valley, they really don’t grow that large. Their roots are fairly small.

[@williamsmith9815]

@@TropicalCentralValley I'm in zone 10 south Florida..I hope the roots stills remain small since this it's native growing climate

[@TropicalCentralValley]

In that case, the tree can get quite large, especially given your humidity and sandy soil. To err on the side of caution, I’d maybe plant it away from any foundation.

[@williamsmith9815]

@@TropicalCentralValley thanks so much

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@giancarlorodriguez7276]

Can the black sapote take full sun or does it need some protection?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

It definitely can. Even when small, mine has been able to take full Central Valley sun without issues.

[@louaybeghriche4223]

Please how much the low temperature winter over there ... It can be -1°c over here for a few days

[@TropicalCentralValley]

This year has been pretty bad. We experienced several instances of -2.22°C days.

[@bisayadaku6065]

I have a black sapote and they are become a big tree! It’s very abundant too

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I wish that was the case in my climate, however, almost all tropical fruit trees will never reach their full size, which is something to my advantage, particularly with spacing.

[@sampsuns]

Do you think black sapote can take Bay Area full sun? Also I heard it is pretty cold tolerant?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Absolutely, it has been taking the Central Valley’s 115°F summer sun without issues, even when young. Cold is really not an issue, particularly in your climate.

[@arlosmith2784]

In San Francisco the problem is not cold winter temperatures but ability to adapt to cool summers. Avocados, lemons, loquats and macadamias all can produce fruit. I don't have personal experience with growing sapotes😀

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I agree with your statement. Only having been to San Francisco (Pier 39) several times, in addition to the lack of heat, the city is also quite windy.

[@annabenedian1625]

I’m starting my tropical garden. Is it ok to plant the trees close to each other? I don’t have much space

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Very nice. It’s never too late to start. Concerning spacing, some of my trees are just inches apart from one another. That said, the majority of my trees are about a few feet apart. Spacing really depends on your situation, especially with respect to the building of a microclimate, which you will need if growing in non-native climate.

[@kgtropicalflavors]

Very to see sapote trees are doing good. I'm impressed with your mangosteen. Do you still have the rambutan tree?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Yes, the rambutan seedlings are doing good; not the fastest growers, but they’re still green and alive.

[@chosen2030]

Which other varieties of white sapote do best in 9b? Do you have any experience with Redlands and Younghans?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Although I’ve not had any personal experience with those white sapote varieties, the Suebelle and Vernon perform admirably in cold climates. Based on this, other white sapote varieties should do fine.

[@rockers7889]

I'll have to try a sapote , for thr first time I haven't even seen or tasted one , what variety do you recomend for Cerritos 10b ? Good news on my Kent mango tree . Its showing new grow all over top to bottom . I did make a tent and use on our rare hot days in the mid 80s . The next week it looks like Los Angeles is back to average temps . Your correct , or was it Gary Matsuoka that said the cool spring held citrus back ? With the exception of my Marsh white grapefruit , that is going to town with tennis ball size fruits . Last year there were on 25 fruit but giant xxxl fruits 1.5 lbs each . Be well and good gardening to you

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Practically any sapote varieties will thrive in your warmer climate. Short of Hawaii, your region is perhaps the next best climate for tropicals. That’s awesome news about your mango and citrus.

[@rockers7889]

@@TropicalCentralValley I know Ronnie from Gonzaga farms in Lindsey ca , near you from many years of our farmers market. He has a awesome Marsh white grapefruit tree that is wonderful to juice . Also he had to stop watering his champagne or cocktail grapefruit trees , because of water issues . That also makes a delightful juicy . He also grows Sumo . With many other seasonal favs , his persimmon lasted into January this year. Probably because the trees are in the Sierra foothills and he tents some

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Nice. Lindsay is about 15 miles from me.

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

White Sapote takes to pruning like a duck to water. Makes a beautiful lush tropical tree. Fruit are abundant. The only problem is that the fruit ripen very fast!...eat quick or they will rot once picked. What's perfect? lol..

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Very true. Perhaps the best tasting fruits in the world.

[@jorgeespinoza3150]

I heard white sapote is great for freezing.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I have not tried it, though I suspect it should make a great tasting ice cream if frozen. It’s extremely creamy, almost like butter.

[@zaarourzaarour2144]

Do black sapote or white or eggfruit need to be grafted to bare fruit ????

[@TropicalCentralValley]

No, they’ll produce fruits when grown from seeds.

[@zaarourzaarour2144]

Thanks Keep on the good work

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@UsCrestElectric]

what is the name of the nursery that they sell white sapote you said?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

If you’re nearing the Los Angeles region, there’s actually a good number of tropical fruit tree nurseries in the area. Here’s some videos I did touring some of them: Champa Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWKQcpednJp3gbM Emily Garden Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ-Ue3efr5Kln6M Mimosa Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5eyfoKJqNp6f9E

[@elivalentine452]

how often do you water when it gets really hot?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I have all of my trees in an automatic watering system. All trees get watered every other hour for 3 minutes at a time. When we get into July-September, I will be increasing the frequency to every hour, for 5 minutes.

[@elivalentine452]

@@TropicalCentralValley good to know! I was just watering in the moring and sometimes at night

[@elivalentine452]

@@TropicalCentralValley by the way I've been wanting to grow a mangosteen but I thought it would be impossible. looking forward to seeing your grow then i can learn from you how to do it

[@rprimbs]

Wow, your mangosteen in the ground is doing great! I've got to get mine in the ground.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. I’ve been paying close attention to it, to ensure the microclimate I have meets its requirements.

[@lanfen9613]

@@TropicalCentralValley I happen to get a mangosteen from a seller, it's about 2' tall. I remember we have to keep 50-100f, shaded and avoid the wind.... Question, is possible to tell the tree is male or female? thanks

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Only female version of the tree exists. The male species are said to have been extinct. The trees are self pollinating.

[@sabujephera2680]

Are your black and whit sapote are grafted plant?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Both are grafted trees, though I do have some seedlings that are doing very well.

[@ovoandres4667]

Where did you buy your tree?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

There are a good number of tropical fruit tree nurseries in the Los Angeles region: Champa Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWKQcpednJp3gbM Emily Garden Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ-Ue3efr5Kln6M Mimosa Nursery - Spring 2022 Tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5eyfoKJqNp6f9E

[@shauna77]

That huge leaf volunteer cherimoya is cute😄

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I actually have plant so graft other annona varieties onto the volunteer.

[@shauna77]

@@TropicalCentralValley By the way, do the leaves of your white sapote turn yellow from bottom up each spring? I kinda of have all the bottom leaves yellowing and fall off this spring. I heard somewhere on the internet that this is normal as season changing. However, with that amount of leaf yellowing, I haven't see any new growth yet but some leaf buds attached above the old leaves. Hope I will see some new growth soon. Also, can I have one question off the topic? My kohala longan tree had all the leaves turned into solid yellow after the heat wave about two weeks ago. I am not sure what cause the issue. I have the tree planted in full to partial sun spot and kept a regular watering schedule twice a week. The tree looked happy with its growing conditions so far. Two days before the heat wave, the longan tree was lush green and was about to bloom. Do you think the leaf yellowing and loss was probably due to the heat? Thank you for always getting back to comments with good suggestions!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

My white sapote trees do shed their foliage from time to time. This is normal behavior. As for the longan, it’s hard to day, but based on the fact that nothing has changed except the heat wave, it is probably going through heat related stress.

[@shauna77]

@@TropicalCentralValley Thanks for replying. I may just keep close eye on them and see how they turn out to be later on:)

[@MyTinyFoodForest]

Is the black sapote toxic? I’m reading different things online. Thank you

[@TropicalCentralValley]

No, they’re not. Unripen fruits may have a slight stringent taste, but beyond that, they’re one of the best tasting tropical fruits.

[@j-deezy321]

😂

[@joweb1320]

Awesome!! What city do you live in?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

The wonderful city of Visalia, smack right in California’s Central Valley.

[@joweb1320]

@@TropicalCentralValley I wonder how tropical of plants could be grown in the Sacramento area. I live on the Gulf Coast of Texas and the arctic blasts have been wiping out my tropical plants. Even an Arctic Orange died this last winter. Time to move.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s a bummer about your tropicals. I know the previous two years were pretty brutal for your region.

[@kayakman9845]

this is a very nice fruit forest

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you.

[@LukeOranje]

I keep reading that you need to prune white sapote to get more fruit. I have a young Suebelle white sapote that is still growing quite quickly, but I'm nervous to prune the top off. Do you have any advice?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

This is actually a very true statement. There are a number of benefits to pruning a fruit tree, one of which is to increase fruit yield. You’ll really only want to prune the tree though when it’s dormant. In the case of the white sapote, as it’s evergreen, the best time to prune it would be right before the tree shoots out new growth. This is generally a few weeks before spring hits.

[@LukeOranje]

@@TropicalCentralValley Excellent information. Just to be sure, is it ok to "top" fruit trees (cut the head of the single vertical trunk)? My Suebelle has grown at least 5 inches in the past couple months and keeps on going, so looks like I will have to wait a bit.

[@mattywomp5167]

@@LukeOranje I’ve been very aggressive with my white sapotes and can safely say that topping the plant will only increase growth beneath. May be best to do when the extreme heat has passed but they are really strong plants. If you’re trying to reshape the tree then you may want to prune soonerr than later. The heat affects my young trees more than, or just as much as, a frost does.

[@LukeOranje]

@@mattywomp5167 Perfect - and to be clear, do I just snip off the top bud? Definitely going to wait until summer is done or almost over, though!

[@mattywomp5167]

@@LukeOranje snip where you want, consider the shape and height you’re aiming for. I have cut trees back nearly to the graft line and still they regrow. Because of my aggressive pruning habits, I have yet to see fruit, but I’m happier now that they’re not tall whips bending over and rather have a solid structure now to hold fruit properly when they do flower.

[@bisayadaku6065]

Your tree are so close to each other what happen when it’s get big? I’m just windering! Lol

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I’ve actually have addressed this and other similar questions in some of my videos, but the super dense planting of my trees is a necessity for me in order for the trees to survive my climate.

[@meb4142]

Can u grow these in pots ? What size ? Do they both grow the same size ?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

As they are somewhat slower growing, they certainly can. Anything growing in a container artificially restricts the tree’s overall size. This does not mean the tree will not produce fruits, maybe just a bit fewer than their in ground counterparts. The size of the container ultimately depends on the size of the tree you want to grow. For instance, you probably do not want a mature, 10 foot tree in a small 3 gallon container. It’s always best to upsize the container when needed.

[@bobbyphaypaseuth572]

How soon does a white sapote start producing fruit

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Mine started producing fruit at the age of 3 years. Mine is a grafted variety.

[@bobbyphaypaseuth572]

@@TropicalCentralValley oh okay so I guess it takes 3 years. Mine is also grafted

[@mykvass]

amazing.where do you find red papaya ?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I got mine at Mimosas Nursery in the Los Angeles region.

[@mykvass]

@@TropicalCentralValley do you fertilize your papayas ? I finally got 1 at HD !

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yes, as with all trees, you will definitely need to feed your trees.

[@mykvass]

ill watch your mothers papaya video 😀

[@هشامالاصبحي-غ5ر]

What does it taste like? Some say it has no taste, some say it resembles carob, and some say it resembles dates.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

The white Sapote is perhaps the best tasting fruits. Short of a rotten fruit, I can’t imagine anyone saying it has no taste.

[@marycampbell4160]

Awesome thanks for sharing

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome

[@raycastillo6446]

But those zapotes are not from Brazil, they are from México. 17-7-23 lun

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s good to know, though, I don’t know how relevant the origination of these trees are. They all seem to do well in the Central Valley and similar climate.

[@raycastillo6446]

@@TropicalCentralValley I have a white zapote TREE, when it was 2.5 meters it had the first blooming. I have germinated many seeds, now l have a baby black zapote. I germinated it too. I have avocados, lemon, pome granates, apples, etc

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome.

[@raycastillo6446]

@@TropicalCentralValley l'm from Puebla México, a state next to México city, southeast

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Hello there. Welcome to the channel. I can’t imagine you having any difficulties growing tropical fruit trees in your climate.

[@centralcaliforniatropicalg4686]

My cherimoya leaves are just as big might just be our climate.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Agreed. It must be loving our heat.

[@sipaz73]

White sapote is pouteria. Relative of citrus not sapodilla

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Excellent point. This is why I tend to shy away from family and scientific names, as it has no relevancy.

[@sipaz73]

@@TropicalCentralValley if you could grow a sapodilla or mamey I would be shocked

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I do. Have two 4 year old Alano sapodilla in the ground and a 4 year old Mamey in a container, with a 3 year old Mamey in the ground.

[@albertromero9353]

White sapote is in the genus Casimiroa not Pouteria.

[@sipaz73]

@@albertromero9353 right that's what I meant. Only sapote by name meaning sweet soft fruit in Aztec

[@1239marcos]

I have 2 white sapote trees growing crazy in full sun all day and no sun damage i can send picture on instagram its only 2 years old

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. Specific to my situation, I’ve noticed leave burns anytime the temperature is between 110-115°.

[@1239marcos]

@@TropicalCentralValley yeh even has fruit only 2 thow