Cherimoya Growing - Easy Hand Pollination for the Beginner

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

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[@laurelhoward5571]

20 YEARS AGO WHEN I LIVED IN TUSTIN (ORANGE COUNTY CALIF) I BOUGHT A YOUNG CHERIMOYA TREE. IT GREW AND I LEARNED THE HAND PLINATION PROCEDURE. I KEPT 2. 6 FT LADDERS AROUND THE TREE FOR EASIER ACESS TO HAND POLINATE. EVERY YEAR I CUT THE TREE BACK SO I COULD REACH THE BLOSSOMS. THE LARGEST FRUIT I GOT WEIGHED 3 LBS!. THEN I MOVED TO NORCO (RIVERSIDE COUNTY CALIF) AND I IMMEDIATLY BOUGHT SOME YOUNG CHERIMOYA TREES. THEY NEVER REACHED THE FLOWERING STAGE AND DIED. I BLAMED IT ON THE HEAT AND HIGH WINDS. I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN THAT CHERIMOYA TREE IN TUSTIN AND DEARLY MISS THE WONDERFUL TASTE OF IT'S FRUIT!

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

My cherimoya is doing fine in our 110f heat

[@PeterEntwistle]

Great video, Jeff! It was great to see the different stages of the flowers! Hopefully, someday I can grow a cherimoya 🤞

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

They can be cold sensitive when young , but not as much as mango

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

We had 119.48f the first summer I had Cherimoya in pots, it didn't worry them, and it triggered a lot of other Annona species seeds to germinate. I worry more about our occasional cold and frosty mornings in Autumn and Spring, that's when some tropicals die even in the (unheated) hothouse. The Annona I grew from seed in 2019 and 2020 flowered this year, Cherimoya included, but the flowers were so few I didn't bother trying to pollinate them. Watching videos to make sure I'm ready next season (Winter here atm).

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

119f sure seems like it would damage cherimoya.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

@@TropicalGardenGuy It wasn't much fun for me, but the Cherimoya did alright. They were under shade cloth and out of the direct afternoon sun at that time of year. I lost a few different berries though, shade or not. 111f is our usual yearly "heatwave" temps, and that certainly doesn't bother the Annonas, in fact, most times they won't germinate until it hits those temps, and the seeds are always in the hothouse, with the door open though. Sometimes, seeds sown the previous year germinate too. I've started growing the North American Annona, the Paw Paw, because they're dormant in winter, but those I lose unexpectedly though, the growing crown tip seems to die, even though the leaves are looking good, and then that's the end of them. Still, it's just a hobby, ratger than buying seeds, I'd buy grafted trees if I really was just after fruit.

[@lyonheart84]

Its a fabulous size Jeff, we are finally expecting to hit mid to high 70s next week so my subtropicals should take off ! I've still got one large seedling cherimoya left, the other one died last winter at 32f because i was late moving it inside 🙄

[@PeterEntwistle]

They are even predicting it will reach 25°C near me too early next week. Typical that it always ends up going nice when I’m away lol 😂

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

High 70’s is good. Seems like your summers are very similar to Northern California coastal cities. If they see 70f they are happy!

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Get out the sunscreen!

[@ANTANHCALIFORNIACUOCSONGMY]

thank you for sharing

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

🌴😎🌴👍

[@jasonlee595]

Hello Tropical Garden Guy, nice video! now we are in September and my tree is full of baby cherimoyas and at the same time, the whole tree is full of new branches and leaves. Do you recommend it gets a trim so the nutrients will go more into the fruits, instead of the branches/leaves? If yes, how much do you trim? thank you!

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

I don’t trim much

[@magre9656]

I once got overzealous with hand pollinating my cherimoya tree. In the end it there was so much fruit on it that all the branches bent under the weight. And the fruit was smallish. In the hindsight I should have removed like 70% of the fruit manually. Even if I don't hand pollinate some fruit will set anyways (way less of course than when you hand pollinate). I think the flowers get mostly pollinated by ants outside of Central America. So if you have ants living in your garden they will pollinate some of the flowers.

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Yea I think I went crazy pollinating , I may thin the fruit out a bit

[@mutantryeff]

Looks like you need my 16' step ladder for that tree

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Yea, I’m gonna top it once I see where the fruit set is.

[@christopheryates5953]

Have you tried atemoyas? Or sugar apple? ilama?

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

No but I’m thinking about grafting atemoya to my tree

[@DR-pw2rh]

My two Lowes trees died. They refunded the money. Where you plant really matters. I am close by you; how do I contact you?

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

[e-mail] is my email

[@billyhorton5779]

What is your water/fertilizer schedule and what do you find to be the best fertilizer?

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

I irrigate several times a week and fertilize twice a year year with espoma Hollytone evergreen fertilizer

[@louiseahmedtropicalplantgr5000]

How interesting that the flower starts as female early in the day and by evening its a male, thanks for sharing.

[@jajap513]

my cherimoya tree leaves are starting to turn yellow im not sure if it too much fertilizer or too much water

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Hmmm hard to say without seeing it’s conditions

[@Alight_onahill]

Was this plant a seedling or grafted?

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Grafted

[@acidnut]

I lot of times I pollinate the flowers that looks big and matured but are still closed and they become a fruit just fine.

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Excellent, I’ll give it a try

[@modestoca25]

Where do you source these tropical fruit trees?

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Online nurseries

[@nicolassaarni88]

Vietnamese cherimoya is same as Dr white. Big production and large fruit of average quality but definitely the most hardy and productive.

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Yea that’s what I kinda figured

[@nicolassaarni88]

I have some giant cherimoya trees. But get no fruit to hang till maturity.

[@TropicalGardenGuy]

Hmmm🤔

[@mutantryeff]

!!!