How long does white Sapote take to start fruiting?

It starts fruiting within two years after the establishment of the plant.

How do you plant white Sapote seeds?

The seeds can be grown in a well-drained soil-free medium. Be sure to pick up the seed freshly within 14 days after harvesting the fruits. The seeds of the plant don't do excellently in storage. You can plant the pointed seed side from the surface of the soil and add water properly. Within 2-4 weeks, it starts germinating.

How do I get my White Sapote to flowers?

White doesn't come to the seeding stage, and you must propagate through the vegetative method by budding or transplanting onto seedling rootstock. Budding and grafting are the best methods to cultivate this plant in the summer.

How to grow white Sapote at home?

White Sapote can be grown in the soil. Dig out holes in the soil 30 feet apart from each other. Now, take out the root ball and transplant it into the soil hole. Cover the root ball with soil and add mulch about 2-6 inches in length; you can use wood chips to cover the tree side.

Are White Sapote fruits edible?

Yes, white Sapote fruits are edible. They bear fleshy fruits that have a sweet taste when ripped. It can be used in making pastries and other dessert items.

How do you prune the white Sapote tree?

You can call a professional pruner to trim your tree. This is the best and most secure way to prune your plant. Also, make sure to prune the plant after harvesting to avoid damage to the fruits. Leave small stem pieces attached to the leaves and cut the old branches.

Is White Sapote cold and hardy?

Once the plant is fully grown, it can survive in any season. However, it can be hardy in the cold season and tolerate -4⁰C temperature. But it can tolerate frost, and frost doesn't cause damage to the plant.

How do you take care of white Sapote?

White Sapote doesn't require much care and can produce fruits throughout the year. Make sure to water your plant deeply as it helps to keep the plant green and improve its growth. Shallow watering is also helpful in growing plants adequately.

How to Grow White Sapote

Want to grow white sapote? This guide will help you learn how to grow white sapote with all the other essential things that you need to take care of. Keep reading!

The white Sapote can enhance the charm of your garden and make it look magnificent. It can frequently grow in garden spaces and appeal dropping with low branches and stems.

Don’t know how to grow white sapote in your garden? Here is the complete guide on growing white sapote and caring for it.

This guide has covered everything that helps to grow this plant easily in your home garden. But before that, an overview of white sapote will help you to learn about the plant more. Have a look!

A lot of techniques that we will be using in this article are the same as growing mulberry trees. Do check if you want to grow a mulberry tree in your home.

All About White Sapote

White Sapote are also known as C. Tetrameria and Casimiroa Edulis. It’s a medium size tree that grows well in Central America and Mexico. It belongs to the Rutaceae family and is known as White Sapote and Sapote Blanc in French and Zapto Blanco in Spanish.

This tree grows frequently and looks very attractive in garden spaces. Besides this, it has long branches and stems almost touching the ground. This plant bears edible fruits and has dry spell hardy wood. The fruit color is yellowy green and can survive longer if cared for properly.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care for Passion Fruit

Sapote Varieties

Numerous varieties are available on White Sapote, which can be grown in your garden spaces frequently. Some of the common varieties available are as follows:

1. Pike

Pike belongs to California and has secluded and rounded shape flowers. There are 5-10 sections on the fruit. The fruits have fragile and have white flesh with a non-bitter taste. The tree bears flowers and fruits frequently in South Africa and California.

2. Harvey

This species also originated in California and has large skin around 9 cm long. The fruits have smooth flesh and yellow-green. Besides this, flesh cream color flavor and has a rich taste. The plant bear flowers throughout the year.

3. Coleman

This is a species grown in California. The fruit of the plant is slightly secluded and has sections. It appears to be wrinkled and has large yellow-greenish flesh having a sweeter taste. However, the seeds are very small and can easily be disposed of with a single twist. It is slightly difficult to propagate.

4. Dade

This species has been grown in Florida through the seeds of the local seedling tree. The plant’s fruit has golden-yellow skin and slightly thin flesh with a sweet flavor. The fruit generally bears 4-5 seeds and easily ripens during the summer season of June to July. The tree can be spread with dwarf leaflets.

5. Suebelle

Suebelle originally belongs to California but can be grown in warm climates. It has round to medium and small skin with yellow-green color fruits. It has excellent taste and fruiting throughout the year.

6. Maltby

Maltby is also famous by the name of Nancy Maltby. This plant was originally grown in California and has fainted wrinkled fruits pointed at the apex. The color of the fruit skin is yellow-green and has a moderately bitter taste.

7. Golden

Golden variety is also famous as Max Golden and has woolly leaves. The plant’s fruit is cone-shaped and depressed downward at the apex. Moreover, the fruits are 11.25 cm long and have yellowy-green color skin. The flesh of the fruits has a strong flavor.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care Pomegranate Tree

These are all the white sapote varieties that you can grow in your garden. Make sure to choose the one that you can grow easily where you reside.

How to Grow White Sapote?

Now, that we know a lot of white sapotes and their varieties, it is time to actually read how to grow white sapote in your home garden. The below guide will help you to choose the soil, location, and ideal temperate that make sure you have a healthy plant. Have a look!

Soil Requirements

White Sapote can grow well in well-drained soil with having pH of 5.5-7.5. This plant can be grown in neutral to alkaline soil. You can also use sandy soil and clay soil. White Sapote trees can grow well in rocky limestone soil.

Here’s a whole guide that will help you learn how to prepare the soil for planting in pots.

Ideal Sunlight Requirement

White Sapote loves sunlight and grows well in full sunlight. If you want to grow this plant to the fullest, choose the location where it can receive direct sunlight. However, choose an ideal landscape slightly away from the structures, buildings, and other trees. Keep in mind; White Sapote can grow to the fullest and cover a broad area if you don’t prune this plant timely.

Ideal Spacing Requirement

As discussed above, white sapote can grow excellently and spread drastically, so make sure to grow White Sapote plants at least 15 feet apart. Also, regularly prune the plant so you can reach the fruit easily. Spacing also requirement depends on the pruning you do. If you don’t prune regularly, make sure to space your plant at least 29 feet away from each other.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care for a Pineapple

Temperature Needed

White Sapote can grow well in a tropical climate and medium to higher altitudes. But it grows excellently in the subtropical climate. The treed doesn’t grow properly in humid conditions and cannot tolerate high heat, which is present in lowland tropical regions.

However, hybrid varieties such as C. tetrameric can be grown in a sub-tropical climate, and all these plants have hardy wood with brittle leaves. This plant can also withstand -5.5⁰C. But the young plant can be destroyed easily at -1⁰C.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care a Rambutan Tree

How to Grow White Sapote?

Planting the White Sapote is challenging, and it is the most crucial part of the successful growth of the tree. So, the first step to growing this plant adequately is a selection of the White Sapote tree.

1. Ideally, nursery White Sapote can be grown in a 3-11 gallon container.

2. White Sapote plant can stand upright 2-4 feet and 0.6 to 1.2 m long in well-drained soil media.

3. This plant is suitable to grow in a small container and can be avoided in large because its root system is bound to the root.

4. All containers are best suited to grow the plant, and the roots of the plant are grown circularly.

5. However, the bound root system may not be flourishing excellently once you establish this plant in the ground.

6. Keep on inspecting your plant to check for diseases and pests on the leaves and trunks of the plant. Make sure to check constriction and wounds on the plant.

This is how you can grow white sapote in your home garden easily. Next, we will discuss some caring tips.

Water Your Plant Regularly

This plant needs to be watered regularly, at least one to two times a week. Maintain watering for the first couple of months. In drought seasons, you can water a week thrice for the first three years.

Once the rainy season begins, you can stop watering your plant frequently. You can continue watering regularly when your plant turns 2-4 years old. A grown-up plant doesn’t require watering frequently.

How to Perform Mulching of White Sapote Plant?

Mulching is helpful to keep your plant healthy during frosting conditions and retain moisture. It is also helpful to remove the problem of weeding and reduce drainage requirements. You also need to add mulch with at least a 5-15 cm thick layer of wood chips, bark, and other mulching substances. Also, ensure to keep 20-30 cm mulching in the stock.

Do you fancy growing strawberries in your home? Do you know it is very easy to grow them with proper care? Do read our guide on how to grow strawberries in your home.

How to Do Pruning of the White Sapote Tree?

White Sapote can be uncontrollable and expand exponentially. Hence, it is advisable to prune your plants timely. Remove dead and expanding branches, cut back the stem from the top of the tree, and cut at least 10-15 feet long.

Also, remove the upper stems on the plant and crotches annually to protect against the loss of the tree canopy. However, note that pruning can be done after the harvesting of fruits. It helps to avoid damage to the fruit. Once your tree becomes 9.1 m tall, perform pruning carefully to avoid damage. Call for professional pruners to prune your plant to avoid accidents.

How to Harvest White Sapote Fruits?

White Sapote fruits can ripen during the warm and late spring seasons. But some plants can produce fruit throughout the year. The plant that bears fruit annually can have poorly ripened fruits.

The tree-ripened fruits are best, but the pressure of pest attack can affect the ripening of the fruit. This is why only a few plants are suitable for unripe fruit harvesting. But some other fruits will not ripen when harvested early.

How To Manage Pest and Diseases in White Sapote?

White Sapote is prone to fruit flies which can damage the fruits. You can bag your fruit early to avoid being damaged by the fruit flies. Some scales may often show on the nursery trunks, which can be fixed with white oil application on the trunk. The plant remains unaffected by the Armillaria and Phytophthora.

Grow White Sapote – Final Words

So, this is all about the white Sapote growing condition and planting procedure. Now, it will be easier for you to grow white sapote in your home garden. Remember, during the growing season, water your plant regularly and bag your plant during the fruiting stage. It would be great to prune your plant regularly to maintain its shape and protect it from further damage.

So, would you grow white sapote? Do you think the guide we provided is easy for you to understand? Do let us know what technique you use to grow plants. Till then, happy gardening!

FAQ

How long does white Sapote take to start fruiting?

It starts fruiting within two years after the establishment of the plant.
How do you plant white Sapote seeds?

The seeds can be grown in a well-drained soil-free medium. Be sure to pick up the seed freshly within 14 days after harvesting the fruits. The seeds of the plant don’t do excellently in storage. You can plant the pointed seed side from the surface of the soil and add water properly. Within 2-4 weeks, it starts germinating.
How do I get my White Sapote to flowers?

White doesn’t come to the seeding stage, and you must propagate through the vegetative method by budding or transplanting onto seedling rootstock. Budding and grafting are the best methods to cultivate this plant in the summer.
How to grow white Sapote at home?

White Sapote can be grown in the soil. Dig out holes in the soil 30 feet apart from each other. Now, take out the root ball and transplant it into the soil hole. Cover the root ball with soil and add mulch about 2-6 inches in length; you can use wood chips to cover the tree side.
Are White Sapote fruits edible?

Yes, white Sapote fruits are edible. They bear fleshy fruits that have a sweet taste when ripped. It can be used in making pastries and other dessert items.
How do you prune the white Sapote tree?

You can call a professional pruner to trim your tree. This is the best and most secure way to prune your plant. Also, make sure to prune the plant after harvesting to avoid damage to the fruits. Leave small stem pieces attached to the leaves and cut the old branches.
Is White Sapote cold and hardy?

Once the plant is fully grown, it can survive in any season. However, it can be hardy in the cold season and tolerate -4⁰C temperature. But it can tolerate frost, and frost doesn’t cause damage to the plant.
How do you take care of white Sapote?

White Sapote doesn’t require much care and can produce fruits throughout the year. Make sure to water your plant deeply as it helps to keep the plant green and improve its growth. Shallow watering is also helpful in growing plants adequately.