Soursop Seedling (Guanabana | Premium Variety)

Description

Soursop Seedlings

The Soursop seedling mature to become low-branching, bushy tree, Annona muricata, which is known as soursop in English. The soursop tree, which can grow from 25 to 30 feet tall, produces an oval-shaped fruit with tender yellow-green skin and white, juicy flesh often made into drinks, sherbet, preserves, and sweets.

How to Grow Soursop Trees

• The soursop tree can reach a height of 30 feet and is soil tolerant, although it flourishes in well-drained, sandy soil with a pH of 5-6.5.
• A tropical specimen, this low branching and bushy tree does not tolerate cold or strong sustained winds. It will, however, grow at sea level and up to elevations of 3,000 feet in tropical climes.
• A rapid grower, soursop trees produce their first crop three to five years from seeding. Seeds stay viable for up to six months but better success is met by planting within 30 days of harvest and seeds will germinate within 15-30 days.
• Propagation is usually through seeds; however, fibreless varieties can be grafted. Seeds should be washed before planting.

Nursery/ Transplantation of Soursop Seedling

• Transplant 12-inch-high seedlings into the yard in the spring, spacing them at least 12 feet apart.
• Dig holes large enough to contain the root ball of each plant.
• Cover the base of the plant with soil, then add 3 inches of mulch to keep it moist.
• Water soursop plants often enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet, during hot weather.
• When the weather turns cool in the winter, reduce water intake. Soursop plants tolerate drought well but can develop pest problems if kept too wet.
• Treat soursop plants with 10-10-10 fertilizer.

Harvesting Soursop Fruit

• When harvesting soursop, the fruit will change from dark green to a lighter yellowish green tone. The spines of the fruit will soften and the fruit will swell.
• Soursop fruit will take between four to five days to ripen once picked. Trees will produce at least two dozen fruit per year.