Established in 1970, we are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and furthering the cultivation and use of tropical and rare fruit in South Florida and throughout the world.

President's Message

Happy Veterans Day! "Thank you for your Service" to all those who have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces. 

Wow! All of this rain is a friendly reminder, Hurricane Season is not quite over yet. Nevertheless, November kicks off the Holidays as we prepare to usher in the New Year.  

We are pleased to have one of our own RFC Grafting  Experts, Mr. Glenford Smith to present "Practical Tips on Successful Fall Grafting!"

In my research, I found Sapodillas are one of the distinctly sweet delicious fruit, one can graft in the Fall. Surprisingly enough, it originated in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. Although it is distributed in the US, Caribbean, India, Philippines, New Zealand to South Africa and beyond. According to the University  of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) "Sapodillas growing in the Florida Home Landscape."

Season of Bearing

In Florida, trees mainly bear from May to September, but fruit may mature throughout the year.

Varieties

Seeds should not be used for producing new trees because it takes a long time for trees to begin production and there is also a lot of variability among seedling trees. There have been a number of new cultivars developed in Florida, India, the Philippines, Mexico, and Venezuela. Varieties with good horticultural characteristics should have high yield, moderately large to large fruit, and a smooth, sweet and aromatic pulp with little or no grittiness.

This publication identifies the Sapodiia characteristics: In Florida to name a few, the Modello fruits from February to May with a fair yield. However the Brown Sugar, Prolific and Russell are very good producers between the months of May and September with medium to large fruit. Yet the Tikal mainly bares from December to March with minimal production during the Spring-Fall Season.

Propagation

Although seeds can be used for propagation and are used for selection of superior types, they should not be used for home plantings. Marcottage (air layering) has not been an effective propagation method. Side veneer and cleft grafting on to seedling sapodilla rootstock are the most common grafting methods. Chip budding can also be used. Scions or bud sticks are chosen from young terminal shoots. Cover the grafted scions completely with grafting tape. The best time to graft is late summer and early fall.

Top working undesirable mature sapodilla trees may be accomplished by cutting trees back to a 3-ft-height (1-m) stump, white washing the entire stump and then veneer-grafting several new shoots when they reach ½ inch (13 mm) in diameter or larger.

Production

Seedling trees usually begin bearing in 6 to 7 years or more. Grafted trees may begin to bear in the second to fourth year after planting. After 10 years, a good cultivar may bear 150 to 400 pounds (45–180 kg) of fruit per year. This yield may keep increasing until about the twelfth to fifteenth year after planting depending on plant size and cultural practices.

Isolated sapodilla trees may not be productive because some sapodilla cultivars are self-incompatible. In self-incompatible cultivars, the flowers require cross-pollination by another sapodilla seedling or variety to produce fruit. Other varieties may not require cross-pollination but produce more fruit when cross-pollinated.

Perhaps, you may have one or more of these varieties in your yard or farm. If not, maybe you will consider it. Sapodillas are one of my favorite tropical fruit. The two in my Food Forest are grafts I did under the tullage of Larry Grosser at Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres a few years ago. Both are about 7 or 8-feet tall now and I am looking forward to sweet, delicious fruit this upcoming season!

Happy Grafting,

Debra Marcelle-Coney, Ph.D 

Your RFC President