Chiku / Sapodilla

Rev says...
i used to see them in bunnings often
bunnings seems to have some loophole by which they get in eastern states stock, of fruit trees and cacti
whereas you and i would find it difficult

Anonymous says...
Unfortunately Bunnings in WA could not get this sapodilla tree ....
any idea where else to get it, pls?

Leona says...
Try Wandilla Nursery - in Kelmscott/Wattlegrove, they stock tropical fruit trees, many of which you cant get elsewhere...if not, perhaps they can order one in. Antoher one to try, where I have also found tropical fruit trees (which where unavailable elswhere) was Waldecks on Vine (in the Swan Valley). Hope that helps!!!

Anonymous says...
I didn't know you could buy them from Coles .... are they available from any Coles supermarket in Perth ?

Shaun says...
Thanks Rev,
I didn't realise they "grow from seed fairly well".
I suppose the fruits from seedlings are rather variable in quality compared to named varieties.

Does anyone know how long it would take before a seedling plant begins to bear fruit ?

Shaun says...
I had been checking Coles and Woolworths for the past few weeks, but alas, still no signs of sapodilla fruits :-(

I was in Bunbury last week and Woolworth was having a special on Lychee @ approx $3.00 per kilo !!!
Woolworth in Collie had Longan in its cold shelves.

So, if anyone comes across the sapodilla fruits in the supermarkets, please post in this forum to advise.

Thanks !!

John says...
hay carnt buy them in SA, from coles or anywhere else that I seen. Lychee for $3kg, I take 20 please, usually around $15 here if fresh.

Shaun says...
Has anyone ever grown this sapodilla tree in Perth?
Please share your experience if you have/had tried growing this tree in WA.
Thanks.

juanita says...
Has anyone ever tried to grow chico/sapodilla from seeds in Melbourne? any success?

Shaun says...
Any comments on Chiku/Sapodilla from people in Perth/WA ??

Shaun says...
You got Chiku friits @ William St / Northbridge ?
WOW .... which shop ?
Would like to get some too.

tr says...
NO . one tree at Childers bore lots of fruit for my mother .

Chickadee says...
Shaun,
forgotten the name of the shop, but not to worry, I am keeping a CLOSE eye on any shop that will stock this mouthwatering fruit! Will post when I find them, promise.

trikus says...
I have some seeds from these fruits I just got ,, not the best tasting one I have had , but good . pinanga at gmail will get you an address to send some stamps for seeds . Seems to be only 2 per fruit ,, 0ne down 2 to go ,, will be ripe on Wed. I am predicting ..

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

HappyEarth says...
Sounds like you might have a seedling tree ... they can take up to ten years before they will flower especially when growing in marginal areas like SYdney. How tall is it?

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Anonymous says...
Does anyone know where in Melb can I get frozen Sapodilla/chiku fruits (I've tried a few Indian groceries but no luck)

Bella says...
Hi Ellen, or anyone in the sydney area, I'm in need of Sapodilla for a presentation for uni, can anyone be more specific on where to find it? I live north of Sydney and am happy to catch a train down, but Im just not sure where in Cabramatta or other parts of sydney to buy Sapodilla
Thanks

Michael says...
I live in Cabramatta and you can get Sapodilla from the various fruit stores along and around John St which is the main street through town right next to the train station ( West Side of the Station )- It's not called "Sapodilla" but more like "Sapote "

Hope this helps!

Michael says...
You can get most of the exotic fruits from South East Asia at Cabramatta and at very reasonable prices. Availability all depends on the season of course. Fruits that I have seen included jakfruit,star apple,lychees,longan,paw paws,mangoes both green and yellow,dragon fruit,sapodilla,finger bananas,mangosteen,rambutans,custard apple,carambola,soursop ,pumello, ambarellas and young coconuts. If you rather save on money then most of these fruits are availabe in cans as well. Betel leafs are also plentify here

RolFlor a says...
To SHAUN :
Sapodilla seedlings may take from 5 to 8 years to bear,according to the author of one book.

kim says...
Raj, I got mine from Templex Nursery in Algester. Phone no. 32737987

RolFlor a says...
Grafted varieties usually take two to three years to fruit,according to the same book.
My grafted 'Tropical' variety will have taken six or seven or maybe even eight years to fruit.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

shaun says...
Is there a difference between marcotted and grafted plants?
How long will it take for a marcotted plant to start bearing fruits?

Shaun says...
Thank for the info, Kath.
Much appreciated.

Just one more question .... is there any difference between the vigour of marcotted plants and grafted plants?

:)

Shaun says...
Namaste, Ganesh.
Thanks for sharing your experience on Chicku trees .....
I like the oval Philippino variety Sawo Manila, and the Thai oval variety Krasuey .... their flash is much less gritty in texture, and very sweet.

Have you got an email or contact phone so that I may get in touch ith you, please?
I believe you were looking to form a shipping syndicate a little while back.
I would like to order 2 plants from Daleys, and I wonder if you had already ordered your plants.

Fiona says...
I purchased a very small Sapodilla from Wonder West before it closed in 2007. My tree is in a pot and has grown a lot in two years. Last years fruit is still hanging on the tree getting bigger and this years fruit is already developing, so they definitley do well in Perth. I am in Mandurah and also have a Black Sapote which is three years old and has fruit. Try this nursery in the Swan Valley for Sapodillas.
http://www.tass1trees.com.au

Sharma says...
Can any body tell me how to grow sapote from the seed??
I live in Melbourne so it is cold nowadays??

juanita says...
Hi Sharma,

The best time to propagate white sapote from seeds is during spring when the weather starts to warm up...I kept my seedlings in a propagating raising mix & later on transferred them into premium potting mix...They seem to grow very slow tho...

Ellen says...
how big will the Sawo Manila sapodilla tree grow up to ? may I asked .

Rima says...
Is is hit or cold for body

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Mehrish,

We have them in Australia, there are plenty of this fruits in Melbourne and Sydney at the moment. They are in season now, sold for $15 a kilo in Asian shops Springvale, Richmond and Footscray

Shaun says...
Now that the weather has got warmer, my Sawo Manila Sapodilla is sprouting out some new leaf-shoots :-)
It's older leaves went yellowy-brown along the edges during the winter months ..... I s'pose it was suffering from the cold then.
Hope to get more growth from the plant this season.

Shaun says...
My Sawo Manila sapodilla now has approx a dozen flower buds .....
some buds have bloomed .....
I am keeping my fingers crossed, in hope that these flowers will set fruits !!
Pls wish me luck !

Thanh An says...
are you still looking to buy . I've just bought a seedling sapodilla in Templex Nursery , Algester.

John Mc says...
There's a nice little Chiku / Sapodilla not far from my place. It's just over 1 metre tall and is prolific in fruits every year. I keep forgetting to ask him how old the tree is. It's very small, already has small fruits the size of marbles on it for next years crop. If you google Budgewoi, you will find it's approximate location.
As soon as I tasted one of these I placed an order to Daley's forthwith. It really tasted like sweet brown sugar, there was no grittyness with the fruit I tasted either. The only let down, but not a problem, was the latex sap that sticks to the top of your mouth for the rest of the day.

HappyEarth says...
Hey Cresbec, my grafted sapodilla I bought from daleys is 3 years old and fruiting at the moment (wollongong). I find them very hardy and easy to grow

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

HappyEarth says...
Yep ... they are self-fertile.

HappyEarth says...
Where i live average min. in winter is 7 degrees but occasionally gets down to 2 degrees. Id be happy with just one crop a year :)

amanda says...
My sapodilla is a seedling and it flowered within months of planting (nothing came of them tho') but I don't know how old it was when I bought it. It has been 5oC overnight for days now and 1.7 on w/end - all my subtropicals seem ok with this so far - even the artocarpus!
I have bok choy that has gone to flower and the bees are just going mad for it...I have to pull it out cos I can't get into the veg patch to work :-O

My yellow flowered rocket the same...do bees have a thing for yellow?

Violet_Cactus says...
I have several very fresh Sapodilla seeds. I know they are unlikely to grow here in Melbourne so I'd like to swap with anyone who lives in warmer climes who would like to grow them.
I'll swap them for seeds or plants of any temperate-climate edible plant that I don't already have (and I have quite a few) so if you'd like seeds, post a list of your swappables here or at my email address angavar (at) yahoo (dot) com

vandana says...
I have picked some good number of chickoos but do not know what is the process to ripe them... Any tips?

AMSP says...
Dear Swan(user id 3187),

Please let me know you full email id...

have a great day ahead:)

amanda says...
Arun - when they are in season - you should be able to pick up the fruit from markets or good F&Veg stores...you can get seed that way I guess.
I even saw them in Woolies once...

Have u checked the Daleys catalogue for a plant tho'..?

amanda says...
oh - that's not good news shaun? Cuongs' parents have a tree in Perth and didn't have that problem - but it was pretty big. Can't remember the thread the info is in though.
I have a few fruit trying to mature on mine as well....fingers crossed!

I wonder if anyone else has this problem...?

Peter says...
Will the BKD110 cultivar fruit and develop good flavour in Perth?

fruitist says...
Mike, Thailand has a variegated leaf variety of Sapodilla. I have a few seedlings. You might want your wife to bring some back.

Mike says...
The officials are crafty and won't show you or give you the good stuff I found.She is hesitant after my run in at Sydney airport with AQIS.They laughed at my icon printouts,copy of their Act,permission from the Plant Program in Canberra and in spite of this my irreplaceable permitted seeds were destroyed with a bullet.The months of subsequent apologies and promises to discipline the officers are still sand in my vaseline.
I will coerce her to look for them.

fruitist says...
My daughter and her friends spent about 2 hours cleaning and picking every tiny bits of pulp from those clinging seeds like Rambai/Tampoi. I was not impressed when I arrived late at the airport to pick her up. Otherwise I would have barged into the Customs office and demanded the seeds back.

fruitist says...
Oh, my daughter even got a stern warning and lecture from the Customs about not to bringing any seeds as if it is illegal and criminal thing. Since that incidence, I make a point of giving them back when I got called into the Customs office at the airport.

fruitist says...
Most Customs wouldn't know what to do with seeds. They just want to seize them at the first sight but I know a few people who brought in vegetable seeds and declared on the entry cards but the officers were not interested to check. I think I got picked on when I returned from Egypt recently (Eqypt is on African continent but not for special quarantine rules which apply to all African nations). The officer then let me go after my wife got through ok by another officer. Some officers just want to randamly pick on people. I have some clean cut businees friends coming in from overseas and they got picked on.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Just be careful with Sapodilla seeds tho, they have a nasty little hook on them which could get caught anywhere along the digestive tract.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Shaun says...
My Sawo Manila Chicku/Sapodilla tree will be 3 years old this Summer (2011/2012). I bought it from Daleys.
In the past years, it had a few flowers during Spring time.
Last year, several flowers set fruit, but the very small unripe fruitlets dropped off the branch when the weather cooled in late Autumn / mid Winter.
This year, it did not start to flower until late Summer. So, I thought it would not set any furit, and any immature fruitlets would dropped off like previous the year.
To my surprise, 1 small fruitlet managed to survive this Winter, and has even grown bigger !! I discovered this Chicku / Sapodilla fruitlet when I was taking photos of my Starfruit / Carambola.
So, here is a picture of the surviving Chiku / Sapodilla fruit left on the tree, which is planted in a pot:

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

amanda says...
It's a very versatile fruit tree hey Mike? Such a wide range of temps it is happy in - and I find it handles salinity and wind very well. I am guessing there wouldn't be that many trees that flower and carry fruit at the same time either..?

Mine is only a meter tall... :)

I wish I knew what flavour it is - it didn't even have a tag, at all, when I got it from Wandilla nursery - has anyone else bought one from there too?

nick giancola says...
Hi Shaun
I have been reading with interest that you and others have bought these trees from Daleys but i hae inquired and been told the do not ship to WA.

Peter says...
How well do these plants reprout after cutting them down near to the ground?
I think of trying to graft the BKD110 after stumping a seedling (not likely the fruits of the seedling will be better than the BKD110).
But I don't want to loose the seedling either, if the should graft fail...

amanda says...
WooHoo..my first sapodilla finally ripened! It was a little soft (is this the go for eating?) but I loved it :) Mine had a sweet dark brown sugar - with cinnamon overtones - type of flavour?

Flesh has a similar texture to a custard apple. (ps - a smooth seed - no hook also..)

Well worth the wait. And what a great hardy plant.

Has anyone had any problems with fruit fly and this fruit?
(mine in shade house so I didn't net and it was F.fly free)

amanda says...
I don't know Nick - mine didn't have a label at all...I got it from Wandilla nursery in Perth about 2 yrs ago - maybe someone else here has theirs?

I don't mind the texture at all...I am not that fussy when it comes to a yummy fruit (I can't stand the texture of oysters or jelly...so slimy and snot-like...thus grainy works for me!? lol)

I certainly wouldn't describe mine as 'sand' tho' - but I have never tried another to compare to..? The flavour was so intense and it made me think of coffee for some reason...? I could just imagine it in tiramasu... :) (if that makes sense..? it reminded me of the tiramasu saviodari (spelling?) sponge fingers - after they have soaked up all the flavours...)

a dash of Tia Maria or Kahlua would be a great 'sprinkle' for this fruit..hmnnnn... ;-D

I am hooked anyways...

amanda says...
Hi Peter, it's not grafted..but it was a nice size when I bought it...it flowered as soon as I planted it - my guess would be marcotted...a seedling would take much longer than that?

All it had was 'Sap' written on the tree sack. I guess the smooth seed is one clue..

All of those sound ok to me Peter! :) Thanks for the info.

amanda says...
Hey Peter - I am going to plant the two seeds I got from the fruit anyway..apparently u can graft on to these if all else fails.
It was the only one left at the nursery, at the time.

I only have one - and it has numerous fruit even now - as well as flowering at present - don't know how it pollinates? It's still not really big...only a meter tall maybe - but carrying enough fruit for me to have to stake it...

It needs some kind of pruning for sure...mine is a lopsided plant with it's heavy fruit!? My 1st fruit took forever to ripen..maybe a year? Is that normal?

AMSP says...
The holidays have come and gone, and hopefully those of us who made New Year’s resolutions can bring them to fruition in 2012. For many of us, our goals are aimed at living healthier lives and becoming stronger, happier and more energetic.

If you ate too many sugary treats during the holidays, sugar cravings may still be dancing in your head.Luckily, you can shrink your sweet obsession and trim your waistline with some easy, natural solutions that tame blood sugar, one such treat is called chikoo/chiku/sapota in India. Scientifically referred to as Manilkara zapota, the English name of the chikoo fruit is Sapodilla.

Native to southern Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. It is grown in huge quantities in India, Mexico and was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonisation. Rich Source of – Antioxidants, vitamins A & C, potassium, copper, iron and vitamins like folate, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Health Benefits
•
Sapodilla fruit nullifies the effect of free radicals formed as a result of various biological reactions, leading to tumors and cancer.

•
Consumption of Sapota helps to keep congestion and chronic coughs at bay, since its an expectorant aiding in removal of mucous and phlegm.

•
Its high Vitamin A content ensures that your eyes remain healthy.

•
Sapodilla fruit also helps in regulating the secretion of gastric enzymes, thereby regulating metabolism which indirectly benefits any weight loss and obesity prevention goals.

•
Sapodilla is also diuretic in action. It helps in the removal of waste materials from the body by frequent urination. It also helps maintain the water concentration of the body, preventing edemas or water retention.

•
Its also an anti-inflammatory agent; this means that it can be used to prevent gastritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

•
Chikoo is rich in carbohydrates and high nutrition content, which is essential for pregnant and lactating mothers, it is often prescribed to help reduce weakness and symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea and dizziness.


Nutrient Value: Ideally a raw sapodilla about 150-170gms can provide the approx nutrient values;




Nutrients
Calories (kcal) 141.1
Carbs 33.93 Grams Protein 0.75 Grams
Fat 1.87 Grams
Cholesterol 0 Mg
Fiber 9.01 Grams
Water 132.6 Grams

Minerals
Calcium 35.7 Mg
Iron 1.36 Mg
Magnesium 20.4 Mg
Phosphorus 20.4 Mg
Potassium 328.1 Mg
Sodium 20.4 Mg
Zinc 0.17 Mg
Copper 0.15 Mg
Manganese 0 Mg
Selenium 1.02 Mcg

Vitamins
Vitamin C 24.99 Mg
Thiamin 0 Mg
Riboflavin 0.03 Mg
Niacin 0.34 Mg
Pantothenic acid 0.43 Mg
Vitamin B-6 0.06 Mg
Folate, total 23.8 Mcg
Vitamin B-12 0 Mcg
Vitamin A 102 IU
Vitamin E 0.43 Mg_ATE

Lipids
Saturated Fatty Acids 0.33 Grams
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids 0.89 Grams
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids 0.02 Grams









Note: Contrary to popular belief chickoo is not fattening. In fact the fruit is fat free and its rich sweetness is an excellent way to curb sweet cravings.

Trivia: The bark of the sapodilla tree secretes milky white and gummy latex, which is used in the manufacture of chewing gums.

Its such time of the year and close to the famous harvest festival called Pongal; I sincerely believe in power of giving during this season. You can contact us by mail/phone at Chennai for a free pickup of organically farmed seasonal Sapodilla directly from the farms of Ms. RPS ORCHIDS,Theni. My sincere thanks to Agri.Dr. R.P.ASOKAN of Ms. RPS ORCHIDS who has agreed to support this initiative by Bewell.

Kindly note: This offer is valid till 31st Jan,2012.

Bewell,
Vivek

About the author
Vivek is a certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist, Personal Trainer, and certified Fitness Nutrition Coach. He consults with Athletes, Models, Celebrities, Professional Body builders, Doctors, Workaholics, and everyone who can benefit from his services.

Miranda says...
second photo

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

amanda says...
Thanks Mike :) Shame about the f/fly :( Do u think that prunings could planted as cuttings? (if the prunings are left to dry a little like with other latexy plants like frangipani etc)..?

amanda says...
Yea Mike - cuttings are really hard work aren't they? and I don't have the right "set up" for them either? Is it worth it when u can graft/marcott etc, do u think?

I would be keen to learn tissue culture one day tho? Have lots of experience with human tissue culture...so I am excited about learning this one day!?

Mike - are u on Facebook? There is a group some of us, here, that are on a group that u may be interested in/have much to contribute to? My email sunley(at)wn(dot)com(dot)au anyway (I am a novice/apprentice of the group BTW..so don't let me put u off... ;)

Michael says...
I jush finished picking the last fruit from my Sawo Manila .Even though it's only 1.5 metres tall it gave me 13 fruits. The fruits are not big in size but the taste was amazing according to my wife . I was told that Sapodilla won't fruit in Sydney but my little tree did so I encourage others in the Sydney area to grow it as well.

Michael says...
Hi db,

My tree is around 3.5 years old and yes it's the first time it's fruited .It was fruiting last year and took almost 10 months to ripen .

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Bab says...
Hi,

I have a big farm for sapota. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Thanks,