Black Sapote - help me selecting variety?

db starts with ...
Hi All, I'm thinking on getting Black Sapote plant.. Which variety is better suited in Brisbane? Is there any dwarf variety? I was thinking on either Maher or Superb but not sure if is suitable here.. Any other suggestions?

Also, can it be grown in larger pot to keep it dwarf?

Thanks

Grant says...
Hi Db, I spoke to the guys at Tropical Fruit World near Murwill. and they reckon the Mossman tastes the best. Huge flatish fruit. I'm thinking i might graft on a branch or 2

epiphany says...
I have Mossman & Bernicker both growing in large pots here in Melbourne. I *did* have an unnamed variety growing in the ground & it did fine but I gave it to a friend in preference for having some named varieties. Mossman is flowering at the moment, so they can't be too unhappy in the pots...lol.

BJ says...
I'd go for Bernicker. I've not found Mossman particularly edible. Amazing looking fruit though. I've got a Bernicker at 1.2m that has 20+ fruits on that will hold to maturity. Fruit is formed on new growth, so you can prune back pretty hard after fruiting to get a bushy small tree, ratehr than the shade tree they might otherwise grow into. I also have a Maher, but have found it to be much slower. I've had a seedling produce fruit in a 50cm pot. Most grafted types should perform pretty well in a pot, given culture is good.

epiphany says...
Yes...Bernicker is supposed to have nicer tasting fruit than Mossman but Mossman has a higher pulp percentage. Don't laugh but I grow them in the biggest versions of these (not the 15L ones): http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_15l-flexi-tub_3053.aspx Just drill some holes...scoria in the bottom & a mix of potting mix & something to retain a bit of water...bark on the top for mulch. They've been out for a few years now in full sun & have stood up well. And they're easy to move under cover during winter if we're at risk of frost. Yes, they're a bit garish but I try to avoid the *really* bright colours & stick to purple, green & white...lol. I also grow coffee, miracle fruit, bananas, green sapote, white sapotes, mango, ice cream bean, carob, peanut butter fruit...all manner of plants...in these tubs & they do very well.

***edited to add***
There are two types of those flexible tubs...I use the pots branded "Rosie's Homewares." The other ones seem to be made of a slightly different plastic & are stiffer. They also tend to be more prone to cracking when you drill the holes & don't seem to fare quite so well outdoors. The more flexible ones last much better.

epiphany says...
I move them into larger pots as required. And I honestly think the main key to pot culture is pruning (incl root pruning when you repot, which you need to do every couple of years) as required. It's the same in my garden...I have over 200 varieties of permanent edible plants (not incl all my seasonal fruit & vege) in a regular suburban block...I can't afford for them to get too big - not only is it a hassle to harvest them but I'd run out of room. So I prune. Most of the trees aren't dwarf but I keep them under control - even my beloved apricot tree is small (& productive). I don't have room to espalier much as I use the fences for all my berry fruit & for my kiwifruit.

These plants are mainly in pots because of the potential for frost. It's much easier to just pick them up & move them as required than fluff around with frost coverings. So far it seems to have worked. Obviously I'll never get as much off them as I would if they were in the ground but given the number of plants in the garden, I'm totally fine with that...lol.

I don't do anything super special with the potting mix...I just get cheap stuff & add a touch of homemade compost if I have some avail & a wetting agent (even if it already has some in it). I feed the plants worm tea regularly (well...when I can be bothered...it's probably not as regular as it sounds...lol) & they get some chook & guinea pig poo as required from the coop/cage sweepings (depends a bit on the individual plants as to how much they get & when). Sometimes I'll add rock dust if I remember. It probably sounds like they're all very meticulously maintained but I don't really pander to them too much. I figure if it doesn't survive in the garden, it wasn't meant to be. But so far everything is doing well, so I guess I must be doing something right.

db says...
Thanks Epiphany for great advice, it really helps someone who is new to growing fruit trees, like me.. I was bit hesitant to put bigger fruit trees in pot but now I know it is possible and can be managed. Cheers..

MaryT says...
epiphany, an indoor worm farm would be so cool; alas I don't have the room. Fortunately my inner city home is so small that everything is but a few paces away, inside or out :) I just put my scrapes in a bowl and take it out once it's full.