Custard Apple pruning and fruit setting (forum)

Lissa starts with ...
Hi all.
I'm in the north Brisbane region.

I attended a workshop last year about correct pruning of my custard apple and obediently came home and followed instructions on my tree.

This season the tree hasn't set any flowers at all and therefore no fruit. It looks great - healthy and well shaped, but no flowers.

Is this normal to miss a season of fruiting after a good prune?
Lissa

Time: 30th May 2011 4:55am

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About the Author Lissa
Strathpine Qld
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Brendan says...
Hi Lissa,
Yes, that is normal. To help it bear next year, give it some sulphate of potash fertilizer and lots of mulch.
(Just remembered, you can buy 'Liquid Potash' now, that will help your tree bear.)
You may have to spray for anthracnose as well, custard apples really do suffer from it a lot.

Time: 3rd June 2011 7:09am

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About the Author Brendan
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Lissa says...
Thanks Brendan. Will hunt down some of the liquid sulphate of potash that you suggest. Hopefully Bunnings has it.

Quite a disappointment having no fruit off my tree this year, but hopefully this will mean a bumper crop next year.

My Carombola, which usually crops it's little head off nearly all year round, has also disappointed this year. I need to give it a really good thin out and trim I think. Pretty tree but it's getting a little bushy.
Thanks again.

Time: 15th June 2011 6:02am

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About the Author Lissa
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Brendan says...
Hi Lissa,
I'm sure I bought my liquid potash from bunnings, it's good stuff. Because it's a quick fix, give it some powered sulphate of potash as well.
I just gave mine some 'super growth' fertilizer plus sulphate of potash, and heaps of mulch :-)

Time: 15th June 2011 9:21am

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amanda says...
You can dissolve solid potash in water too... :)

Time: 15th June 2011 4:46pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Mike says...
To help with bearing I use a small soft paintbrush and go between open and opening flowers of my 2 varieties and sugar apple.When I don't hane pollinate the african pride sets very few,gefner still has some and sugar apple is only down a bit.
I would fertilise,especially with N in the lead up to flowering.

Time: 16th June 2011 6:14pm

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Cairns
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Lissa says...
Thanks Amanda and Brendan - good suggestions.
Don't think I've ever seen or used Potash before.
I use Organic Xtra on everything and everything gets mulched at various times.

Time: 16th June 2011 6:47pm

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Original Post was last edited: 16th June 2011 6:50pm

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Brendan says...
Hi Lissa,
I'm fairly sure 'organic xtra' fert has some potash (potassium), but with a lot of fertilizers like that, they don't have enough, IMHO.
That Searles liquid potash also has phosphorus.

Time: 17th June 2011 7:54am

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BJ says...
Yes, Xtra has potash, and most other things, but they are all dwarved by the nitrogen, with something like 1000 different animal manures mixed in. You can just smell the Nitrogen for miles.

Time: 17th June 2011 9:09am

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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Mike says...
I should have said don't fertlise especially with N in the lead up to flowering to improve flowering.

Time: 17th June 2011 11:34pm

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Lissa says...
Thanks guys.

Yep, you're right Organic Xtra does have potash.
http://www.qldorganics.com.au/products/organic_xtra.html

Is it possible to overdose if I use extra potash on the plant?

Time: 27th June 2011 5:11am

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Brendan says...
Hi Lissa,
Try mixing 2 parts Organic Xtra to 1 part sulphate of potash and 1 part epsom salts.
Then spread this at 1 handful/sq m under the canopy spread.

Time: 27th June 2011 5:35am

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Lissa says...
Still trying to get to Bunnings to buy the Potash :S Working such long hours at the moment.
Will give this a go once I have the Potash - thank you :)

Time: 4th July 2011 5:18am

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Mike says...
Lyssa pruning can stop flowering for a season if it is done too long after harvest or done all over rather than just a few major branches and continuous with water shoots.I find that when it has been an extra hot,wet or long summer flowering is reduced even in the sugar apple.
Flying foxes enjoyed my last gefner on the weekend and it was a whopper I missed.

Time: 7th July 2011 6:09pm

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Lissa says...
Gefner? A type of custard apple Mike? Sorry the FF got to enjoy it instead of yourself.

Getting the whole correct pruning timing down pat is all new to me and quite interesting, so thank you for your input.
What would you recommend with pruning? Small but regular?

Time: 8th July 2011 7:07pm

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Mike says...
Gefner is the most popular american atemoya and closer to a cheromoya than an african pride is.They are firmer and I reckon taste better than AP.I am a sharing sort of guy and its been high 5's and partying for the wildlife in my garden.
My priority is a short tree so heavy pruning every two years and light between means I get enough fruit when all trees aren't heavily pruned the same year.It is alright to be heavy handed but the longest branches,thin uprights and 'hangers' or crossed branches should be taken out to open the centre and contain size.

Time: 8th July 2011 10:47pm

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