Custard-apple too short... a lost cause? (forum)

Paul starts with ...
Hi,

I bought this custard apple tree a few years back, but it hasn't grown much.

The root-stock has been trying to take over for a while now, and its always grown funny (sideways) see picture 1 - its growing to the left, rootstock up on the right.

In retrospect it probably wasn't a good buy.

Now the leaves are browning around the edges. Would this be Armillaria root rot? I've read about it, but haven't seen it before.

Should I ditch this tree and try again?

thanks,
Paul (Perth)


Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4

Time: 24th August 2009 10:27am

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About the Author Paul21
Perth
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HappyEarth says...
Hey Paul,

Dont worry about the brown leaves - custard apples are semi-decidous and start to shed leaves about now. Wait and see how the tree goes this spring and just keep pruning the foilage off under the graft. Give the large branch a prune right back as well to a couple of buds and train them up vertically. It should be ok

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 24th August 2009 3:37pm

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About the Author HappyEarth
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peetah says...
the same thing happened to me last year!! my custard apple lost nearly all of its leaves and the remaining were brown and yellow i thought it was dead but i left it and when spring came it came back to life

Time: 24th August 2009 6:16pm

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amanda says...
Mine too!...Maybe we are "marginal" for custard apples?...mine shooting away as of last few weeks (bit further north n warmer - so yours shouldn't be to far behind...) The leaves on my tree looked the same as yours Paul. I thought it might be salinity - but thanks H'Earth - didn't know they were semi-deciduos.

Time: 24th August 2009 10:04pm

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About the Author amanda19
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VLR says...
I just got a cherimoya (which I think is supposed to be more cold-tolerant than a custard apple) with the last shipment to WA. It only had 4 leaves when it arrived and now it's down to 1. The one half-eaten leaf (I think it got munched on just prior to being sent or on the way) looks really green so I don't think it'll fall off. Judging by the amount of new leaves and berries on my mulberry tree, the leaf buds on my grapevine and the welcome swallows I saw flying around this afternoon, I'd say that spring weather is just around the corner. I wouldn't give up on the tree, maybe it just needs a good prune and if you're considering ditching it then it couldn't hurt to try while it's still winter.

Time: 24th August 2009 11:05pm

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About the Author VLR
Perth
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Paul says...
Thanks for all the encouragement, I'll prune it back and see how we go.

Re pruning - I've cut back the longer branches that go sideways, but I have:

1) a long (the longest) branch that turns to go upwards. should I prune that back?

2) a smaller branch that comes off the underneath of a larger branch and heads sideways. should i cut it off?

also when you say 'buds' do you mean the lumps where the leaves used to be? because theres no other buds that i can see.


Time: 25th August 2009 2:59pm

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About the Author Paul21
Perth
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HappyEarth says...
Hi Paul,

1) yes ... the buds will come out where the leaves used to be.

2) Just aim to tidy up the shape of the tree and cut back the foilage by a two thirds. Tree should look after itself.

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 25th August 2009 3:23pm

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About the Author HappyEarth
Wollongong
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peetah says...
there are no buds at all on my custard apples. will they sprout where the leaves are joined to the trunk? because one of my custard apples has only ever had one tip !!will it ever grow more?

Time: 29th August 2009 11:53pm

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HappyEarth says...
HI Peetah ... be patient, i checked my custard apple and it has no buds foriming either at the moment. They come into leaf fairly late compared to other fruit trees.

Where are you?

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 30th August 2009 7:15am

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About the Author HappyEarth
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Wayne says...
Because of the unusual warm winter our tree has started budding along with all the citrus. I'm thinking about cutting the tips off those long branches to compress the tree, would that be OK do you think.
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Time: 30th August 2009 10:26am

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Original Post was last edited: 30th August 2009 10:29am

About the Author Wayne
Mackay QLD
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peetah says...
HappyEarth i live in adelaide

Time: 30th August 2009 2:53pm

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amanda says...
Hi Wayne - if it were my tree I would cut it back (maybe by two thirds as HappyEarth mentions above).. the branches will need to be stronger to carry the fruit - it's quite heavy.

Time: 31st August 2009 5:24pm

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About the Author amanda19
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