ii. Transplant the tree into the chosen location. Keep the soil level of the tree even with the level of the surrounding soil, and backfill with dirt removed from the hole without amending it in any way
iii. Water the newly planted tree cherimoya slowly and deeply, allowing as much water as possible to sink into the soil.
iv. Space additional trees 25 to 30 feet apart.
v. Water young trees every 15 to 20 days during the growing season, allowing a four-month dormancy in winter when the tree is not watered. Discontinue watering mature trees when the fruit is fully ripe.
vi. Fertilize young trees twice each year with 10-8-6 fertilizer in 6-inch deep trenches dug around the tree at a distance of 5 feet from the trunk. Use 1/2 pound of fertilizer when the tree is six months old and 1 pound when it is a year old. Feed the tree twice with 1 pound of fertilizer in the second year. Switch to 1 pound of 6-10-8 fertilizer for each feeding the third year and increase the feeding by 1 pound each year until you are using 5 pounds of fertilizer at each feeding.
vii. Prune the tree to two main lateral branches with angles of at least 60 degrees from the trunk. Remove two-thirds of the new growth each year. The trees are capable of growing as much as 30 feet tall, but they are usually pruned much shorter. Severe pruning makes fertilizing the flowers and harvesting the fruit easier.
viii. Fertilize the flowers when they bloom. Remove the pollen from the flowers by removing the tan anthers that are covered with white pollen with tweezers and placing them in a small container. Apply the pollen to a mature stigma of another flower with a small, soft paintbrush. The stigma is a white sticky structure inside the flower.
ix. Repeat the pollination process every three to five days.
Things You Will Need
- Fertilizer
- Hand pruners
- Long-handled pruners
- Tweezers
- Small container
- Soft artist's paintbrush, size 2 or 3
Warning
- The leaves, seeds and wood of cherimoya trees contain alkaloids that are considered poisonous if eaten, however there is no danger in handling these plant parts.
