Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape1
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Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. FC30 Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape1 Carlos F. Balerdi, Jonathan H. Crane, and Ian Maguire2 • Scientific name: Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Indies--including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Moore & Stearn Rico, and Cuba. In the state of Florida, Cuban Americans and Central Americans have helped to • Other common names: sapote, mamey establish a small but viable industry. Except for the colorado Americas, this very attractive and excellent fruit is • Synonyms: Calocarpum sapota (Jacq.) Merr., not well-known, probably because its short-lived seeds may have discouraged intercontinental Calocarpum mammosum (L.) Pierre transport in colonial times. Recently, there is • Family: Sapotaceae increasing interest in this fruit in other countries (e.g., Australia, Israel, Philippines, Vietnam, Spain, • Relatives in same family: sapodilla, satin leaf, Venezuela). caimito, canistel, abiu, green sapote. Description • Origin: Mexico and the Central American lowlands Tree • Distribution: Mamey sapotes ( Plate 1 ) have The mamey sapote grows into an open tree with a been grown or cultivated in Central America, thick central trunk and a few large limbs. Mamey Mexico, northern South America, and the West sapote trees are large, erect to spreading trees which Indies for centuries. The first recorded may grow to a height of about 40 feet (12.2 m) in introduction into southern Florida was during the Florida and may exceed 60 feet (18.3 m) in more mid-1880s. tropical regions. • Importance: The mamey sapote is an important fruit in Miami-Dade, Florida (US), Mexico, Central America, and in the West 1. This document is FC-30, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published April 1979. Major revision May 1996 and September 2005. Revised October 2008. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and http://fruitscapes.ifas.ufl.edu 2. C.F. Balerdi, Professor and Multi-County Tropical Fruits Crops Extension Agent IV, Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension Service, Homestead, FL; J.H. Crane, Professor and Tropical Fruit Crop Specialist,Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL; I. Maguire, Media Artist, Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape 2 Leaves fruit all at the same time. It takes from 13 to 24 months from flowering to fruit maturity. The leaves are large, up to 12 inches (30.5 cm) long and 4 inches (10.2 cm) wide, simple, and Production obovate to oblanceolate in shape. The underside is lighter green or brownish and pubescent (hairy) Seedling trees begin to bear fruit after 7 years or when young but becomes glabrous (smooth) when longer. Grafted trees begin to bear in 3 to 5 years. mature. The leaves are clustered at the ends of the Mamey sapotes are very prolific. Mature trees may small branches. Depending on the cultivar (variety) bear 200 to 500 fruit per year. Twice this amount and recent crop load, trees will drop most of the may be obtained from large trees. leaves in late winter or spring, but develop new Varieties leaves rapidly. The sapote has been widely propagated by seeds Flowers in the countries of its origin. There is great variation The small, perfect, whitish, almost sessile in seedling tree fruit shape, size, and pulp quality and flowers are produced abundantly along small color. Some seedling trees produce high quality fruit, branches (1/2 to 2 inches; 1.3 to 5.1 cm), and tend to and from these, superior types have been selected cluster towards the ends of the stems. which are vegetatively propagated as named cultivars (Table 1). Fruit In Florida, 'Pantin' accounts for the largest The fruit is a berry, ovoid to ellipsoid in shape, acreage, while 'Magana' is the next in importance. with a persistent calyx at the base. Most vary from 3 These two cultivars make up 95-98% of the acreage. to 8 inches (7.6 to 20.3 cm) in length. The skin is Table 1 shows the characteristics of cultivars found thick and woody with a russet brown, somewhat in Florida. Different cultivars produce at different scurfy surface. The pulp of mature fruits is salmon times of the year and planting of three to four pink, orange, red or reddish-brown in color, soft and cultivars may suffice to have mature fruit year-round smooth to finely granular in texture, usually low in (e.g., 'Tazumal', 'Pace', 'Magana', and 'Pantin'). fiber. The pulp has a sweet, almond-like, unique flavor. Normally, the fruit contains a single, large, Climate and Soils elliptical seed but it may have up to four. The seed has a shiny, hard, dark brown surface with a light The mamey sapote is a tropical tree which brown scar (hilum) on the ventral side. Seeds may tolerates warm subtropical conditions, and is not crack and sprout in overmature fruits. Fruit weight tolerant of freezing temperatures (Figure 1). Young ranges from 0.75 to 6.0 lb (0.3-2.7 kg). trees are very vulnerable to cold and are injured at air temperatures below 32°F (0°C). Mature trees can Season withstand 28°F (-2.2°C) for several hours with only slight damage but are killed if the temperature In Florida, the bloom season may be in summer, goes down below 22°F (-5.6°C) for very long. fall, and winter depending on the cultivar (variety). Because of this, each cultivar has its own main The mamey sapote grows well in a wide variety maturity season ( Table 1 ). For example, 'Pantin' of well-drained soils, from heavy clays to the matures most of its crop in July and August with limestone and sandy soils of Florida. Mamey sapote some fruit maturing before or after these months. are intolerant of constantly wet or flooded soil 'Magana', on the other hand, matures its fruit in conditions. The wet soil conditions decrease the March and April with some fruit maturing before or oxygen content in the soil, causing roots to die which after these months. Other cultivars will mature fruit weakens the tree. In addition, weakened roots are in the winter, thus allowing for year-round harvest. more susceptible to attack by root rotting fungi (e.g., Trees may have flowers, immature fruit and mature Pythium spp.). Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape 3 hairline crack in the seed coat appear to germinate more quickly. However, seeds without a crack will germinate satisfactorily. The seed coat can be cracked by placing seeds between two boards and gently applying pressure on the seed until a hairline crack is formed. Seedlings, if grown in beds, should be transferred to containers as they grow and should be ready to graft after 6 to 18 months when trees are 3 Figure 1. Fig. 1. Areas (shaded) of Florida where mamey feet (about 1 m) tall. sapote may be grown in the home landscape. Grafting and Budding Cold Protection The two most important factors to consider in Under commercial conditions, mamey sapote grafting mamey sapote are time of year and scion trees have been successfully protected from freezing preparation. The best time of year to graft mamey by the use of high volume irrigation. However, this is sapote in Florida is when there are warm days, cool does not work nor is it practical in the home nights, and low relative humidity. This corresponds landscape. Mamey sapote trees in the home to conditions found from March to May and October landscape may be provided some limited protection to November. However, some experienced from freezing by being planted in the warmest area of nurserymen cleft graft during summer and some graft the landscape and/or being planted within 30 ft (9.1 year-round. m) of a building or adjacent overhanging tree. Caution, mamey sapote trees may become very large Selection and preparation of scionwood is trees if left unpruned and may cause damage to essential for inexperienced grafters, however, for structures due to limb breakage and tree toppling due some professionals it is not necessary. Terminal to strong winds. branchlets are commonly used by commercial propagators. Preparation of this scionwood for Propagation grafting involves girdling the branchlet 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.5 cm) below the terminal, 2 to 3 Mamey sapote is difficult to propagate weeks before grafting is to take place. Removal of vegetatively; however, with proper attention to detail the leaves, leaving a small section of the petiole will and repeated effort, a high rate of success can be stimulate growth of the buds found in the leaf axils. achieved. Grafted trees should not be allowed to After budwood is removed from the tree it will be become root-bound as this may lead to poor or slow useful for grafting for 5 to 7 days.