Black sapote

How to grow Black sapote growing conditions and care:

Sometimes need more than one tree from different cultivar to bear fruit

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seeds (care explanation bellow) / Vegetative reproduction – cutting or air layering

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
Yes, a lot of time one tree won’t bare fruits and need more than one tree that will be different cultivars, also grafting can ensure the quality of the fruits and the size of the fruits

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Fruits are poisonous when it not full ripen

Planting season:
Spring to summer growing zone 10b-11a, spring to autumn growing hardiness zone 11b, all year in hardiness zone 12

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, worms

Pruning season:
Autumn / Winter

How to prune:
Sometimes the tree grow up fast but not stabilized recommend to cut the height

Size of the tree:
10-25 m, 30-75 feet

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Medium growing and after establish can grow much faster

Water requirement:
Average amount of water to big amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
No

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Spring / Autumn / Winter

General information about the flower
Small green flower its petals green the structure resembles to the fruit

Pollination is done by:
Bees, wasp

Edible Fruit

Fruit harvest season:
Spring / Summer / Winter

Fruits pests or diseases:
Birds, aphids

What can be done with big quantities of Black sapote fruits?
Eat after frozen, ice cream

Work requirements on the fruit:
Ripening the fruits

How long does it take to bear fruit?
4-6 years

Ripening of fruit:
Fruits when it not fully ripen are toxic, can be ripen by waiting until fully ready or to put it in the freezer

How to eat black sapote:
Eat after fully ripening possible to put in the freezer and take it out and eat, also possible to let it be ready by the time if not possible to use fruits or vegetable like banana and potato that will make the fruits ripen faster, eat only the fruit without the peel or the seeds

How to grow Black sapote from seed

Sowing requirement:
Moist soil, warm weather 26-30C (78-86F)

Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dry and dark location in room temperature

Sowing season:
Spring to summer growing zone 10b-11a, spring to autumn growing hardiness zone 11b, all year in hardiness zone 12

How to plant:
Better to plant in vermiculite

Planting spacing:
Better in different pots, sowing to transplant 50*50cm (20*20 inch), directly in the location 4*5 m (12*15 feet)

Depth of Sowing:
2-4 cm ( 1-1.7 inches)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, high humidity, sunny location

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Germination time:
3-8 weeks but can be longer

Condition of seedling:
Sunny location and organic matter

Scientific name:

Diospyros nigra

Alternative names: Chocolate sapote tree, Chocolate Pudding fruit, Black persimmon