A Detailed Guide to the Latest Field Management Methods for Sapodilla

Sapodilla is a tropical fruit native to the Americas, and it has also appeared on the market in recent years. It has won people's affection, and it is named sapodilla because its shape resembles a human heart. Because of its high nutritional value, some people have begun cultivating it, but some friends also want to grow it themselves and are troubled by a lack of experience, so today I will briefly introduce some of what I know to everyone.

1. Soil

The soil is required to have a sound structural profile, and the plow layer and permeable layer must not be damaged. Generally, a deep, fertile, and loose soil is needed. If conditions are limited, the soil can be improved, mainly by applying decomposed manure to improve poor soil, intertilling to improve compaction, digging ditches and raising ridges to solve waterlogging, and mixing in sand to improve permeability. In this way, the soil can be used for cultivation.

2. Water Control

It likes a humid environment and needs environmental humidity somewhat higher than that of other fruit trees, but it must not have standing water. Waterlogged roots are dangerous for growth, will cause root rot and decay, and the plant will stop growing and die. The most water is needed during the flowering and fruiting period. During the earlier stage of normal leaf growth, it is enough to keep the soil moist with small amounts of water given frequently. After the fruit begins to color, do not water, to avoid excessive moisture. After harvest, one heavy flooding irrigation is needed to replenish what was consumed.

3. Fertilization

In spring, when new shoots emerge, a large amount of nutrients is needed, so some quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing to make the branches and shoots grow rapidly. This promotes more new shoots and enlarges the canopy. For adult trees that can bear fruit, a shoot-promoting fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing in the third year. At the fruiting stage, more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can be applied, or farmyard manure, plant ash, and the like, to provide nutrients throughout the entire fruiting period

and ensure the nutritional needs of the fruit. After harvest, fertilizer should be applied to replenish the tree's nutrients; half of the base fertilizer for the coming year can be applied, and this can also be regarded as a kind of bottom fertilizer. Fertilization can increase temperature and help the tree pass the winter safely.

4. Temperature and Light

Sapodilla likes a high-temperature environment. The suitable growing temperature is 22 to 30 degrees, and in winter it can tolerate low temperatures of 2 to 3 degrees. Large trees will be damaged at a low temperature of minus 2.2 degrees, and a few hours at minus 4.5 degrees Celsius will cause severe freezing injury. Seedlings will suffer freezing injury and die when the temperature is minus 1 degree. It cannot really tolerate strong sunlight, and cultivation generally requires covering with shade netting; otherwise, it is prone to flower and fruit drop. On cloudy days, the shade netting can be removed.

At present, experience in growing sapodilla cannot compare with the experience in growing other fruit trees. However, some basic requirements have things in common. So generally, as long as the adjustment work for the above requirements needed by fruit tree growth is done well according to its characteristics, it should be possible to ensure good growth.