growing tips (forum)

david starts with ...
my bowen mango and my custard apple have only one tip.will they end up dividing or growing more?

Time: 3rd March 2009 12:07am

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HappyEarth says...
Yes ... They will divide as they get older

rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 3rd March 2009 5:53am

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Suzanne says...
Can anyone advise me as to when would be the best time to cut back/ prune my custard apple tree. It is only 2 years old and has not fruited yet but I wanted to keep it 'under control' as I have limited garden space and dont' want it take over. Cheers

Time: 10th January 2010 11:42am

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About the Author Townfarm1
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Brendan says...
Hi Suzanne,
The normal rule of thumb with pruning is, do it after it's finished fruiting, and when it's not too hot.

Seeing yours hasn't fruited yet, I'd do it around March / April. Where is Mooloolaba?

My brother pruned his last August, and it's now got 12 or more fruit on.

Time: 11th January 2010 8:14am

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Suzanne says...
Oh dear! you don't know where Mooloolaba is? Sunshine Coast just north of Brisbane. Re the pruning - it got the better of my on the weekend and I got into it. Anyway, I will keep your advice in mind for next year. How long do they take to fruit do you know?

Time: 11th January 2010 6:41pm

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Brendan says...
Hi Suzanne,
As you can see I don't get out much:-)

Custard-apples usually only take 3 years to fruit. (in ideal condititions).

Don't forget to mulch your tree. Keep it 200mm away from the trunk, and mulch out past the dripline, make the mulch about 150 to 200mm deep. I'd give it some dolomite too, under the mulch.

Time: 12th January 2010 9:05am

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amanda says...
Has anyone had trouble getting their custard apples to establish a strong root system? Mine are 3 yrs old (doing well) but still need staking. I only do it lightly but the trunk still seems wobbly in the ground to me.
Is it maybe cos' of the fierce wind here?

Time: 12th January 2010 11:55am

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About the Author amanda19
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Wayne says...
Mine is the same Amanda, it has lent over with the wind so I'm about to re-stake it and pull it back

Time: 12th January 2010 11:57am

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amanda says...
Ta Wayne. Must be the type of tree...none of my other trees are staked at all and I weaned them off stakes within 1-2 yrs of planting by gradually loosening the ties every few months. They all have good strong trunks etc except custard apple never did.
I have to prune some things carefully as the wind tends to make them lop-sided - I worry that all the foliage etc on one side will eventually cause my peach tree to topple over?

Time: 12th January 2010 12:25pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Wayne says...
Here we go Amanda

Super phosphate
Promotes healthy and vigorous root systems in all plants

Time: 12th January 2010 12:39pm

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About the Author Wayne
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amanda says...
You are right Wayne. I had a full soil analysis done last year and whilst my phos levels are a bit low - it is readily available at least.
I actually spent a year treating my orchard to all sorts of goodies b4 I planted it - including a huge dose of superphos - mainly cos' I added so much clay (which binds phos) and also cos' it was "virgin" soil.
I have to be careful in the orchard as it's sub-reticulated from the Biolytix total waste water treatment system - which supplies a low level of nitrogen and phos constantly.
I would be surprised if it's phos as the other 60 trees/shrubs have no stability problems at all.
I am really anal about adding things to my soil without knowing what I am doing - to be honest..if I put all things on my trees that (kind) folk told me on the forum I think my trees would be dead by now? :-/
The soil testing was some of the best $ I have ever spent. I know exactly what my particular situation needs and what the problem areas are. For example I don't use magnesium hardly at all..my soil has enough - to add more antagonises the uptake of potassium (an element sadly lacking in sandy soils).
As for the custard apples - they giveme lovely fruit so if they need staking then they can have it! ;-) Yum!

Time: 13th January 2010 1:18am

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About the Author amanda19
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amanda says...
Hey Wayne (and any other good pruners...) This are my peach and custard apple trees. See how they are growing away from the wind? I put a stick in the ground - bottom right of peach tree and was thinking of pruning out the lower branch that it's pointing to - to try and straighten the tree up?
It carries a big crop and I am worried that it will topple over one day. It's trunk is very strong but the wind is powerful (see those big telephone poles in the background? the vulnerable ones are actually splitting/cracking)
The Custard apple is going the same way - and I know the fruit is very heavy.
Can pruning correct this problem or is it too late?
Appreciate any advice here - especially as I don't like cutting my babies unless absolutely necessary :-(
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 13th January 2010 1:13pm

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Wayne says...
I don't think prunning is the answer Amanda, I think a wind break if possible is the answer.

Time: 13th January 2010 2:57pm

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amanda says...
Hi Wayne ....that's a commercial grade fabric windbreak around the orchard that you can see in the background..?? It's nearly 4m high.. ;-)

Time: 13th January 2010 7:12pm

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Brad says...
time to move amanda... ;)

Time: 13th January 2010 7:41pm

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About the Author Brad2
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Wayne says...
This is my tree
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 13th January 2010 7:58pm

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About the Author Wayne
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amanda says...
Ohh Wayne..your garden so green! I am jealous... ;-o( Custard apple looks really good - does it lean from the wind or did it just grow like that?

I hear you Brad! Our (new) house may have to be demolished (sad story, shonky builder) cos' it wasn't designed to take the wind on my hill...ironic. No wonder the trees struggle thru' summer.

Time: 13th January 2010 10:07pm

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Wayne says...
It leans with the wind Amanda

That is really bad news about your house Amanda, I was a builder for many years and there are shonky ones out there which made it very hard for us honest ones to compete with.

Time: 14th January 2010 8:11am

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amanda says...
Hi Wayne - here is my african pride in July last year (b4 i knew what my water was like!) Watch your bore water on your lovely tree hey.
A lot of references have mentioned that custard apples don't like the wind - maybe this is the reason why - they bend!?
The worst thing about the house is that no-one can actually tell us, at present, if it is safe to be in, in a storm event....surreal.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 14th January 2010 1:00pm

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amanda says...
Hi Wayne - my post above not displaying for some reason...?

Time: 14th January 2010 1:16pm

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amanda says...
Hey Jimmy - u out there?.. did u get a lot of experience with pruning on the research station?
Can u please check my post above (13th) with the peach and custard apple pics? Can the lean on these trees be corrected/helped by pruning them?
They may never grow well on the windward side - but if they keep going like this they may fall over?
They are the only 2 in my orchard with this problem. Thanks for any advice u may have?

Time: 15th January 2010 3:16pm

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Charles cant spell says...
id say the peach is unlikely to fall. To many small braches about the place. Plant normally fall because they have 1-2 main braches that when in fruit bring the load away from the centre (until the branch snaps or the plant uproots).

The peach looks like it need thinning I would expect hat plan to set copious amounts of small fruit and create a big thinning (fruit) job. While its nice to keep it low in wind etc I would be inclined to take out the bottem branches and thin out the whippy verticals a bit. You should be after 3-4 main branches that allow the tree to mushroom out about the roots (and spread load).

Both plants look like they could do with some heavier mulching out past the dripline. :) I realise you prolly cant get free mulch easily though. I just got my 3rd free 10m3 load from http://www.mulchnet.com/postcode.php?problem=2 muahahah. Good for anyone in perth that want course tree/leaf mulch.

Custard apple looks like it could have its leader taken out to force the previous wind side branch to become leader or at least a split. HOWEVER if have no experience in pruning a Custard apple and any dieback, shock setback implications of pruning.

If these are the only plants leaning the wind cant be cronic so a little pruning to encourage the primary growth back towards the wind should do the trick.

Just my opinion as always :) I have no horti training. Just childhood of slavery and a post baby fanaticism with growing.

Time: 15th January 2010 7:01pm

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Original Post was last edited: 15th January 2010 7:17pm

About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1
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Charles cant spell says...
Stuff off the net about Custard Apples.

What can I do to keep the height of my trees down?

When you plant your trees, plant them at wide spacings (8 m x 8 m for African Pride and 10 m x 8 m for Pinks Mammoth, KJ Pinks, Hillary White and Maroochy Gold). With these spacings you can spread the tree canopy outwards and the tree will be less inclined to grow upwards. To get the tree canopy to spread outwards, prune and train young trees into an open vase shape. Custard apples are difficult to prune back into shape after neglect and produce rank vegetative growth in reaction to heavy pruning, so regular winter and summer pruning is essential.

How do I prune custard apples?

It's important to start pruning and training custard apples from planting. Start pruning to an open vase shape and maintain that shape for the first four years. Then keep the canopy open, so that light can penetrate and achieve fruit distribution throughout the canopy.

http://cms2live.horticulture.com.au/admin/assets/library/annual_reports/pdfs/PDF_File_50.pdf

Time: 15th January 2010 7:12pm

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amanda says...
Thnaks charles. I actually had no idea how to prune the atemoya - just got stuck in last year...lucky it's ok!? it's been flowering for months now - no fruit set as yet this year - don't think the pollinators are around.
The rainbow bee eaters are 'in town' so i think my bees have gone underground! ;-)

Time: 16th January 2010 1:11am

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rickywatson1 says...
Soil Moisture Meter will also plays an important role in the growth of plants. Soil moisture sensors measure the water content in soil. A soil moisture probe is made up of multiple soil moisture sensors.Measuring soil moisture is important in agriculture to help farmers manage their irrigation systems more efficiently. Not only are farmers able to generally use less water to grow a crop, they are able to increase yields and the quality of the crop by better management of soil moisture during critical plant growth stages.

http://hornetcentral.com.au/irrigated-agriculture/about/

Time: 28th December 2013 3:20pm

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