Panama Berry (forum)

Karen starts with ...
We have a Panama Berry which we bought from Dayleys & over the past year it has been looking SO good. We were really excited about getting some real summer shade from it this year. But it is now not looking at all healthy. It was damaged by a clothes line bashing into the top branches, so they have lost their leaves, and a lot of the other leaves are yellowing or falling off. Should we cut it back, or remove it and plant a new one?
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Time: 28th August 2011 2:39pm

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Original Post was last edited: 28th August 2011 2:40pm

About the Author Karen8
Newcastle
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John Mc says...
No leave it, it's getting knocked around with the long cold winter we've been having as well. It'll be back in form as soon as things warm up. It's looking better than mine.

Time: 28th August 2011 10:05pm

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About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
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Karen says...
Really? Well that's encouraging, thank you!! I was thinking of adding a whole lot more soil & mulch around the base, and giving it a dose of some seasol or magnesium or something? And I'm not sure if I should prune off the branches at the top that have lost all their leaves? I want the tree to grow tall, so I'm worried if I prune off the top branches it will stunt the upward growth?

Time: 28th August 2011 11:57pm

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About the Author Karen8
Newcastle
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Brendan says...
Hi Karen,
I'd move the mulch away from the tree trunk, it looks like it's touching in Pic 1? Could cause rot.
I'd spray it and the ground with diluted Seasol.

Time: 29th August 2011 7:04am

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About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
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amanda says...
Are they very sensitive to wind John Mc?

Time: 29th August 2011 9:26am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. Mide West WA.
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BJ says...
They have soft, velvety leaves, so are not at their best in really high wind. They are extremely fast growing (are they the fastest growing fruit tree in the world?) though and will replace damaged leaves quickly when the conditions turn in their favour.

Time: 29th August 2011 9:24pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
Brisbane
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Mike says...
They get to be a big tree here and are partly deciduous in the cooler drier time of year.In the drier parts of SE Asia you see them as a small tree with older specimens sometimes only 4 or 5m high.They get thrashed by wind and seem to handle it ok,springing back in summer.

Time: 29th August 2011 9:38pm

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Cairns
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BJ says...
Mine looked pretty ragged in Winter this year, but has recovered brilliantly and fruited its back-end off as soon as the weather warmed up. Very fast growing and the fruit ripen very quickly too. I've cut mine off at 2.5 metres (was around 3.5 before - in about 1 and a bit years).

The fruit are quite nice - like caramel corn - or those popcorn flavored Jelly Belly lollies.
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Time: 19th December 2011 9:54pm

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Original Post was last edited: 19th December 2011 9:58pm

About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
Brisbane
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nick giancola says...
I would like to know if anybody in Perth has a panama berry that is fruiting well

Time: 14th January 2012 1:28am

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About the Author nick giancola
perth wa
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Diana says...
I agree, BJ.
It sounds as though Brisbane is close to its perfect climate, and maybe mild climate coastal areas north of here. It has a lot of common names related to tropical islands and coasts (Panama berry, Jamaica cherry, Singapore cherry etc).

I have been in trouble with the council last summer because mine is adjacent to a footpath, and branches were growing out of my garden faster than I could notice and lop them off (as I am working all day during weekdays). Mine has so much fruit that I collect a bucket's worth and it hardly seems to make a difference to the amount still on the tree each day.

The taste has also been described as vanilla or caramel milkshake, or milk arrowroot biscuit. It doesn't get fruit fly. I love it. Bees love it. The rest of my family won't eat it though because it also has a slight aromatic musky smell and they think it's weird- a visitor described this as a hint of pandan. This disappears if you make it into jam. The jam is very similar to plum jam. Strangely, the ripe fruit skin goes green when heated.

Time: 18th January 2012 3:38pm

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About the Author Diana
Brisbane
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