Rollinia deliciosa (Brazilian/Amazon custard apple) (forum)

amanda starts with ...
Hi, was wondering if anyone growing one of these? (particularly in sub-tropical frost free climate?)
Am about to put one in the ground and looking for any tips/advice please?

Time: 16th June 2009 12:00pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

HappyEarth says...
Hi Amanda,

We grow rollinia here in a sub-tropical frost free climate. THis time of year they just about deciduous. Ours is a couple of years old now and looking good. There is a big old tree in the Sydney botanical gardens that produces fruit :)

Superb tasting fruit!

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 16th June 2009 1:37pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
WOllongong
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
Thanks HappyEarth..I have a feeling Woollongong may be a sister climate to ours (except 4 rainfall) our lowest o/nite temp about 4oC (extreme) usually 7oC at worst. Winter is short n sweet here, summer can b hot but sea breezes moderate to a large extent. What's it like over there?

Time: 16th June 2009 11:39pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

HappyEarth says...
Hey Amanda,

Is sounds very similar but I dare say we have more humidity - its pretty much sub-tropical on the coastal plain - in fact we have the last patch of sub-tropcial rainforest oon the east coast so that gives a pretty good indication. Yeah, we recieve about 1200mm of rain too.

The rollinia along with the miracle fruit, sapodilla and jakfruit are probably the most bordline fruit trees I grow suceesfully here :)

Time: 17th June 2009 8:12am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Wollongong
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

birdy says...
Hi, just wondering what could be going on with my little tree. We bought it about two weeks ago, it was delivered looking faintly yellow in the leaf (with green veins), which seams to be getting worse. Is it some kind of deficiency? Or maybe it has a sickness?Any suggestions?
Thanks, Birdy.

Time: 26th October 2012 12:24pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author birdy1
bellingen
#UserID: 7366
Posts: 1
View All birdy1's Edible Fruit Trees

John Mc says...
birdy, is that new growth? because the new growth on mine is very yellowy looking as it emerges. Other than that, is it holding onto last seasons older leaves still?, in which case, should be falling off soon.

Time: 26th October 2012 1:14pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
#UserID: 2743
Posts: 2043
View All JohnMc1's Edible Fruit Trees

Markmelb says...
My Custard Apples PM & PP seem to be growing well here in Melb but having a bit off a time to perfect my hand pollination techniques - with pruning their branchhes are thickening up quite well -
My Question is - will I have as much success with growing Rollinia alongside those other plants and better fruit set?
Thanks
Photo is of Paxton Prollific with flowers
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th February 2015 10:16am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Markmelb
MT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
#UserID: 7785
Posts: 1192
View All Markmelb's Edible Fruit Trees

Waterfall says...
I have a PP and a Rollinia up here in Sydney, I've noticed the Rolliinas leaves tend to dry out more than the PP so maybe it requires more humidity than the PP.

I get flowers on the PP but I think it needs more size before it can hold fruit. The Rollinia is a seedling and has not flowered yet.



Time: 5th February 2015 11:21am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(1) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
People who Like this Answer: Farouk

About the Author Waterfall
Waterfall
#UserID: 10026
Posts: 422
View All Waterfall's Edible Fruit Trees

Brain says...
Nice pic markb. I have my pp in pot like yours but a size bigger. It can hold fruit at your tree size, just a bit of luck i suppose. I have found mine never fruited in the first year of flowering but did all right after that.

Time: 5th February 2015 1:23pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Brain
Brisbane
#UserID: 6289
Posts: 638
View All Brain's Edible Fruit Trees

Waterfall says...
Here are some photos of my PP, Rollinia seedling and Fino de Jete Cherimoya.

The health of the leaves pretty much matches the the plants tolerance to my climate. The Cherimoya looks the most healthy followed by the PP and then the Rollinia.

All 3 grow very well though in terms of vigour.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 5th February 2015 7:34pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 5th February 2015 7:32pm

About the Author Waterfall
Waterfall
#UserID: 10026
Posts: 422
View All Waterfall's Edible Fruit Trees

Markmelb says...
Waterfall - Good pics - do you think Rollinea would benefit with more shade? The FDJ has huge leaves - my sophia is karking it but you never know may grow new roots with the repotting in new well draained mix after shaking off all old soil muck it came in -
Pic is of a sad Sophia Cherimoya - if it wasnt the soil medium at fault my only other thought i found in some deep dark growing notes that said sunburn could be an issue and painting with dilute plastic white like Avos is a must - I do my Avos but no one ever said that it could get that hot on an East Facing Wall for a Cherimoya???
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th February 2015 8:11pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Markmelb
MT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
#UserID: 7785
Posts: 1192
View All Markmelb's Edible Fruit Trees

Waterfall says...
I have read on here that Rollinia can take the sun no problem but I think it depends on humidity, so maybe in Brisbane or similar it tolerates the sun because the air is humid but down in Melbourne it is a more dry heat which they don't like.

We are only 7km from the ocean so the humidity is good for Sydney but I still think it would like more. I'm thinking of boxing it in a bit more so there is no wind, the wind removes humidity very fast.

Is that a recent photo? this time of year it should be pushing a lot of new growth if its happy.

This photo is my cherimoya at the start of spring last year.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th February 2015 9:00pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 5th February 2015 8:59pm

About the Author Waterfall
Waterfall
#UserID: 10026
Posts: 422
View All Waterfall's Edible Fruit Trees

Markmelb says...
Hi W - Heres a pic of my Sofia Cherimoya at the 30/8/14 - didnt look too bad - maybe not as vigorous coming into spring as it should have been but I thought that was how they were coming out of winter. Had no other referance plant to go by but my PM and PP that were slow but steady growers - Your FDJ came a longway from where it was last year well done.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th February 2015 9:58pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Markmelb
MT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
#UserID: 7785
Posts: 1192
View All Markmelb's Edible Fruit Trees

sternus1 says...
Rollinia can take the worst sun imaginable, definitely the hardiest annona I've come across. They do not like wet feet and will probably wilt in periods of consecutive rainy days.

I have 8 of them.

Your description of humidity being ' good' in terms of fruit set is greatly exaggerated irrespective of your proximity to the ocean. Even in Brisbane they require hand pollination for good yields and I've had a pro tell me that I really need a mister if I'm to avoid hand pollinating them entirely.

Bmc is a deft had at it, and reports that without hand pollination his tree sets at about 1%.

Time: 5th February 2015 9:59pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author sternus1
Australia
#UserID: 8314
Posts: 1318
View All sternus1's Edible Fruit Trees

Waterfall says...
No my comments re humidity were in regards to the health of the leaves. Comparing my rollinia to my atemoya and cherimoya.

I'm happy to hand pollinate when the time comes.

Time: 5th February 2015 10:03pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Waterfall
Waterfall
#UserID: 10026
Posts: 422
View All Waterfall's Edible Fruit Trees

Markmelb says...
Sternus - I guess your Rollinias are in pots - whats your mix - seedlings and any grafted and when did they first bear fruit and branch diameter? Still no flower buds on my Dragon Fruit :(

Time: 5th February 2015 10:11pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 5th February 2015 10:10pm

About the Author Markmelb
MT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
#UserID: 7785
Posts: 1192
View All Markmelb's Edible Fruit Trees

The poster formerly known as... says...
My tree is currently looking good. I hand pollinate early in the season to get good set before the rain and humidity kicks in, as I get a nasty fungus that gets the fruit later in the season. They do self set later when humidity is up, but by then the tree is aborting anything under fist size. I've got probably 3 dozen fruit set to ripen in the next month, and about 200 small fruit turning black and falling off.

Time: 5th February 2015 11:30pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
Keperra
#UserID: 3270
Posts: 1552
View All Theposterformerlyknownas's Edible Fruit Trees

JohnMc1 says...
I had a few fruit self pollinate late in the season here as well. Like Bruce, I usually gather pollen one day and pollinate with it the next, but I was a bit lazy this year. One thing with Rollinia, from my observations, at least in this climate, is that there is never a crossover of M & F flowers. They are either ALL M or ALL F. At least with other Annonas crossovers are quite common.
Female flower pic 1.and male flower pic 2.taken a day apart.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 6th February 2015 7:59am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 6th February 2015 7:58am

About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
#UserID: 2743
Posts: 2043
View All JohnMc1's Edible Fruit Trees

sternus1 says...
Mark I live on a 3 acre block and grow almost nothing in pots unless I'm nurturing them until they are big enough to plant out. I'm on bad soil and have to amend Beds for a long time in order to be a lot do this though. I have about 15 trees in the pots they came in from daleys while I build viable soil. My priority right now is finishing my new dragonfruit grove and fruiting cacti patch, I'll be posting a thread about the whol gigantic placer it has been next week... Hundreds and hundreds of hours of labor.

My largest rollinia tree flowered last year but did not set, the others are only a little over a metre high. I went back to seedlings having got either very poor growth rates from grafted versions or straight out death.

Don't worry if your dragon hasn't flowered. It actually does take them longer to fruit than is popularly believed. Some varieties are incredibly slow. My natural mystic is like this... Painfully slow growth rate.

At this stage I'm madly cooking Biochar as base for my soilless mix that I will grow all my boutique dragons in from this point on. Nothing fancy, just char and coir with some lime for acidity. So far I've burned through about half a ton of wood and filled three large pots. Slow, slow work.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.....

Time: 6th February 2015 10:07am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 6th February 2015 10:02am

About the Author sternus1
Australia
#UserID: 8314
Posts: 1318
View All sternus1's Edible Fruit Trees