Custard apple tree

Are you looking for a tree to complement the beauty of your home garden? Do you want to own a fruitful tree that produces delicious and beneficial fruits? The Custard apple tree combines all these features. It is an evergreen tree with a beautiful natural appearance and produces Custard apple fruits with a unique and distinctive taste.

Custard apple

Custard apple (Annona reticulata) is a small perennial tree that is semi-deciduous or deciduous because its leaves fall in the winter when exposed to frost for long periods. Therefore, it is widespread in hot and tropical regions in South Asia, South America, and India. It is cultivated in a large number of Arab countries, including Egypt, the Gulf States, Jordan, and Palestine. It is known as Indian pineapple or Indian quince. 

Description and characteristics of the custard apple tree 

It has the following characteristics.

• The leaves of the custard apple tree are large, reaching 10-20 cm in length. They are dark green and shiny. They are lanceolate or oblong in shape, and have serrated edges. 
• Its flowers are small and clustered in clusters along the branches. The flowers appear in spring and summer and turn into custard apple fruits after about 3-4 months.
• The custard apple is similar in many ways to an apple, except that it is larger and heart-shaped. The fruit ranges in size from 7-20 cm in diameter and weighs from 100-1000 grams. 
• The fruit has a green or brown outer shell, and consists of distinct lobes, while the flesh of the fruit is soft and full of small black seeds. The flesh of the fruit has a sweet and distinctive flavour, and is a creamy white or yellowish white flesh, and is commonly used in making desserts, juices and ice cream.

Different types of custard apple trees

There are many types of custard apple trees, including:

• Indian cream
• Country cream
• Bull’s Heart Cream
• Shrimata cream
• Creamy appetizer
•  Cream ablama
•  Glabra cream
• Montana Cream
• Sengalines cream

Custard apple types

 From the Annonaceae family.

Cream Tree Colors

Sugar apple tree is characterized by 

•  With its shiny green leaves. 
• It is also characterised by its attractive flowers, which are green or light yellow in colour and emit a beautiful aromatic scent.
• The fruits are yellowish green in colour and turn brown when fully ripe.

Size (max height)

It usually grows to a height of 3 to 8 metres and a width of 3 to 6 metres. It can reach a maximum height of 10 metres.

Custard apple tree planting date

• Custard apple tree can be planted in spring or summer (January to mid-February), when the temperature is between 20-30°C.
• Seedlings or seeds can be planted.

How to grow custard apple tree?

First, you must choose the delicious and beautiful-looking custard apple seeds. Then, you can plant the custard apple tree in your home by following the following instructions:

1. Choosing the right location

The location should be sunny all day and well ventilated, and the soil should preferably be rich in organic matter.

2. Soil preparation

The soil should be plowed and organic fertilizer and sand added if the soil is heavy, as it grows in all types of soil except saline.

3. Agriculture

 After the seeds have germinated and soaked in warm water for 24 hours, they are placed in a pot containing well-drained and ventilated fertile soil for 30 days.

• It is transferred to the home garden in a sunny place so that it is exposed to sunlight for at least 8 hours a day.
• Make sure to leave at least 30 feet between each other.

• Seedlings are planted at the age of one or two years, where the custard apple tree is planted in a deep hole of a size sufficient to accommodate the tree’s roots.

4. Irrigation

 The custard apple tree should be watered regularly during the initial growth period, once every two weeks.

5. Care

 Weeds should be removed and dead or damaged branches cut.

6. Fertilization

 The custard apple tree should be fed with organic fertilizer or fertilizers designated for fruit trees, such as compound chemical fertilizer.

7. Vaccination 

 Pollen is collected from male flowers and brushed on female flowers because this tree is not self-pollinating and the previous process is repeated to improve fruit quality and increase productivity.

May you care about: Bucida buceras – terminalia mantaly

How to care for a custard apple tree?

You can take care of the cream tree with simple steps, the most important of which are:

1- Water the plant regularly.

The custard apple tree should be watered regularly during the summer, and the frequency can be reduced on rainy days to avoid saturating the soil with water.

2- Plant nutrition

 Organic fertilizers such as animal manure or compost should be added to the soil every year to improve soil quality and plant nutrition.

3- Pruning the plant

 Excess branches and leaves should be pruned to improve the tree’s growth and shape it properly.

4- Monitoring pests and diseases

 The custard apple tree should be constantly monitored to ensure that there are no pests or diseases, and if any problem is discovered, it should be treated immediately.

5- Providing shade

 It is preferable to provide shade for the tree during the hot summer because direct sunlight causes the leaves to burn.

6- Harvesting the fruits

 Custard apples should be harvested when they are fully ripe, which can be identified by the colour of the peel and the ripeness of the fruit, which turns brown.

Stages of growth of custard apple trees

1. Agriculture

 The custard apple tree is grown in the appropriate soil and climate.

2. Initial growth stage

 The custard apple tree begins to grow after planting and requires special care and attention in order to achieve healthy growth.

3. Flowers 

 The yellow flowers appear from April to May and turn into ripe fruits from August to November.

4. Production

 The custard tree begins to produce fruit about 3-4 years after planting.

When does the custard apple tree bear fruit?

As mentioned earlier, fruit production begins about 3-4 years after planting, and continues for up to 10 years. This fruits can be harvested in the fall, when the fruits turn dark brown and open naturally.

Suitable climate for growing

The custard apple tree needs special climatic conditions to grow well, such as: 

• It is grown in areas with a moderate to hot climate.
• Summer temperatures should preferably be between 20-30 degrees Celsius. 
• In winter, between 5-15 degrees Celsius, because it is a tropical tree, so it does not tolerate frost.
• It must be protected from the wind.
• Good, moist soil must also be provided for the tree to grow properly.

Best Nurseries for Selling Custard Apple Trees

If you are looking for the best nurseries to sell this tree, we suggest Gulf Gardens Nurseries in Thailand, where we offer a wide range of diverse and beautiful plants, including the custard apple tree. We also offer you

• High quality plants 
• Excellent customer service
• In addition to providing guidance and consultation services for plant care.
• Competitive prices, great offers and discounts.

 So, you can contact Gulf Gardens Nurseries in Thailand to get the custard apple tree, which is characterized by its shiny leaves and attractive flowers that emit a beautiful aromatic scent. Just contact us now and it will reach you wherever you are with the highest quality and the lowest damage rate.

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