Manilkara zapota is the scientific name for the tasty tropical fruit known as chikoo or sapota, a member of the Sapotaceae family. You might be familiar with the term "Chicle," which describes the latex that the sapodilla fruit excretes and is used as the base for chewing gum.
Sapota fruit has a somewhat musky flavour and a gritty texture. Smoothies, delicious sweets, and jams are made by scooping out the soft, meaty Sapota fruit. With 83 calories per 100 grams, sapota is a high-calorie food. The pulp of this Sapota fruit has laxative properties and is a good source of nutritional fibre. Iron, potassium, copper, niacin, folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, and pantothenic acid are abundant.
Sapota trees have an average trunk diameter of 1.5 metres and can reach heights of over 30 metres. Sapota fruit has a peach-like sweetness. You can grow it by propagating the sapota plant if you want to enjoy it indoors. Sapota seeds and grafting are other viable options.
How To Plant Chikoo?
Plant Chikoo In Pots: Step-By-Step Guide
Sapota trees thrive in pots as long as the pot is large enough to allow for root development. Choose a pot with enough drain holes between 18 and 24 inches in diameter and 20 inches or more in Sapota height. Because they are permeable, glazed containers require far less watering than unglazed clay pots.
Light is needed for potted sapota cultivation.
The ideal place for Sapota plant development and fruit production is a sunny, light solarium or window with greater southern exposure. Numerous patrons have reported picking sapota fruit from trees on patios and in residential settings.
Sapota trees like direct sunlight and bright light. If possible, 12 hours of bright light is ideal for plant development and fruit production.
Soil For Pots
Although sapota can be grown in various soil types, the best soil types for sapota farming are sandy loam, deep alluvial, black, and well-drained soils. The ideal soil mix pH for sapota tree growth is 6.0 and 8.0. The Sapota plant can be grown in a variety of ways.
One method is to plant sapota seeds, but this is a time-consuming operation because it takes 6 to 7 years for fruits to appear, and the seeds' quality determines the fruit's quality.
Buying a grafted Sapota plant from a nursery is the alternative. In two to three years, grafted sapota plants begin to produce sapota fruits. There is no specific water needed to grow sapota trees.
Sapotas may thrive in humid and desert settings, though more extreme circumstances may prevent them from fruiting.
How Can Chikoo Be Grown at Home?
- Both seeds and seedlings can be used to grow chikoo plants.
- The ideal soil for chikoo plants drains well and has a regulated pH.
- After washing the seeds, begin sowing them an inch deep. Before planting the seedling, dig a hole larger than the seedling.
- Continue to hydrate the soil daily. Do not give the plant too much water, as this might cause the roots to rot.
- The plant should be placed in a warm, bright area.
- To keep the soil moist, spread a mulch layer at the plant's base.
- Regularly cut off any diseased or dead branches to maintain the plant's health.
- After flowering, chikoo fruit typically begins to ripen five to eight months later. When the fruit is tender to the touch, it is ready to be picked. Harvest it by gently twisting and detaching the fruit.
Harvesting Sapodillas
The shedding of brown, scaly scurf from the fruit's skin indicates that the Sapodilla fruit is physiologically mature. When the fruits are ready for harvest, they turn corky brown with a hint of yellow. The fruits are ready for harvest when no green tissue is visible. Harvesting the mature fruits is done by hand.
Growing a garden at home may be a fulfilling and joyful experience. You can choose which fruits to plant in your home garden based on your particular preferences, the temperature, and the available space.