On May 24, I pollinated a flower on both my Geffner Atemoya and also on my Sugar Apple using pollen from the Lisa Atemoya and today I verified that the fruit has set!

This cross pollination tests will allow me to create new hybrids or variations from these existing hybrids.

So we now have:

SUCCESS! :)
Pollen from the Lisa Atemoya applied to the Geffner Atemoya = Fruit set!
Pollen from the Lisa Atemoya applied to the Sugar Apple = Fruit set!

FAILURES :(
Pollen from the Geffner Atemoya applied to the Lisa Atemoya = Failure to set fruit.
Pollen from the Geffner Atemoya applied to the Sugar Apple = Failure to set fruit.

My next test will involve pollinating my 97-1 Atemoya using pollen from my Geffner, and Lisa Atemoyas. I will then take pollen from my 97-1 Atemoya, and apply it to the Geffner, and Lisa Atemoyas, and also the Sugar Apple.

Hahahha...Bryan. You have nothing to say? I will try to do the same testing too when my gefner produce flower. Right now my two lisa is flowering but I'm not home to pollinate them.:(

Keep us update and pictures later. Thanks for sharing.

Very interesting!! Keep us updated...

Felipe

yes im very interested in hybridizing anonas, its hard to find information on it.
i have Kampong Mauve sugar apple, Rollinia Biriba and Lisa Atemoya, and am looking for a nice soursop. wonder if any will be able to cross?

i dont have access to this report but heres the summary

The studies conducted in Serdang , Selangor, Malaysia, involved six selected species of Annonaceae, namely: Annona muricata, A. squamosa, A. glabra, A. montana, A. rollinia, and A. reticulata. Hybridizations were attempted between all species and also their reciprocal crosses. Although fruit was formed between some species, seeds were not viable except for those produced in two hybridizations: Annona muricata (female) x Annona montana (male) and Rollinia mucosa (female) x Annona muricata (male). The former F1 hybrids produced plants that flowered but set no fruit. The latter F1 hybrids produced fruit similar to Rollinia.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=575_41

Thanks for the support and the comments. The Annona group in general is a great plant to try and create new hybrids since the flower gives you two chances to experiment, thus making the process go a lot faster.

When in the female stage you can pollinate it, then when it changes to a male you can collect pollen for your next endeavor.

I read this article by Zill and Mahdeem and that is what caught my interest to attempt to create some new varieties. Since I have the plants at my disposal I thought why not try some non-destructive experimentation with them. The end result could be some cool new fruit that I get to name.

Check out the article and see for yourself if it also motivates you to try your hand at it.

Here is a link that might be useful: General Observations on Hybridizing Annonas Species

Today for the first time a flower opened in the female stage on my 97-1 Atemoya. This plant is only 1 foot tall, and full of new buds. Since I had pollen from my Geffner Atemoya available I attempted to pollinate this flower. To my surprise when I removed one petal to start the pollination process the female flower was shedding pollen internally even though it had not spread the petals to the male stage. I saved the pollen and pollinated the flower with its own pollen. I will have to wait for the other flowers to open until I can continue the test using the Geffner pollen.

@ Enduser . Where about in Tampa do you live, I've never seen an Atemoya nor a cherimoya tree in Tampa. I didn't know that those fruit trees could grow in Tampa. What else are you growing besides Atemoya. I plan on moving South of Tampa soon

Enduser, what I have noticed when hand pollinating is that I get better results with some varieties in the evening and with some in the morning.

Where I live in California, I have better success with Gefner in the evening. Pierce pollinated in the morning. I have a 48-26 that is flowering right now. I will wait and see if Gefner pollinates it.

racor, I agree with your statement. I suspect that besides the difference in varieties, the amount of moisture in the air may have some influence on that. Some books say to pollinate in the morning, but I do find it more convenient to collect the pollen in the evening and to pollinate the female flowers if they are available at that time. Whatever works and produces good results for your efforts is the key to this job.

UPDATE:

The sole 97-1 Atemoya flower did not set fruit when the flower was in the female stage and shedding pollen at the same time. I'm waiting for another flower to open so that I can use the Lisa or the Geffner pollen on it.

UPDATE:

Confirmed that the 97-1 Atemoya pollen sets fruit on the Geffner! The pollen from the sole female flower on the 97-1 that did not set fruit on itself, has set fruit on the Geffner. The rest of the flowers on the 97-1 are still too small so I will have to wait.

So far I can confirm that:

SUCCESS! :)
Pollen from the Lisa Atemoya applied to the Geffner Atemoya = Fruit set!
Pollen from the Lisa Atemoya applied to the Sugar Apple = Fruit set!

Pollen from the 97-1 Atemoya applied to the Geffner Atemoya = Fruit set!

FAILURES :(
Pollen from the Geffner Atemoya applied to the Lisa Atemoya = Failure to set fruit.
Pollen from the Geffner Atemoya applied to the Sugar Apple = Failure to set fruit.

***> Does anyone know what Sugar Apple and Cherimoya variety cross was used to hybridize the Geffner Atemoya? I'm curious as to why its pollen fails to set fruit on other Annonas.

I took a week off for vacation and to attend a friends wedding. When I returned home I was greeted by a bit of discouragement.

It looks like the same problem that Gary Zill mentioned in his article "General Observations on Hybridizing Annonas Species" (link posted above) I'm now facing. The Geffner Atemoya has aborted 5 of the 10 fruit that I pollinated using the Lisa pollen. The fruit were much larger then a pencil eraser.

So far all the other fruits pollinated on the Geffner using its own pollen appear to be holding and getting rather large. Remaining on the Geffner as a result of the cross pollination are 5 Lisa, and 1 97-1 fruit.

The sugar apple has also aborted all the formed fruit including fruit pollinated using its own pollen. This could be due to stress from flowering for the first time. I will attempt to cross pollinate the SA again next year since the plant no longer appears to be pushing blooms. Further updates posted as they become available.

Enduser,

I have made several attemptsto hand pollinate 48-26 Lisa Atemoya with Gefner, Pierce and Honeyheart pollen and all failed.

I finally had some male and female lisa flower at the same time so I have pollinated it with its own pollen. Only had one male flower so I'll update in a few days.

Racor,

I'm glad to see that your test using the Geffner pollen on the 48-26 Lisa are consistent with mine (not compatible). I don't have a Pierce or Honeyheart in my area so I'm not able to duplicate those test.

Are the Pierce and Honeyheart considered Cherimoyas?

The 48-26 Lisa pollen is compatible with the Geffner so I'm sure it should also work on the Pierce and Honeyheart plants. Looking forward to the results.

Enduser,

Pierce and Honeyheart are Cherimoyas. They pollinate my Gefner just fine and vice versa.

I was able to pollinate the Lisa with its own pollen

Have not tried Lisa pollen on others because of lack of flowers to get pollen from.

I think you are right about Lisa needing its own pollen or some from a variety that we have not identified yet.

If I have a breakthough with this test, I will update you. However, it is unlikely since I do not have any other varieties to test pollen from.

Good Luck

Time for an update. TD Bonnie's heavy rain and wind caused excessive fruit drop on my Geffner Atemoya tree. While the amount of fruit dropped was rather extreme the tree still has over 50 fruit actively growing. Yes I was very busy pollinating. The tree is holding on to several cross pollinated fruit from the Lisa 48-26 tree. I'm looking forward to see what transpires from this cross pollinating experiment.

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The small Geffner Atemoya tree involved in the cross pollination project
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One of the several cross-pollinated fruit with the Lisa (marked with tie wrap in center)
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Fruit actively growing
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More fruit
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Very nice. This year I'm letting my atemoya rest. I did not have time to pollinate the flowers so I'm only getting one fruit on the Lisa.

I notice that you grow all your atemoya in pots. Why not grow it in the ground?

Great pictures and information! I bought a Gefner Atemoya this year. It is too tiny to fruit yet, but growing nicely. Can't wait until it is fruiting size.

Hello Enduser,
I really like those pictures of your trees. I was thinking that the temps during the winter in Tampa can be too cold at times and that is why you have them potted? Just a guess, because I have family in that area and I have heard from them that the temps can be pretty cold during the winter.
What is your favorite sugar apple that your growing right now? I ma thinking of getting a grafted tree next year but I may hold off since I planted 25 seeds, and 6 of a red variety. I am hoping that I can get them to fruit in three years like Kristi was saying.
Andrew

@ch3rri while I may live in sunny Florida, the area where I reside is prone to extremely frigid winds. I learned that the hard way on January 22, 2009. Even though I protected all my plants with frost blankets I suffered a complete loss and devastation. I learned first hand that frost blankets are useless at stopping air infiltration. That day I lost 8 mango trees, 1 Lychee, 1 guava, and 1 Barbados cherry. A very expensive lesson, not to mention the emotional toll.

The temperature lows in my region usually run between 5 to 10 degrees colder then those reported for the Tampa Bay area. This past winter I witnessed a low temperature of 21 degrees on the mercury thermometer. Since I can't protect everything in the ground, I keep them in pots, come winter time I move them to the south side of my house where I pitch a makeshift green house.

You can see the pictures and the story of how I managed to keep everything green and alive this past winter. It starts about two-thirds of the way down on this post: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropicalfruits/msg0620223931188.html

@sun_worshiper thanks. Just make sure to water and fertilize faithfully with a complete fertilizer and keep the soil pH between 7-8. When the roots start to outgrow the pot, move it to the next size pot. The first year I only got 1 fruit from self-pollination. This year when I hand pollinated it went crazy producing fruit.

@andrew78, my favorite sugar apple would be the Yucatan variety. The size and flavor of just one fruit is like eating 4 or more of the green and red sugar apples mixed together but with a much smoother and creamy consistency. I have one Yucatan plant but nine is less then a year old.

I have three plants of the green variety that are a little under 2 years old. They flower but have not set fruit yet. A few of my 1 year old seedlings have also flowered but they are too young to set fruit. Just like you I have several seedlings but it will be a few years before they start fruiting.

enduser,
can you send me some seeds for atemoya and custard apple? I live in northern california and I manage to get 1 small cherimoya on the tree. I want to try atemoya and custard apples as well. I can send a self address envelope to you. Thanks , kyna

knlim000 Atemoyas are hybrids so they do not come true from seeds. You will end up with some unknown junk fruit if you are able to get it to fruit at all. I do not grow custard apples.

Since you live in the annona capital of the U.S.A. with lots of access to different cherimoyas, atemoyas, sugar apple, and custard apple varieties, what's your reason for requesting seeds so far away?

Your local fruit markets carry all these fruits in abundance. Just eat the fruit and plant the seeds. All fruits will give you the real deal except for any that are hybrids.

i'm in northen california, about 6hrs drive from LA. cherimoy/atemoya not in season, can't find it in grocery store. I think i might have to drive down there to pick some good tree myself. But I do like to try growing from seeds just for fun

I just got back today from 8-days of vacationing at Delray Beach with my girlfriend. I left my parents in charge of keeping an eye on my place while I was away. They were to come by and collect fruit mostly guavas that are now in season and make sure the automated watering system was working correctly.

When I arrived home today, I did a quick walk through the yard and to my shock and horror I found my Geffner Atemoya tree dead. The drip irrigation hose that waters the pot was pulled off at the main feed hose. I immediately called my mom to get to the bottom of this and she told me that she found one of the potted plants blown over early in the week so she set it upright. In the process she must of pulled the hose out of the feed tube.

The plant was without water for several days in temperatures exceeding 95 plus degrees and not a drop of rain all week. Needless to say I am extremely upset after all the work and effort that I put into this project only to have it end this way.

My condolences on your project disruption. I've learned to roll with the punches in this hobby....with varying degrees of success. Some of these losses are really hard to take. After Hurricane Wilma, I was ready to throw in the towel when I looked over my yard to see almost every one of the 300 trees either uprooted or severely damaged. You just have to pick up the pieces and start again. I sure hope you are willing to try again....I, for one, was following with great interest your pollination results and findings.

Harry

Bad luck with losing that tree. I have not had a loss that bad yet :(. However, I have had lots of smaller losses over the years, losing a recently bought avocado tree recently. I tend to go with what Harry said "roll with the punches".

So sad to see your experiments disrupted. Is there no chance that the Gefner survived? My father once had a willow tree that came back to life after being apparently dead for two years. It reinforces belief in the resurrection. I do hope that your experiments continue.
Cath

Enduser

Sorry about your Gefner. Just to update you on the experiment, I was not able to pollinate the 48-26 with any other variety I have. I did pollinate it with its own pollen about 6 fruits which I thinned out to only 3 left. I think the tree is too small to carry all those fruits. It's in a 5 gal. pot.

Don't get discouraged by your setback and good luck

Hello there!
I just started my tropical fruit orchard. I planted two sugar apple (annona squamosa) trees in March along with a jackfruit and a custard apple (annona reticulata) and today I am happy to have a new addition my first Atemoya tree! There were a variety of cultivars to chose from and in the end I took the nursery guys recommendation and bought a "Lisa." I am going to plant it tomorrow in my backyard. I think between my two sugar apples, I should have ample pollination, yet I don't know anything about pollinating my atemoya or my custard apple trees. Will there close proximaty to each other encourage natural cross pollination? Anyone have some good advise on the care of these trees besides, ample light and fertilizing? I am in Fort Lauderdale so no worries about freeze.
Thanks,
annonalover

This just in,

I understand that annona reticulata will redily cross pollinate with both sugar apples and Atemoya. As mentioned earlier, I just planted a healthy "Lisa" Atemoya and hope to have them cross pollinate with the other annona species I have. If anyone has any thoughts on this let me know. Thanks, Vince

This e mail is for enduser (9a Tampa)

Hi,

enduser(9a Tampa

My name is Sev and I have been
looking for the atemoya variety 97-1 for a long time. This variety is not
for sale in any nursery that I know and I understand that it's original from
Pine Island. I have already tried FruitScape nursery in Bookeelia, and
they told me that they don't carry it anymore.

I have other varieties, but I
would like to know if it is possible to buy you a couple of budwoods from
your adult 97-1 tree, probably next year when budwoods are on shape for
grafting, so I can graft them in my property in one of my trees. I live
in Miami, FL, and I have a collection of tropical fruit trees.

We heard that this 97-1 atemoya is
excellent, and also, productive. And it's one of the newest variety released
from Pine Island.

My e-mail is chery0303@yahoo.com

You can write me anytime you
wish.

I'll appreciate your reply
Sev