What are the best practices to plant a Soursop Tree? Complete beginner’s guide

If you’ve tasted fresh soursop, you probably want a tree of your own. It can do well in your yard when it gets the right conditions, and those conditions come down to simple rules that are easy to put into practice.

Climate and Soil Requirements

The best climate for a soursop is a warm one that doesn’t freeze. It’s slightly less cold hardy than its relatives, sweetsop and atemoya, so it belongs in warm spots that don’t freeze or stay below 50°F for long stretches.

That makes it the perfect choice in USDA zones 10B and 11. Frost is the line you can’t cross, because the tree is damaged at 30°F and killed at 26°F. If you garden in Central or North Florida, plant it in the warmest spot in your yard, ideally one that’s easy to cover when a cold snap comes.

Give it full sun and shelter from strong winds, which it handles poorly. It likes warm, humid weather. Heat of 80°F to 90°F combined with very dry air can cause pollination problems, while temperatures in the 70s with high humidity help.

The best soil is well-draining and slightly acidic, and sandy soil with a pH of 5 to 6.5 fits that description well. Soursop also tolerates a wide range of other soils as long as water doesn’t sit around. Because the roots are shallow, a thick layer of mulch does a lot of good.

Where winters are too cold for planting in the ground, a large container is the best workaround, as you can move the tree indoors whenever the forecast drops.

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Soursop Planting Tips

If you want fruit sooner, the best way to start is with a young, grafted soursop tree instead of a seed. A seed-grown tree usually takes 3 to 5 years to produce a first crop.

Better varieties are usually grafted, often onto soursop or pond apple (Annona glabra) rootstock. Air layering is possible, but the success rate is marginal.

Pick a full-sun spot 15 to 30 feet from other trees, buildings, and power lines. At the nursery, look the tree over for pests and disease and skip any that are root-bound. In a pot, use a loose, well-draining potting mix and a container with drainage holes. Once the tree is in, take off most of the fruit it sets in the first year.

Plan ahead for size. Soursop can reach 15 to 30 feet if you leave it alone, though fruit trees are usually pruned smaller so the canopy stays healthy and the fruit stays within reach.

Soursop Tree Care

The best watering habit is steady attention while the tree is young. Water regularly until it’s established, then water occasionally during dry spells. Soursop is reasonably drought tolerant, but trees that get stressed by drought produce lower-quality fruit, so keep water coming once the fruit sets.

For fertilizer, a balanced formula works, such as 10-10-10, and so does one with less phosphorus. Feed from April through September, and add micronutrients if your fertilizer doesn’t include them. A soil test will tell you what the tree actually needs, and the tree isn’t salt tolerant. A common schedule splits about ½ pound into quarterly feedings during the first year, 1 pound in the second, and 3 pounds a year after that.

The best time to prune is early spring, in the first or second week of March, when new growth is just emerging. Soursop flowers on year-old and new growth, and heavy pruning can cost you the crop. Trim about a third of last year’s growth, cut long shoots back to half or two-thirds of their length, and remove dead wood. Aim for a tree 8 to 12 feet tall and open enough for light to reach the lower branches. Once the tree is shaped, it needs little pruning beyond dead or poorly placed branches.

Keep an eye on the fruit shape. Lopsided fruit is common and may come from poor pollination, which is one reason hot, dry spells can hurt the crop. Don’t be alarmed if the tree drops its leaves in cooler months, as they are deciduous.

Managing Pests and Diseases

Soursop trees can run into a few common pest and disease problems, but early action can make a big difference. The best approach is to inspect the tree often. The annona seed borer is the most difficult pest, because its larvae develop inside the fruit. Bagging individual fruit keeps the adults from laying eggs. Keep the canopy open enough for airflow, and remove any affected leaves or fruit as soon as you spot trouble.

Anthracnose is one of the most common fungal diseases on soursop trees. It appears as yellow or brown spots on leaves that darken and spread over time. In humid weather, it can also affect fruit and reduce harvest quality. To limit it, remove infected plant material, avoid overhead watering, and keep the tree from staying too wet for long periods.

Root rot usually develops when the soil drains poorly or the roots stay saturated. Signs include decline, yellowing leaves, and a tree that looks weak even when it has been watered. The best prevention is to plant in well-draining soil and avoid overwatering. If the problem has already started, reducing moisture and improving drainage are the most important first steps.

Mealybugs are sap-sucking insects that cluster on tender growth, stems, and fruit. Heavy infestations can cause yellowing, wilting, and poor fruit development. Check new growth regularly, and remove small infestations early before they spread. If needed, use an appropriate insecticidal treatment and repeat as directed.

Fruit flies can lay eggs inside developing fruit, which makes the fruit unusable. The main sign is fruit that becomes damaged or spoiled before harvest. To reduce the problem, remove fallen fruit promptly and monitor developing fruit closely. Early control is important because once fruit flies establish themselves, they can quickly affect a crop.

Harvesting Soursop

The best time to pick is when the fruit reaches full size but before it’s completely ripe. Fruit ripens between late summer and early fall. As it’s ready, the dark green skin lightens to a slightly yellowish-green, the spines soften, and the fruit looks a little bloated with smoother segment margins.

Pick carefully, since the tender skin bruises easily. After picking, the fruit softens in 4 to 7 days and has a few more days of shelf life after that. It’s at its best 6 to 7 days after harvest, when the skin yields to light pressure. The flesh is creamy, with a sub-acid flavor that’s been described as a mix of strawberry, apple, and citrus. Remove the seeds before eating.

A single fruit can get big. Weights of up to 15 pounds have been reported, though most trees produce about two dozen fruits a year, and some of those weigh 5 pounds or more. Once the seeds are out, the flesh is perfect for juice, ice cream, mousse, sorbet, and more.

Ready to plant? Take a look at our Grafted Soursop Tree, grown here in Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Grow a Soursop Tree in California?

In Florida, soursop does best where winters stay frost-free, mostly in the southern part of the state, and gardeners farther north need to plant in the warmest spot and be ready to protect the tree. California is a harder fit. Soursop is damaged at 30°F and killed at 26°F, so planting outdoors only works in the rare spots that never see frost. Most gardeners there will do better with a container they can move indoors or a greenhouse.

How Long Does a Soursop Tree Take to Fruit?

A seed-grown tree usually produces its first crop in 3 to 5 years. Starting with a young grafted tree gets you to the first harvest sooner.

How Often Should You Water a Soursop Tree?

Regularly until the tree is established, then occasionally during dry spells. Keep watering once the fruit sets, since drought stress lowers fruit quality.

How Tall Does a Soursop Tree Get?

A soursop can reach 15 to 30 feet, and for fruit trees the goal is usually 8 to 12 feet through pruning.

How Do You Know When Soursop Is Ready to Pick?

The skin lightens to a slightly yellowish-green, the spines soften, and the fruit looks a bit bloated.

References

University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Sweetsop, Soursop and Atemoya," Gardening Solutions
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/atemoya/

University of Hawaiʻi CTAHR, "Soursop" (F_N-22)
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-22.pdf

University of Arizona Arboretum, "Annona muricata"
https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=1172

University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Growing Fruit Crops in Containers"
https://mail.growables.org/information/documents/GrowingFruitCropsInContainers.pdf