How do you take care of a Santol plant?

Question

Any tips or suggestions? Please also site your references if possible.

Answer 1

Soil

Characteristics Wide range of soil types provided drainage is good

Climate Requirements Warm humid areas - can grow in most parts of the tropics and subtropics. Can survive light frosts.

Culture

Timber is quite weak, so even adult trees require protection from wind. However even a broken stump will reshoot readily. Good shade trees. Several grafted varieties are available, but they are probably even weaker!

Harvesting Fruits mature in mid summer and are picked when fully coloured on the tree. Taste test to determine preferred level of ripeness and acidity. Prune only after harvest as flowers grow on terminal shoots.

Answer 2

Climate

The santol is tropical and cannot be grown above 3,280 ft (1,000 m) in Java. It flourishes in dry as well as moist areas of the Philippine lowlands.

Soil

The tree has grown well in Florida in acid sandy soil and oolitic limestone, but in the latter the foliage becomes chlorotic.

  

Fig. 51: Santol (Sandoricum indicum) marmalade made in the Philippines is sometimes imported into the United States.



Propagation

The santol is reproduced by seeds, air-layering, inarching, or by budding onto self rootstocks.

Season

The fruit ripens in Malaya in June and July; in Florida, August and September; in the Philippines, from July to October.

Pests

The Caribbean fruit fly (Anastrepha suspensa) causes freckle-like blemishes on the surface of the fruit but cannot penetrate the rind.