Soursop Seedlings: A Guide to Growing and Caring for Them

A Soursop seedling is a young tree of the Soursop fruit. Soursop (Annona muricata L.) flowers appear to be protogynous and, after pollination, enter a dormant period of 6 to 15 weeks. Soursop seeds should be soaked in warm water (40-50 C) for 20 hours. It is native to the northern part of South America. We want the fruit, so before we get to that point, let’s grow some soursop seedlings.

Annona thrives in tropical conditions, and plants bear fruit in 2 to 3 years. It is a large green fruit that grows on trees. Much of the fruit is sweet, sour, and delicious, especially in juices, smoothies, or even just fresh!

The soursop tree can grow up to 25-30 feet tall and produce large oval, heart-shaped fruit about 4-12 inches long, weighing 10 ounces and 14 kg (1–6 kg). The fruit is used in beverages, sherbet, jams and jellies, and halva.

This article will discuss soursop seedlings—what they are, how to grow them, and how to care for them.

What is a Soursop Seedling?

A soursop seedling is a young tree of the soursop fruit that emerges from the seeds. Soursop trees are like any tree; they grow from small to more extensive, so you must give it time. The fruit is prickly on the outside of the soursop tree, but inside, it is very soft and sweet. The seedling is the first phase of the tree’s life, and it is crucial because unhealthy seedlings mean weak and unproductive trees.

Planting a Soursop Seedling

Growing soursop seedlings is easy and fun! If you want to try, use this as your shopping list:

• Soursop Seeds (these can be collected from a soursop fruit or bought)

• Potting soil

• A planter or container with holes in the bottom

• Water

• Sunlight

Get the Seeds

Start with soursop seeds. These seeds are removed from the fruit. Please ensure they are ground and well-dried (a little dry, you) seeds for several days.

Prepare the Pot

Top up the pot with potting mix. They need loose, well-draining soil that is amended to give them fast drainage.

Plant the Seeds

Sow your soursop seeds ½ inches deep in the ground, allowing space for multiple seeds if you are planting more than one.

Water the Soil

Water the soil gently. The dirt needs to be a bit wet but still saturated. Ensure the pot has good drainage, preventing the water from sitting at the bottom.

Find Sunlight

Place the pot in a sunny, warm spot to grow. Soursop plants love the sun!

Watch it Grow

About two to three weeks later, your seeds will sprout, and you will have soursop seedlings!

How To Take Care of Your Soursop Seedlings

Your precious soursop seedlings have started to grow and now require the proper care. How to take care and grow in safe trees for bambinos

Watering

Regularly water the , but only give a little. Because if you give them too much water, their roots will get sick from root rot.

Sunlight

Soursop seedlings require maximum sunshine, at least 6 hours per day. Exposure: Sun Plant them in a sunny site.

Temperature

The weather conditions for soursop seedlings are warm. If it’s too cold, you can bring them inside or at least get them out of the wind and cold air.

Soil

Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. These seedlings like fairly well-draining soil so the water does not sit around the roots.

Fertilizing

The use of a light fertilizer may be quicker to aid in seedling growth and help create more robust plants.

Sow soursop seeds

Prepare a container for planting (in the form of trays, used cans, etc.).

• There should be enough holes at the bottom for water circulation.

• The day before planting, fill 3/4 with seedlings.

• Composition of growing medium = soil: sand/chaff: compost = 1: 1:1.

• Introduce the soursop seeds into the growing medium at a 0.9 – 1.2 cm depth.

• This means the thickness of soil covering the seed = 0.9 – 1.2 cm.

• Spray with soft water (use a spray bottle).

• Cover with clear plastic containers with 2 – 5 holes.

• Could you keep it in a shady place?

• When the medium is dry, open the plastic, spray fine water, and close it again.

• Open the plastic lid when the seeds start to sprout.

• Move the nursery pot to a bright spot.

• The medium is neither dry nor too wet.

• Spray with fine water 1-2 times a day when moderately dry.

• Seeds begin to germinate in 12 to 19 days.

• The nursery is finished after 2 to 6 leaves.

Transplanting Your Soursop Seedlings

Once your soursop seedlings are large enough — usually 6 to 8 inches tall — you can transplant them into a larger pot or onto the ground. Here’s how:

Choose a Spot

Locate a sunny spot in your yard with enough room to fit the growing tree. You do not want a soursop tree in your yard unless you are ready to face a full-grown 30-foot monster!

Prepare the Soil

Imagine that a seedling’s root ball is twice as long. The soil should be enriched and have good drainage.

Transplant Carefully

When transplanting, it is important to remove your soursop seedling from the pot as carefully as possible to avoid damaging vulnerable roots. Then, put it in the hole and cover it with soil.

Water the Tree

Water the tree very well after planting.

Transplantation

• Plant 12-inch-high seedlings in the yard in the spring, spacing them a minimum of 12 feet apart.

• Blooms terminate at fall freeze.

• It will allow you to remove the plant’s root ball thoroughly.

• Finally, surround the base of the plant with soil and top it off with 3 inches of mulch to keep the moisture in.

• Water sweet soursop plants as often as necessary during hot weather to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.

• Generally, water intake is reduced when it starts to cool in the winter. Soursop plants are drought tolerant but can be pest-resistant if overly wet.

• Fertilize soursop plants with 10-10-10

Harvesting

• When picking Soursop, the fruit will go from dark green to a lighter, more yellowish color.

• The fruit will swell, and the spikes of the fruit will become milder in a few days.

• Once you pluck the soursop fruit, ripening usually takes a little longer (4 to 5 days).

Tips

Pick the unripe fruit when it is firm and yellow-green. Avoid letting fruit go soft on the tree.

Inside that, instead, store the firm fruit in your refrigerator for 4 to 5 days before it softens too much.

How Soon Soursop Tree Bear Fruits?

Soursop trees also have a long, slow-growing period. Your soursop seeds will not yield fruit for at least three to five years after planting. But with the proper maintenance, your tree will be littered with soursops quickly!

Soursop Seedlings for Sale

You can also raise and sell soursop seedlings if you wish to get started from something other than seeds. Option 1: Most nurseries and online stores will offer young seedlings up to a few inches tall. These are great for getting a jump in soursop tree growth!

Soursop Seedlings (available at local plant nurseries or garden shops online)

Key Features: Purchase a healthy-looking seedling. The leaves should be green, and the high itself should be wide open.

Common Problems When Growing Soursop Seedlings

Seedlings face problems even when you take care of them well sometimes. Here are a few points you need to keep in check:

Turn yellow leaves

If the seedlings of Soursop have yellowing leaves, it may be due to a lack of sunlight or too wet soil. If they are watered very much, reduce the watering frequency or change their positioning so that they get more sunlight.

Wilting

Seedlings that are wilting may be a significant warning sign of underwatering. Water them regularly.

Pests

Small insects like aphids can occasionally attack soursop seedlings.

They may also be a way to avoid pesticides, so if you see pests, you can buy natural pesticides.

Why Grow Soursop?

Soursop has many benefits. It is Yummy and healthy! The fruit contains vitamins, across-the-board cell reinforcements, and strands that are profitable for well-being.

Health Benefits

• Next, Soursop helps in digestion.

• It boosts the immune system and provides energy.

• Additionally, it is thought to have medicinal properties and is commonly used in traditional remedies.

Soursop Tree Care is Worth It There’s something immensely satisfying about planting tiny soursop seedlings and watching them grow from struggling sprouts into towering trees that yield fruit.

FAQ

When the soursop seed sprouts, or in other words, how long does this process take?

It takes one or two weeks for a soursop seed to sprout.

Can I grow a soursop tree indoors?

Start your soursop seedlings indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Still, as they mature, you will want a lot of light for all that plant material and lots of room, so sending them outside at some point is appropriate.

How tall is a soursop tree?

A mature soursop tree can grow 30 feet tall but may be pruned to a more manageable height for minor growing conditions.

How Many Sunlight Hours Are Required For Soursop Seedlings?

Proper sun exposure: Soursop seedlings require six hours of direct sunlight daily to develop and produce robust growth.

How do you buy soursop seedlings?

You can purchase soursop seedlings in garden centers and many online stores specializing in exotic plants.

How Long Does It Take to Grow Soursop from Seed?

As soon as the seeds start to sprout, move them to a sunny spot. After that, they are brought and planted and then taken care of. The seed shoots up in 12-19 days, and the initial harvest of Soursop is received three years later.

How Long Does Soursop Take to Grow?

The fruit maturity at the end of the take-off point was noted, and it took 15–21 weeks to mature.

Does Soursop grow fast?

A fast grower, the soursop tree bears fruit three to five years from seed.

How much sun does Soursop need?

Grow this tree in a full-sun garden with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

Soursop Growing Conditions Best Suit?

The soursop tree needs humid tropical environments. It is not frost-tolerant and is not suitable for full sun in hot climates.