How to grow Abiu

Pouteria caimito

Full Sun
Very High

Abiu is best suited to the hot, humid tropics. It will grow in subtropical areas provided adequate protection and cultivation requirements are met. Abiu needs to be protected from cold winter winds even in the tropics or flowering and fruit set will be adversely affected. Temperatures below -2 deg C will kill plants. Abiu requires frequent watering throughout the dry season if a good crop of fruit is to be produced, and during the fruit setting period abiu has very high water demands. Good drainage is essential as abiu will not tolerate waterlogging during the wet season. In low water table areas plant tree on a mound to prevent waterlogging.²

Growing Abiu from seed

Seeds are viable for only 1 to 2 days after extraction from fruit. They are not tolerant of drying. While seeds usually germinate in about 10 days, very hard coated seeds may take considerably longer to germinate. Therefore, soaking seeds overnight or scarifying the hard seed coat may improve germination.

Transplanting Abiu

Plant out when seedlings are 9 to 12 months old. They should be about 40cm tall. ¹

Ensure that temperatures are mild (minimum night temperatures should be around 25°C / 77°F) and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Abiu is a tender plant.

Harvesting Abiu

Pick fruit when the skin turns bright yellow but before it turns golden.² Handle gently as abiu bruises very easily.

Seed Saving Abiu

Store seed in fruit until ready to sow. Seed may remain viable for only 1 to 2 days once removed from fruit.

How long does Abiu take to grow?

These estimates for how long Abiu takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Abiu to germinate?: 10 days
Average 10 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Abiu?: + 270 days
Average 270 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Maturity How long until Abiu is ready for harvest / bloom?: + 825 days
Average 825 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Abiu?: = 1105 days

Abiu Folklore & Trivia

A mature Abiu tree can produce from 100 to one hundred thousand fruits each year.

Other names for Abiu

Caimito

Pouteria caimito (Ruiz & Pav.) Radlk.

Footnotes

¹ Crop Management of Abiu Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/plants/fruit-and-vegetables/fruit-and-nuts/other-fruit-crops

² University Of Flordia-Abiu Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

³ Publication F_N-24, Abiu, Fruit and Nuts, June 2011, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resource, University of Hawai’i, Manoa PDF

⁴ Daleysfruit.com